Best Halloween destinations in Europe

 Best Halloween destinations in Europe

Forget summer getaways, Halloween destinations should be on your mind now.

Halloween is almost here and as the second most commercial holiday, it should be taken as an opportunity to spend money on flights and discovering other cultures. We all remember the Halloween parties of our childhood, walking from house by house in the neighbourhood saying: trick or treat! Unfortunately, this time belongs in the past and as adults we can venture further than our neighbourhood.

Even if Halloween is mainly celebrated in the United States, there are also many places across Europe where you could have just as much fun.

But where? We prepared you a list of some top Halloween destinations and the best things to do there.

  • Sighisoara, Romania

Halloween destination 1

Is there a better place to spend Halloween night than in Dracula’s home in Transylvania? This region is like a return to the past with a collection of castles, villages and old towns impregnated by a variety of traditions, legends and myths. On October 31st, you can choose between the typical celebration of the medieval city or the Death Festival at the Bran Castle. Don’t forget to dress up!

  • Amsterdam Halloween festival, The Netherlands

Amsterdam Halloween festival  

If you are more of the party type then Amsterdam is the Halloween destination is the one for you. There is the Halloween Festival in Amsterdam from October 25th to 31st. This year, you could attend two costumes parties: Toyland (28th October) and the Helter Skelter Halloween Party (31st October). And if you have difficulty finding a frightful costume, no worries!  The make-up workshops will carry out a transformation on your face and make it a nightmare!

  • Samhain Night, Ireland

Halloween destination 3

Halloween was originally known in Ireland as “Samhain Night”, a medieval Irish celebration symbolising the end of summer and the beginning of the darker and shorter days, representing the dead revisiting the mortal world and a time for reflection. The biggest Halloween celebration is the Banks of the Foyle Halloween Carnival,  which takes place in Derry. It is a huge gathering and each year more than 30,000 people take to the streets and set off fireworks. There is also fire dancing, workshops, scary movies and even a Dragon Safari.

 

  • Prague, Czech Republic

With its long tradition of vampires and its gothic architecture, Prague is the perfect Halloween destination to enjoy Halloween! On October 29th, put your most frightening costume on and participate in the Halloween walk in the city centre.

If you are more of the athletic type, you can try to face the 5km zombies ‘Attack of the Zombie’ Night Run on October 31st.

  • Edinburgh, Scotland

Halloween destination 5 

Scotland takes the subject of Halloween very seriously with ancient traditions and all kinds of events to suit everyone. The colourful costumes and the street performances of the Samhuinn Fire Festival in the old town are worth going the extra mile!

For the more adventurous, the Edinburgh Castle or the Mary King’s Close neighbourhood are a good option. The quarter’s lanes were overwhelmed by the Plague in 1600, prohibiting the inhabitants to go out. Nowadays, you can access the lanes accompanied by a guide retracing the ghost stories haunting these places. Feeling scared yet?

  • London, England
The London Dungeon
www.CGPGrey.com for attribution

As a city with a troubled past and terrifying stories, London has many haunted places and represents the ideal Halloween destination for the most courageous of us.

If you like having panic attacks, the tour of the London Dungeon, the London Ghost Walk and Jack the Ripper Walk are made for you, especially on Halloween. An interactive experience during which you will have to face some notorious bad guys such as Jack the Ripper and Sweeny Todd, are sure to get your heart racing.

 

Did we miss any top Halloween destinations? Drop your spooky suggestion below!

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