Europe is full of famous castles, ancient ruins and iconic landmarks, but some of its most fascinating places rarely make it onto a typical sightseeing itinerary. Hidden beneath busy city streets, tucked away in forests or standing in the shadow of a troubled past, these destinations hold stories far darker and stranger than their appearance suggests.
Think underground bunkers built for a nuclear war that never came, a castle rumored to stand over a gateway to hell and an island where people were once forced to live apart from the rest of society. Some are steeped in local legends and tales of unexplained encounters, while others reveal the quieter, more unsettling corners of European history.
The 15 destinations bellow were gathered by Siân Alison, a British writer based in Austria who holds a degree in International Tourism Management and specializes in dark tourism. If you’re looking for somewhere a little different to explore, they offer a different kind of sightseeing, and they might just change the way you see the continent.
