Hidden haunts: Halloween destinations in Europe to escape the crowds
A 1000-word article on I pitched and wrote for lonelyplanet.com on spooky sites in Europe to visit for an authentic, chilling Halloween without the crowds.
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/halloween-europe-escape-crowds
While events in historic cities like Dublin, London, Bucharest and Prague are bound to be frightfully fun, looking further afield at Halloween could mean you reap the rewards of exploring some of the most authentically spooky surrounds Europe has to offer.
From sprawling feverish forests to pagan burial grounds and spectacular costumed parades, you can find local calendars that are full of eerie events to lift your spirits and send shivers down your spine. If you have a curious bone in your body you’ll dare to visit these chilling landscapes for a more unique sense of dread this Halloween.
Orava Castle, Slovakia
Perched precariously atop a limestone rock on the banks of the Orava River, deep in Slovakia's forests, Orava Castle is best known as the shiver-inducing backdrop in the vampiric cinematic masterpiece, Nosferatu. Where Romania's Bran Castle in Transylvania tends to steal the moonlight, Slovakia’s rival has been enchanting visitors for centuries, and sees fewer crowds over the Halloween period. Just as impressive a feat of design and resilience, the formidable fortress-turned-castle was erected in the 13th century, and development has seen it continue to mould perfectly into the rugged topography.
Book onto an autumnal Orava Castle Night Tour, where you’ll be treated to bloodcurdling stories of vampire lore. This won’t be a swift visit; the castle boasts 154 rooms, and most tours take you on a dizzying upward climb through myriad tunnels, courtyards and exhibits – and staircases emblematic of the iconic film scene with the hunched vampire – up to panoramic views of lush mountain vistas. Team the tour with a traditional wooden raft boat trip along the river, where you can get up close and personal with the sounds of the forest as the castle looms from above. For classic horror fans, it’s love at first bite.
Whitby Goth Weekend, UK
Don your darkest colours and head to Whitby on England’s North Yorkshire coast for a suitably moody Halloween you’ll never forget. Famed for featuring as the brooding backdrop in much of Bram Stoker's Dracula, the picturesque seaside town hosts the annual Halloween Whitby Goth Weekend over a late October weekend. Expect DJ sets and aptly-named bands, like Devilish Presley and The Mist of Avalon, and an abundance of market stalls selling clothing and jewellery. The main attraction is arguably the spectacularly creative fashions paraded in the name of goth and, more recently, other subcultures such as steampunk and rockers. Want to frock up and join in the fun? Think black lace, corsets and bowler hats, and get inventive with accessories, from steampunk goggles to feathered hats and masks.
Spend the rest of your visit exploring the atmospheric shores of the harbour, or take a quintessential British boat cruise. Gaze out over the melancholic horizon as a cool North Sea breeze brushes your cheeks and you might just glean a sense of what Stoker was inspired by all those years ago.
Corinaldo, Italy
Welcome to a place that takes Halloween seriously. Often cited as one of Italy’s most beautiful towns, Corinaldo sits just south of San Marino in the country’s Le Marche region. Once a year its neat, leafy streets – all rustic brickwork and shutters – are transformed into a haunting spectacle as it plays host to The Witches’ Festival at the end of October. And where better to delve into the scares of the season than a walled medieval settlement: its defence towers, battlements and staircases will be aglow in deep orange hues with elegant decorations strung up in every nook. The local community show their love for this time of year by putting on seasonal spreads of local dishes in taverns, while crowds fill the streets wearing masks and ghoulish costumes, the atmosphere tangible in every flaming torch and candlelit pumpkin.
Family activities are the main attraction in Corinaldo and there are plenty to get your teeth stuck into, from Halloween-themed games and crafting activities to art shows and firework displays. Meet the famed Zuccotto, a costumed pumpkin character who is the face of the festival, and stay for the ‘Miss Witch’ contest. Or simply grab a broomstick and get stuck in; you’ll be partying well past the witching hours.
Meath, Ireland
Buried deep in Ireland’s past are tales of the ancient Celtic Samhain feast that celebrated the end of the harvest season with fire and song. Samhain is believed by many to be the origins of today’s Halloween festival, and the misty moors of easterly County Meath is reportedly where the Celtic festival began, between the sunset of 31 October and sunrise on 1 November more than 3000 years ago. Easily accessible from Dublin, the eerie events in Meath provide a more spiritual alternative to the capital’s unapologetic Halloween hedonism.
An array of new Halloween festivities suitable for all ages are gaining momentum in Meath as The Spirits of Meath Halloween Festival takes over the county for over a month in October and November. From the camp to the creepy, you’ll find historical re-enactments, spooky walking tours and everything in between, as the festivities take full advantage of the landscape’s relationship with the mystical and the macabre. You can also attend the Púca Festival, a new celebration intended to immerse visitors in Ireland's folklore. The events take place in the spellbinding Trim Castle grounds and at an ancient ceremonial hill in Athboy between 31 October and 2 November. With interactive light and laser shows, theatrical aerialist performances and the lighting of traditional Samhain fires, it’s hard not to feel the ethereal energy of pagan rituals past.
