Nestled within the picturesque mountains of Albania, SPAÇ Prison stands as a chilling reminder of the country’s tumultuous past. Once a site of political imprisonment and human suffering, this haunting location has become a dark tourism destination, attracting visitors prepared … Read More
As far as dark tourist destinations are concerned, there’s few more harrowing than Hartheim Castle. During WWII it was a Euthanasia Centre, a secret Nazi killing facility, and part of the Aktion T4 program. Here, German citizens tagged as mentally … Read More
For dark tourists in Yerevan, a trip to Tsitsernakaberd is a must. The Memorial and Armenian Genocide Museum provide a powerful insight into the country and its culture and of the darkest period in the nations’ relatively recent history. The … Read More
In the center of the Estonian city of Tartu stands an unassuming building that once held a dark secret. During the first Soviet occupation of the country between 1940 and 1954, the basement was home to the KGB. Operating covertly … Read More
Just over 90 miles north of the Arctic Circle and 40 hours by train from Moscow, sits the once-bustling coal-mining city of Vorkuta, Russia. Built by gulag inmates during Stalin’s big purge in the 1930s, this desolate region on the … Read More
During World War One, Fleury-devant-douaumont became known as one of the villages that died for France. Caught in the midst of The Battle of Verdun, (one of the longest and fiercest artillery battles of the Great War), French and German … Read More
Bunker Valentin was the largest fortified U-boat facility in Germany during WWII. Built to produce submarines on a grand scale for the Nazi war effort, more than 10,000 forced laborers were used in the construction of this gigantic bunker, support … Read More
On May 8, 1950, the police in Silkeborg, Denmark were called to a potential murder scene. A couple of local peat cutters (Viggo and Emil Hojgaard) had discovered a body in a bog near Bjældskovdal. However, the police quickly realized … Read More
Plokstine missile base was an important underground military base in the Soviet Union. It is now an excellent Cold War Museum and a must-see visit for dark tourists in the area. Situated near Plokščiai village, north of Plungė, Lithuania, the … Read More
The House of Terror in Budapest got its name for a very good reason. Located at 60 Andrassy Boulevard, the Hungarian Nazi party claimed the building as its headquarters after taking control of Budapest in 1944. It is here that … Read More
The luxurious Hotel Viru first opened its doors to tourists in Soviet-occupied Tallinn 1972. Run by the infamous Intourist agency (the government department founded by Stalin and partly run by the KGB), it was the only hotel in the city … Read More
The White Sea-Baltic Canal in northwest Russia has a dark history. It was one of the first large construction projects, fully conducted by the forced labor of gulag inmates. Stalin’s Five Year Plan and tyrannical push to prove that Russia … Read More
Sanctuary Wood Museum is a popular destination in the Salient for dark tourist battlefield visitors. Located 2 miles from Ypres, it is arguably one of the best-preserved trenches from WW1. We have a farmer named Schier to thank for this. … Read More
Moosham Castle in Unternberg, Austria, is considered one of the world’s most haunted castles. It is certainly closely linked with the macabre. Not only was Moosham the administrative center of the Zaubererjackl witch trials, (commonly thought of as the bloodiest … Read More
Yusupov Palace was once home to one of the richest aristocratic families in the Russian Empire. It also became infamous as the setting for an extremely bizarre murder; that of Grigori Rasputin. On a cold winters day in 1916, the … Read More
The collapse of communism and the fall of the Soviet Union suddenly made a lot of public works obsolete. In fact, many of the statues that graced the cities and towns behind the Iron Curtain were downright offensive after the … Read More
Bubanj Memorial Park in Niš, Serbia is located at the site of one of the largest mass executions of WW2. It was built to mark and honor where more than 10,000 Serbs were rounded up and shot by German forces … Read More
Dragsholm Castle in Denmark is a vision from a fairy tale. This stunning white-walled castle has stood on the west coast of Zealand for over 800 years. Situated just an hour from Copenhagen, it is a popular destination for tourists … Read More
The Museum of Life Under Communism (known as Muzeam Czar PRL) in Warsaw, Poland is a wonderful (albeit small) collection of artifacts that aim to depict just that; what life was like for the average citizen in the pro-communist People’s … Read More
The Eagle’s Nest (also known as the Kehlsteinhausis) is a popular destination for tourists, dark or otherwise. Some will visit for the incredible views and the love of hiking. Others will make the trip because of its association with Hitler … Read More