Villa Torlonia – Benito Mussolini’s Residence, Rome

Villa Torlonia in Rome is a grand 19th-century villa that was once the home of Benito Mussolini. And as any dark tourist will admit, visiting the residences of former dictators is definitely intriguing. Lucky for us, it is now open … Read More

Eyam Plague Museum – Dark Tourism in England

Eyam, located in the Peak District, Derbyshire, England, is a place with a dark history. And it all stems from a moment of innocence. Back in 1665, a local tailor ordered some materials from London so that he could make … Read More

Chateau_de_Brissac dark tourism in france

Visiting Château de Brissac – Loire Valley

Chateau de Brissac is a sight to behold, it is quite possibly the most beautiful chateaux in France. Less subjectively, with 7 floors it is the tallest in the Loire Valley. Located in the village of Brissac-Quince in the département … Read More

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Tomsk Memorial Museum – Former NKVD Prison

The Tomsk memorial museum is housed within a former NKVD (Stalin’s secret police and a forerunner to the KGB) headquarters and prison and is a stark and gloomy place to visit. Which is not surprising considering the unspeakable horrors that … Read More

Ghost_town_Kayakoy dark tourism turkey

Visiting the Abandoned Town of Kayaköy, Turkey

To stand in the Kaya Valley region of Turkey, amongst the ruins of Kayaköy is an eerie experience. The stone buildings of this once-bustling town stand empty, after being abandoned abruptly in 1922. The citizens fell victim to the purges … Read More

Museum of Criminal Anthropology

Cesare Lombroso’s Museum of Criminal Anthropology, Turin

The Lombroso Museum of Criminal Anthropology is a fascinating place and a highly recommended visit for any dark tourist in Turin. Once only available to academics, this museum of skulls is a product of the criminal anthropologist Cesare Lombroso. His … Read More

Agnes Eltz haunted Castle

Visiting Eltz Castle (Burg Eltz) – Wierschem, Germany

Eltz Castle or Burg Eltz is considered to be the most intact and traditional of all Germany’s 20,000 plus castles. Its isolated location and dramatic medieval design simply take the breath away. The fact the same family has remained in … Read More

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Visiting the Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo, Sicily

If you’re looking for a dark tourist location in Palermo, Sicily you need to head to the Catacombs at the Capuchin Monastery. This bizarre and somewhat morbid tourist attraction contains almost 8,000 corpses, most of which are dressed as if … Read More

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Balaklava Submarine Base, Crimea’s Secret Soviet Sub Complex

Balaklava is a very interesting destination for those that like their dark tourism to be infused with top-level Cold War secrecy. This once unassuming fishing village based in Crimea, Ukraine became the location for a large secret Soviet submarine base … Read More

castle of wewelsburg-dark tourism germany

Castle of Wewelsburg – Heinrich Himmler’s Nazi Camelot

The Castle of Wewelsburg has an extremely dark past. The forbidding fortress was once SS Chief Himmler’s Nazi Camelot, where some of the darkest deeds of WW2 were plotted. Labeled as ‘Naziland’ by critics, Heinrich Himmler forged plans for Nazi … Read More

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A Tour to Pyramiden: Soviet Ghost Town in Svalbard

Nestled in the harsh, icy midst of Svalbard, above Norway’s arctic circle, is a remote abandoned ghost town like no other. To walk among the empty streets of Pyramiden is to step back in time. This former mining town permeates … Read More

The Skull Tower, Niš [Dark Tourism in Serbia]

No prizes guessing what’s on offer at this particular dark tourist site. Three hours drive from Belgrade, in the small Serbian town of Niš is a grisly historical monument that serves to remind us of the barbaric nature of empire. … Read More