Vienna’s Ungarisches Haus, which translates to Hungarian House, is a typical city dwelling that does little to draw attention to itself. The building has, however, forged quite a nasty, little reputation by association. It is said that the infamous Blood Countess, Elizabeth Bathory, once occupied this space. As you can imagine, dark deeds are said to have taken place within the belly of the building and thus resulted in a number of rumors that the […]
Blutgasse is a rather unsuspecting narrow pedestrian walkway in the heart of Vienna, Austria. Its name directly translates to English as Blood Street. This is for the vast amount of human blood, which once flowed freely through the grooves of the alley’s cobblestone flooring. Though Blutgasse is fairly quaint and quiet by day, sporting galleries, apartments and a street-side cafe, it takes on a different and more sinister facade by night. This is the time when […]
Vienna is a truly picturesque city and one that is easy to fall in love with. The culture, architecture and people make it a lively destination, with plenty of history to discover at every turn. Though the city is a beautiful one, it does have a dark side. Thousands of skeletons lurk beneath the city streets and ties to the infamous Blood Countess exist within haunted Vienna. A name as direct and descriptive as Blood […]
Hidden in the plain sight of Salzburg’s city center is a beautifully creepy, little cemetery. The St. Sebastian’s Cemetery feels more like a macabre art gallery than a typical burial place. The square cemetery is framed by artistic portrayals of death and symbolism that reminds visitors they will too, inevitably face death. The center of this square arcade of grave markers sees a grass filled cemetery littered with tombstones and featuring a grand dome-shaped mausoleum […]
December sees much of the Western world turn to merry traditions depicting typical Christmas cheer, whilst other parts of Central and Eastern Europe prepare for far darker traditions featuring a demonic counterpart to the jolly Saint Nick. Krampus is fast becoming a frightening new tradition for people all around the world. But, who is this Christmas Devil? What are the origins and legends of Krampus? How can one celebrate? To describe Krampus is to describe […]
A small forgotten cemetery filled with unknown souls rests peacefully just outside of Vienna, Austria. Known locally as the Friedhof der Namenlosen. This translates to the Cemetery of the Nameless. Though created out of respect for the dead, the cemetery has a grim past and is almost certainly haunted. Throughout the 1800s the Danube River, which cuts through Austria, was often littered with bodies. These were usually drowning victims, those who had committed suicide and often […]