The Halloween celebration originated in the United States but is very popular all over the world. European cities steeped in legends and grim stories offer plenty of places worth visiting on October 31.
I’ll tell you how the scariest holiday in Europe is celebrated, where you can still encounter ghosts, and in which dungeons fascinating tours are held.
London
London is considered one of the most visited cities in the world. The glamorous British capital, with its bloody past, grim dungeons, historic houses, narrow streets, and memories of the world’s most famous serial killer – Jack the Ripper (Jack-Patrach (English Jack the Ripper). Celebrating Halloween in London can be combined with visits to mysterious landmarks, pumpkin-carving workshops, and ghost tours held throughout the city.
Ghost Bus Tour
Sitting on the upper deck of the ghost bus – The Ghost Bus Tour, which travels through London every day like an invisible ghost, will take you past all the main sights of the British capital: the Houses of Parliament, London Bridge, Westminster Abbey, Downing Street, Tower Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, and the Tower of London. The ghost guides will astound you with eerie stories about London’s most famous and beloved tourist attractions. The tour route starts at 8 Northumberland Avenue (near the Grand Hotel, opposite the Sherlock Holmes pub). Tour duration – 1 hour 15 minutes.
Theatre of Horrors in London
Visit the London Month Dead horror theatre, where vivid flashes from magical lanterns are combined with frightening sound effects. As part of the daily shows held in the cemetery by candlelight, it is transformed into a spectacle for the living and the dead. Musical accompaniment is provided by instruments and sounds extracted from liquid-filled glasses. Venue: Fulham Broadway Underground station, Brompton Cemetery. See the show schedule on the horror theatre’s website.
Pumpkin Show at Osterley Park
For a fun family outing, head to Osterley Park, which stretches around an eighteenth-century mansion in Hounslow, to celebrate the pumpkin harvest. There is an exhibition and sale of pumpkins here, from giant pumpkins to small ghost pumpkins. You can take part in a pumpkin-carving workshop and then enter the competition for the best Halloween pumpkin. Venue: Osterley Underground station, Osterley Park and House. Every day from 26 October to 3 November, from 10:00 to 16:00; ticket: £4.25 (€5).
Ghost Tour of the Tower of London
Tower of London — one of those architectural landmarks steeped in the ancient history of executions and tortures that took place here 900 years ago. Anne Boleyn is one of the most famous ghosts. She was the wife of King Henry VIII and was beheaded in 1536. Today, her ghost can be encountered in the Tower’s corridors or in the windows of the White Tower, where she would usually stop to watch her children playing in the park. Location: the Tower, daily from 10:00 to 16:30.
Guy Fawkes Night
Stay in London for a couple more days to take part in Guy Fawkes Night or Bonfire Night – Bonfire Night, celebrated annually 5 November. In all the cities of Great Britain, fireworks are traditionally set off to mark the anniversary of the discovery of Guy Fawkes’s plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605.
The traditional London fireworks display will light up the night before 5 November; bonfires are lit throughout the city, with effigies of Guy Fawkes burned on them, and torchlit costume parades wind through the streets. And the day before, children beg for coins “for the wonderful Guy” so they can buy sparklers and firecrackers.
Where to Stay in London
- The Cozy Stays Hackney House – good location, plenty of shops, and public transport, buses, and a tube station nearby. The room is clean and has a TV and Wi-Fi. There is a shared kitchen with drinks, where you can prepare something nutritious for yourself.
- The Portico Hotel – Friendly staff, a decent room if you are planning to explore London and simply need a place to sleep and shower. There is a simple continental breakfast. Excellent value for money. The main advantage is the location. Close to many central attractions, with a tube station nearby.
Transylvania, Romania
Transylvania – the most beautiful region of Romania and the perfect place to celebrate Halloween. In addition to the bizarre castle Bran and the world-famous legend of Dracula, which originated right here. This area boasts a stunning collection of fortresses, ancient cemeteries, and authentic villages, where everything is steeped in legends and age-old traditions. At any time of year, you can take part in tours related to the legend of Dracula, but here it is especially eerie and fascinating on Halloween.
Bran Castle
Visit Bran Castle (also known as Dracula’s Castle) – the best place for a Halloween party. To start, you will be taken on a night tour – there will be an opportunity to meet local ghosts and vampires. Then a party is planned that will last until 5 a.m.: a costume show accompanied by music and DJ sets will take place in the castle garden, and guests will be entertained by performers in bloody masks and costumes. The date is November 2, and prices and times can be found on the Bran Castle website.
Take part in the traditional festival of lights, which is held according to an ancient tradition in the village of Bran. The festival “Focul lui Sumedru» (Focul lui Sumedru) will be the central event of the festival from October 25 to 26 at 5:30 p.m. On these days, the hills around Bran will be illuminated by the bonfire, visible from a great distance. A breathtaking spectacle and show during which locals dance in circles around the fire, sing songs, and treat one another to wine.
Hotels in Brasov
- SIAN Sanctuary Villa≫ – Cozy, clean, comfortable. Convenient location: close to the Old Town, funicular, and fortress – everything is nearby. You can leave your car on the street where the hotel is located.
- Vila Alba Brasov≫ – Great location next to the old town, with a beautiful view of Brașov from the terrace. Very clean. Parking. Friendly staff. Beautiful view of the city and fortress from the terrace. Convenient shared kitchen.
- Albert Residence with Parking≫ – a nice hotel for those who do not like crowds and at the same time want to stay in the historic district of the city. For those who enjoy taking a walk around the city before breakfast or in the evening. You can leave your car nearby.
Merry Cemetery
Visit the “Merry Cemetery” – Cimitirul Vesel. This cemetery, located in the Romanian village of Săpânța, is unlike any other such place in the world. Instead of grief and despair, an atmosphere of celebration and merriment prevails here. All the gravestones are painted in bright colors and multicolored naive-art-style drawings, accompanied by short poetic messages. This unusual approach to decorating graves was inherited from the Geto-Dacian culture, in which death was considered the beginning of a better life. The scenes on the gravestones describe the life or circumstances of the deceased’s death in an ironic manner. Here you can see depictions of village teachers, tractor drivers and tavern keepers, lumberjacks, provincial officials, and women in the fields, by the stove, and at the loom.
I recommend reading: Sighișoara – the city where Count Dracula lived
Limoges, France
The birthplace of Renoir and the famous Limoges porcelain, this medieval city located in the Limousin region is probably the best place in France to celebrate Halloween. Since 1996, a multitude of events have taken place in Limoges every year at the end of October, including street shows, themed fairs, costume parades, festivals, and colorful parties dedicated to Halloween. Ghosts, goblins, and ghouls carry pumpkins with candles through the streets, attracting around 30,000 visitors each year.
The Limoges Dungeon
Visit the Limoges Dungeon. Tours will take place on October 31 and November 1 and 2 at 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. – Duration: 45 min. Price: from €5.
Ghost Train
A children’s ghost train will run through the city. It is a great opportunity to see Limoges’s main landmarks and meet the spirits and demons from the city’s legends. Don’t forget to wear your masks! The train runs from 1:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; the journey lasts 30 minutes. Departures every half hour from the tourist office; ticket: €3.
Halloween for children in the museums and gardens of Cécile Sabourdy. From 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., children and adults can take part in a pumpkin-carving and Halloween makeup workshop, as well as a ghost-hunting contest. Ticket: €6.
Halloween at the museum
Witch Barbotine is planning to meet the museum’s ghosts—and there are lots of them! Explore the museum with your whole family, using a booklet of games to help Barbotine find them all, then head to the workshop to decorate your porcelain souvenir. For children aged 6 to 12, accompanied by an adult.
If you are passing through Paris, be sure to take your children to Disneyland for Halloween. Every day throughout October, Halloween celebrations take place: the main street of the fairytale land turns into a party featuring villains from Disney cartoons. On October 31, there will be Disney Halloween Party, where you can immerse yourself in an atmosphere of thrills in the company of ghosts and monsters from American cartoons.
I recommend reading: A Guide to the Arrondissements of Paris — Where Is It Best for Tourists to Book Accommodation?
Dublin, Ireland
In fact, the roots of American Halloween go back to the ancient Celts. The tradition of celebrating the night before All Saints’ Day was brought to the United States by the Irish. In Ireland, this holiday was called Samhain, and it is still celebrated today, and on a huge scale. A great many events take place throughout the country, but the most spectacular celebration is held in the capital, Dublin. The festival Derry Halloween – one of the largest festivals in the world. It begins in early October with events for the whole family and concludes at the end of the month with the main spectacles, including large-scale carnivals and fireworks. Tournaments, zombie shows, witchcraft seminars, and dance parties take place throughout the city.
Bram Stoker Festival
From October 25 to 28, Dublin will host the Bram Stoker Festival – the Bram Stoker Festival, organized in honor of the author of the book about the terrifying vampire Dracula. As part of the festival, family events will take place in Stokerland Park: a street theatre performance, free face painting, Victorian attractions, and spooky, thrilling games for everyone. In the evenings, the free street performance “Night Watch” will take place on Dublin’s Grand Canal as part of the festival. This gloomy, fog-shrouded production, punctuated by flashes of light, will show a ghost ship emerging from the water with the chief vampire on board. The show takes place at 9:30 p.m. on festival days. Suitable for all ages.
Derry Halloween
Be part of Europe’s largest Halloween Festival. For four nights, the worlds of the past and present collide to bring you a dazzling street celebration of all things spooky in the official home of Halloween. Follow the “Awakening of the Walled City” route and discover more about the folklore, history, and heritage that make this place so special. The story of Halloween comes to life through illumination, aerial performances, pyrotechnics, and music, as spirits cross over to join the celebration, bringing magic and mischief to the streets.
The Halloween Carnival in Dublin will take place on October 31. The souls of the ancestors will rise from their graves and march through the city. They will be joined by witches and werewolves, zombies and monsters. Thousands of dancers and circus performers, as well as tourists and local residents, will take part in the parade. The procession starts at 7:15 p.m. from the Quayside. The Derry Halloween celebrations will culminate in a fireworks display. At 8:15 p.m. on October 31, hundreds of lights will illuminate the sky over the River Foyle.
Where to Stay in Dublin
- Gardiner House Hostel – A cool hostel almost in the center of Dublin. Comfortable enclosed beds. There are lockers, and you need to bring your own lock. Each bed has a power outlet, lamp, mirror, and fan. A pillow and blanket are provided. Toilets and showers are available on the floor. The hostel has an elevator and a kitchen. Breakfast is included. There is a courtyard where you can have breakfast or simply sit and relax. It takes about 20 minutes to walk to the center.
- Premier Inn Dublin City The Liberties – Great location, quiet, and good value for money. Delicious breakfast, clean rooms, and an excellent location—bus stops are within a 2-minute walk, but you can also walk to the city center.
Edinburgh, Scotland
We often forget that Halloween is more than just an opportunity to put on a costume or a children’s holiday when you can give children candy. It is an echo of the ancient Celtic festival Samhain, the celebration of which has survived to this day in Scotland and Ireland. Thus, magnificent and eerie Edinburgh, with its medieval Royal Mile, mighty castle, rich traditions, unsolved mysteries, and high levels of paranormal activity offers its visitors the opportunity to experience for themselves what true Halloween is like.
Edinburgh’s Underground
During Halloween, the city of Edinburgh delves into the dark mysteries of the past. Experience the horrors of the plague and the days of looting and slaughter by embarking on a ghostly tour of the city’s most terrifying landmarks. Discover Edinburgh’s underground chambers and make your way through tunnels and passageways haunted by the spirits of people who once lived beneath South Bridge. Many of them lived and died without seeing sunlight, their souls forever trapped within the gloomy walls of the underground vaults. A Halloween walk through the haunted underground is the best way to begin this terrifying celebration. Tours take place on October 31 and November 1 and 2 at 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00, and 19:00.
If the thought of underground vaults fills you with horror and claustrophobia, don’t worry—you can also enjoy one of the carefree Halloween festivals. Fright Fest, held in Edinburgh at Halloween, is an excellent place for those who want to dress up and dance the night away.
Samhain Fire Festival
Enjoy the spectacle of the Samhain Fire Festival, held annually in Edinburgh on the eve of Halloween. Samhain Fire Festival symbolizes the arrival of the Celtic New Year and is accompanied by a dazzling mix of fire, drums, acrobatics, and an exciting costumed show. Climb to the top of Edinburgh’s Calton Hill to celebrate the pagan festival, marking the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. October 31, from 7:00 p.m. to midnight.
At the height of Halloween, on the evening of October 31, you can dance with ghosts and night terrors in the Old Town.
Attend the 2019 Edinburgh Horror Festival—a mix of theater, comedy, magic, film, improvisation, and interactive events. This year, the festival’s theme is the works of Edgar Allan Poe, whose 210th birthday is celebrated in 2019. The festival’s main events will take place from October 31 to November 3 at the Banshee Labyrinth on Niddry Street.
Where to stay in Edinburgh
- CODE – The Loft, Edinburgh – The hostel has very clean facilities and a fully equipped kitchen with complimentary tea, coffee, and milk sachets. Excellent central location. Good price.
- Motel One Edinburgh-Princes – well located: close to the railway station, as well as a bus stop for buses to the airport, a large shopping center, and the historic city center. The room was large and clean. The bed was large and comfortable. The bathroom was spacious. The reception is open 24/7 and responds quickly to requests via Booking. The room has a European-style power outlet. My room had a beautiful view of the street, but I could not hear its noise.
- New Town Guest House – An ideal location for a few days of travel; the hotel is very clean and cozy, with plenty of places to eat and drink.
Prague, Czech Republic
Prague is a Gothic fairy tale of Europe, with its stunning architecture, winding medieval streets, eerie corners, and mysterious charm. And although the Czechs are not exactly crazy about Halloween, the city itself seems to have been designed specifically for this kind of celebration. It seems that ghosts could emerge from the ancient walls at any moment, and on Halloween, something truly incredible takes place.
The city hosts numerous events, themed fairs and markets with treats, pumpkin-carving workshops, and vibrant carnival parties. The best Halloween attractions in Prague include the impressive Old Jewish Cemetery, Museum of Torture, Sedlec Ossuary, Charles Bridge, with its landscape statues, and the charming Prague Old Town — there are countless legends and local horror stories here.
Prague Ghost Museum
Visit the Prague Museum of Ghosts – immerse yourself in the world of Prague legends and come face to face with the ghosts and spirits of old Prague. A mysterious underground alley of ghosts, built at the level of former medieval streets, evokes the atmosphere of midnight Prague from times long gone.
Here you can meet the most famous ghosts of Prague. They peer out of windows, hide behind half-open doors, cast shadows, or fly beneath the ceiling. The ghosts are headless, skeletal, lovestruck, and exotic—in short, just as they have survived among us for centuries through legends and stories passed down from generation to generation. And since ghosts do not know boredom, they will play hide-and-seek with you. The museum is open daily from 10:00 to 22:00, tickets are available on the museum’s website.
Prague Castle on Halloween
All Saints’ Day in the gardens beneath Prague Castle will take place on November 2 from 10:00 to 21:00 (Valdštejnská 158/14, Prague 1).
The gardens beneath Prague Castle invite visitors to enjoy a magical evening illuminated by lamps, torches, and candles. The illuminated gardens will be open from 10:00 to 21:00. Light a candle and remember your loved ones in the unique atmosphere of the beautiful gardens and breathtaking views of the city.
If late-night walks through the city do not scare you, walk past Daliborka Tower. Here you can hear the sounds of one of the talented prisoners—a musician who was once slowly tortured to death there. If you listen carefully, you can hear the sound of a violin playing softly from the tower building.
Halloween at the Prague Botanical Garden
Children and adults can enjoy Halloween at the Botanical Garden. An exhibition of pumpkins inspired by the Mexican Day of the Dead celebration, Día de los Muertos, awaits you, along with many exciting activities. Creative children and parents can take part in a workshop on making paper lanterns with electric candles, sit around a bonfire, roast dumplings, enjoy music, and take part in an evening procession through the garden. Those who wish can have a Mexican skull or a Halloween design painted on their face. Before dark, children will be entertained with contests and activities. Scary masks are welcome! At 6:00 p.m., a traditional procession with lights and lanterns will take place, leading from the Ornamental Garden through the Upper Garden to the main entrance in Bohnice.
I recommend reading: Where to Stay in Prague – the Best Areas for Tourists
Hotels in central Prague:
- Clementin – apartments on Old Town Square near the Astronomical Clock.
- Jalta Boutique Hotel – a cozy boutique hotel near Wenceslas Square – a place for walks and Christmas nativity scenes in Prague.
- Hotel Golden Key Prague Castle – a hotel near Prague Castle.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Canals haunted by ghosts and Europe’s most creative costume parties provide the perfect setting for Halloween. From clubs and restaurants to boats and museums, themed events are held throughout Amsterdam at this time of year, along with ghost tours, music concerts, and an all-night horror movie marathon.
The Monsters’ Ball
The main event of Amsterdam’s Halloween celebrations—the “Monsters’ Ball”—takes place on October 26 at UITVERKOCHT, a popular nightclub in the Dutch capital. Every year, the guests’ costumes and the decorations are chosen to match another blood-curdling theme. But on October 26, 2024, for its 15th anniversary Amsterdam Halloween the apocalyptic wasteland of “Nuclear Survival” will echo throughout the city. Prepare to make your way through irradiated ruins and face mutated horrors. The horror disco features renowned international DJs, a show group of performers and dancers dressed as monsters, as well as a team of stylists who will “decorate” the faces of those who wish in the style of Halloween.
Hotels in Old Amsterdam
- Leonardo Boutique Hotel The Lancaster Amsterdam – a chain boutique hotel in the center of Amsterdam. Located in a quiet part of the city, yet very easy to reach the center on foot or by tram – the tram stop is also very close by. Nice decor, and very clean.
- Tourist Inn One Amsterdam — this is the very center of the city. A room with a view of the canal. A very clean room. Also, a good breakfast is included in the price.
- Zwanestein Canal House – try staying on a boat, as many locals in Amsterdam do. It will be a very authentic experience! This botel (a hotel on the water) offers a wonderful view from the room, a comfortable adjustable bed, and a good shower.
Useful articles and links:
- Prague with children
- Slovakia’s thermal water parks – where to warm up in hot water in winter
- Autumn holidays in Europe – the most interesting places for children
- 10 Indoor Water Parks in Europe to Visit in Winter
Route schedules and tickets for buses and trains – Omio.com
Travel medical insurance – HotlineFinance
Hotel bookings and apartments – Booking.com
