Arm yourself with curiosity and bravery as we embark on this unforgettable journey through Barcelona’s darker side. Whether you are a history enthusiast, an avid ghost hunter, or simply seeking a unique adventure, this self-guided walking tour promises to be an experience that will linger in your memory forever. The shadows await, and the stories beckon…

Disclaimer

The stories you’ll encounter on this tour have been passed down through generations. As new research and modern investigations shed light on the past, these stories may fade from truth to legend, but they always embody the enduring ghost tales that continue to captivate and haunt the city’s ancient streets.

Table Of Contents

1. Map of Self-Guided Walking Tour
2. The Vampire of Barcelona
3. Mercado de La Boqueria
4. Gran Teatre del Liceu
5. Basilica of Santa Maria del Pi
6. La Baixada de Santa Eulalia
   • The 13 Tortures of Santa Eulalia
7. The Alchemist House
8. Plaça de Sant Felip Neri
   • Spanish Civil War
9. Gothic Quarter
10. El Pont Del Bisbe
11. Gargoyles of the Cathedral of Barcelona
12. Cathedral of Barcelona
13. Carrer dels Comtes
    • The Spanish Inquisition
14. Plaça del Rei 
15. Casa del Botxí

Map of Self-Guided Walking Tour

The Vampire of Barcelona

We start our tour in the centre of the eclectic and historically rich district of El Raval. El Raval has always had a reputation for being gritty and edgy. Today, people flock here for the thriving arts scene and trendy boutiques. But at the beginning of the 20th century, this neighbourhood was also where the so-called Vampire of Barcelona prowled the streets. Her real name was Enriqueta Martí, known infamously as the child killer of Barcelona. She once resided just a short distance from where we now stand.

Enriqueta Martí 

Enriqueta Martí was born in a small town just outside Barcelona in 1868. As a young woman, she moved to Barcelona, like all enterprising young women at the time, to seek an independent life. She originally worked as a nanny to a wealthy family in Barcelona. Enriqueta sold herbal remedies out of her apartment as a side job, a skill she had learned from her father, a talented herbalist. But one day, a wealthy young woman died after taking one of Enriqueta’s potions. The family employed her as a Nanny and was shocked by the revelation of her side job. While Enriqueta was never arrested, they fired her on the spot to ensure they kept their name out of the press.

With no money to pay her rent, she began working as a prostitute in a local brothel. Learning the tricks of the trade, Enriqueta eventually opened her own brothel in El Raval in 1909. From her days working as a prostitute, she knew that there was money to be made for some particularly affluent clients in trading with young girls.

The Kidnappings Begin

Dressed as an old beggar woman, Enriqueta would roam the streets in some of the poorest areas of Barcelona, where she would abduct vulnerable girls living on the street and coerce them to work in her brothel. And, while that makes her villain enough, her corruption didn’t end there. Enriqueta began calling herself a witch doctor, creating elixirs which she marketed as a cure for tuberculosis. The tuberculosis epidemic was catastrophic, with no known cure, and people were willing to try anything. And I mean anything. Enriqueta began draining the blood of the children she captured to make tonics and potions that she claimed could cure tuberculosis, which, of course, they did not. Earning her the name “The Vampire of Barcelona.“

El Raval Terrorized

The neighbourhood was terrorized by the disappearance of many young girls. One fateful day in 1912, a little girl named Teresita Guitart Congost was kidnapped. Previously, the police had been lax in searching for missing, impoverished children despite numerous reports. However, public outrage over their passive response prompted them to act, mainly to appease the media. During one search, Teresita was spotted by a passerby while sitting in a window looking at the street. The police had enough sense to investigate, and when they arrived, they were horrified by what they found.

There was a terrible smell throughout the apartment, and when they opened a locked room, they discovered fifty pitchers, jars, and washbowls with preserved human remains inside. Greasy lard, coagulated blood, children’s hair, powdered bones, pots with potions, ointments, and salves made from horrifying ingredients lined the shelves. Investigators searched two of Enriqueta’s previous residences and uncovered false walls hiding more human remains, including the skull of a three-year-old child.

Enriqueta’s Murder

Enriqueta was held in Reina Amàlia jail and attempted suicide while awaiting trial. She was hospitalized and deemed unfit for trial. The public was outraged, wanting to see her executed for her crimes. Rumours circulated that some wealthy clients who purchased her potions knew about the gruesome ingredients involved and were complicit in the crimes. So when Enriqueta was murdered in prison by her cellmates, many believed the killers had been paid off by these wealthy clients to ensure their names were kept out of the press should she ever face the tribunal. Listen closely as we make our way towards the next stop to see if you can hear the ghostly cries of the nameless children who were victims of the Vampire of Barcelona.

Mercado de La Boqueria

Head to La Rambla and stand before the renowned Mercado de La Boqueria. While bustling with tourists daily, it transforms into a haunt for ancient ghosts at night. Today, a vibrant food market, this spot marked the steps to the original Convent of Sant Joseph de Barcelona, where the Barefoot Carmelites peacefully resided until a tragic turn of events.

On July 25th, 1835, several monks awoke to a strange noise from the church. It was the dead of night, and the rest of the order was asleep. Worrying it might be an intruder, they sped towards the church, but when they opened the doors, they were met by a frightful sight. Chanting loudly in the nave was a choir of skeleton monks, seemingly risen from their graves. After they finished their psalms, the living monks lit some candles and guided the spirits back to their tombs in the convent cemetery. Haunted forever by the unholy sight.

St. James’s Night Riots

Only ten days after the incident, the St. James’s Night riots took place on the church’s steps. Revolutionaries burned the monasteries and churches, and many anarchists entered the church and slaughtered all the monks inside. Were the ghostly singers trying to warn the monks of their doom? We will never know for sure. Today, people say that if you listen closely at night, you can still hear the sounds of these ghostly friars singing in front of the market.

Gran Teatre del Liceu

Walking along La Rambla, stop before the Gran Teatre del Liceu. Amazingly, the building in front of you is still standing. Why is that amazing, you might ask? Well, because it is widely rumoured that this is one of the most cursed sights in Barcelona. In the Middle Ages, this is where huge crowds would gather to watch public executions. Anyone who has researched what might cause an area to become cursed or haunted knows that powerful displays of suffering leave a mark on certain locations. And that is certainly the case here.

In the 16th century, a Trinitarian convent was built on the site, the polar opposite of an execution site. The nuns lived here in relative peace for a time, but in 1835, on that same fateful night, as the Saint Joseph Convent was destroyed, this building was also burnt down. Trapping all the nuns inside to suffer an abysmal fate.

Destroyed by Fire

After the riots subsided, the newly cleared spaces on La Ramblas became prime locations for new developments. Entrepreneurs seized the opportunity to construct the Gran Teatre del Liceu, completed in 1847. However, it wasn’t long before the theatre faced a similar destructive fate as the previous convent. Legend has it that the ghosts of the nuns who perished in the fire were upset to find their sanctuary replaced by a theatre, which the church at the time considered a sinful place. These nuns would likely have been displeased with their new ‘landlords’ for desecrating their sacred space.

In 1861, the Liceu Theatre, then Europe’s largest opera house with 3,500 seats, was destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt, but tragedy struck again in 1893 when an anarchist set off two bombs on the season’s opening night, killing twenty people and severely damaging the new stage and seats. The most recent fire occurred in 1994, ignited by a spark that landed on a curtain during routine repairs. It remains unclear whether the ghosts of past tragedies are appeased or if another major fire is imminent…

Basilica of Santa Maria del Pi

Walking east from La Rambla along Carrer del Cardenal Casañas brings you to the tranquil Plaça del Pi, dominated by the imposing Basilica of Santa Maria del Pi with its towering 54-meter spire that attracts ghost hunters. Inaugurated in 1453, the church wasn’t completed until 1497 due to significant construction challenges, including frequently falling bricks and severe financial strains on the architect. Desperate, the architect allegedly struck a deal with the devil, trading his soul for help from the Devil to complete the tower. The architect agreed that the devil could claim his soul upon finishing the 100th step inside the tower. Construction then proceeded without further issues.

However, the architect cunningly halted construction at the 99th step, never completing the tower in his lifetime. He grew old and passed away before the tower could be finished. After his death, his sons continued the work and completed the tower, outsmarting the devil. Enraged at being outwitted, the devil stamped his hoof on the 99th step, leaving a mark to remind all who pass of his presence.

La Baixada de Santa Eulalia

Make your way along the Carrer de L’ave Maria and north Carrer dels Banys Nous, turning right onto La Baixada de Santa Eulalia. This street is named after one of Barcelona’s most revered saints, Santa Eulalia, but its naming stems from a grim chapter in history. It was here that a harrowing event unfolded. In 290 AD, Roman authorities were determined to suppress Christianity at any cost. Eulalia, then just thirteen years old, was known for her stubborn piety. When the governor demanded she renounce her Christian faith, she held firm, unwavering in her devotion. The governor was furious at being disobeyed by a child and sentenced her to thirteen different types of torture, one for each year of her young life.

The 13 Tortures of Santa Eulalia

Santa Eulalia endured thirteen horrific tortures as a punishment for refusing to renounce her Christianity. These tortures included imprisonment, being whipped, tearing off her skin, forced walk on burning embers, mutilation, rubbing her wounds with rough stones, branding with a hot iron, and having boiling oil and molten lead poured over her. Additionally, she was submerged in burning lime, locked in a flea-infested box, rolled down a hill in a barrel lined with sharp objects, and finally, crucified.

Despite enduring horrific tortures, Saint Eulalia remained steadfast, refusing to renounce her faith and affirming her devotion to Christianity until her final moments. Legend has it that her soul ascended to heaven accompanied by white doves upon her death, symbolizing her purity and martyrdom. This street is named after the saint and is reputed to be the location where she was tragically rolled down in a barrel.

The Alchemist House

Turn onto Carrer de Sant Sever and then right onto Calle de l’Arc de Sant Ramon. As you stroll, notice the faint outline of a door on the walls, bricked up long ago, sealing its secrets. This area was once the heart of Barcelona’s Jewish quarter. Here lived a Jewish alchemist and his daughter, known as the most beautiful girl in Barcelona. She secretly dated a handsome Christian knight, hiding the relationship from her father due to his potential disapproval until she was sure of her love.

The Poison Perfume

But the knight wasn’t so noble after all and wanted one thing and one thing alone for the girl. And we all know what that one thing is. The knight was furious when she refused him anything more than a kiss until marriage. After learning of a Jewish Alchemist nearby, the knight sought a lethal potion, claiming it was to seek vengeance for a faithless lover. Despite initial wariness, the alchemist succumbed to the allure of seven gold pieces and brewed a toxic perfume for the knight.

The knight returned the next night, secretly spraying the perfume on a bouquet and pretending to apologize to the girl. When she reached for the bouquet to smell it, she felt dizzy and asked the knight to take her home. When she recounted the incident to her father, he realized his unwitting role. Despite his desperate attempts to save her, she died in his arms. Overwhelmed with grief, the alchemist renounced magic and vanished into the woods, leaving his potions behind. Before he left, he cast a curse on the house’s door to ensure no one ever entered it again. Since then, the building has stood empty, haunted by tragedy.

Plaça de Sant Felip Neri

Walk back to the Calle de Salomó ben Adret and continue north towards the Plaça de Sant Felip Neri. Walking into this square, we are met with the definition of hauntingly beautiful. Beautiful architectural gems surround the leafy courtyard, and the central fountain bubbles in the moonlight. Facing the square is the church of Sant Felip Neri. Constructed in the 18th century, this petite Baroque church stands out from others in the city due to its stone facade riddled with bullet holes. Some are mere punctures, while others have gouged sizable portions from the building. For years, the cause of this damage fueled political speculation, but today, the truth behind the incident has come to light.

Spanish Civil War

Understanding a little about the Spanish Civil War is crucial for any visitor to Spain. From 1936 to 1939, a brutal conflict fueled by political unrest, economic struggles, and social disparities erupted. On July 17th, 1936, right-wing military officers, under General Francisco Franco’s leadership, initiated a coup against the democratically elected Second Spanish Republic. In contrast, the Republicans, comprising Socialists, Communists, and Anarchists, rallied to defend the Republic and advocate for progressive reforms.

The conflict rapidly intensified into a savage and bloody war, drawing support from foreign backers for both factions. It was characterized by fierce battles, atrocities, and devastating aerial bombardments. One particularly notorious event was the bombing of the Basque town of Guernica by German and Italian planes, claiming the lives of hundreds of civilians and serving as the inspiration for Pablo Picasso‘s renowned painting Guernica.

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General Franco declared victory, and on April 1, 1939, he established himself as the head of the Spanish state. Inaugurating a nearly 40-year dictatorship. The Franco regime, known as Francoist Spain, lasted until Franco died in 1975, when Spain transitioned to a constitutional monarchy and began its journey towards democracy. But the scars of the Spanish Civil War and Franco’s dictatorship continue to resonate today, and we can see the visible scars of this war right before our eyes.

The Bombing of Sant Felip Neri

During Franco’s rule, widespread propaganda falsely attributed the church’s damage to anarchist firing squads executing priests in the yard. However, a glance at the walls reveals the holes are too substantial for mere bullets. The truth is that on January 30th, 1938, Franco’s air force dropped a bomb on the city, likely at the very spot you stand. Many sought refuge in places like this church during the war, including a group of children tragically killed when the bomb struck, claiming 30 young lives. Rescuers rushed to save those trapped inside, but another bomb detonated, killing twelve more. A bronze plaque in the square memorializes the victims, evoking a chilling reminder of the dark history etched into these walls.

Gothic Quarter

Follow Carrer de Montjuïc del Bisbe as it winds its way into the heart of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, also known as Barri Gòtic in Catalan. This historic neighborhood, Barcelona’s oldest, is a maze of narrow, twisting streets, hiding Roman ruins dating back over 2,000 years to the Roman settlement of “Barcino.” Despite its Roman origins, the neighbourhood is famous for its Gothic architecture, boasting numerous stunning medieval buildings, churches, and cathedrals that adorn the area’s cobblestone streets today.

El Pont Del Bisbe

One of the most photographed attractions in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter is the stone bridge crossing Carrer del Bisbe. However, this bridge holds a wealth of stories and legends! Despite its Gothic aesthetics, it was actually constructed in 1928 as part of an urban renewal initiative to link the buildings on Carrer del Bisbe Irurita. As you walk beneath the bridge, pause to look at its underside. Concealed, there is a carving depicting a skull impaled by a dagger. Well, at least some believe it’s just a carving…

Others attest that this is a real human skull. The legend says that if the dagger is ever removed from the centre of the head, the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona will collapse. Other rumours state that architect Rubió I Bellver put the skull there to express his anger towards the city planners when they rejected his initial designs. One of the lighter bits of folklore that goes along with this bridge is that if you pass under the bridge and face the skull if you make a wish, it will be fulfilled! Try it for yourself; it can’t hurt to try!

Gargoyles of the Cathedral of Barcelona

Walking towards the enormous Cathedral of Barcelona, we stroll down Calle de Bisbe and quickly stop at the Plaça de Garriga I Bachs. Standing in this small square, look at the walls of the Cathedral on the east side of the court. Take particular interest in the gargoyles carved above the windows along the walls. While gargoyles are a common sight in churches, these particular gargoyles are the subject of ancient legend.

Legend has it that during the annual Corpus Christi celebration in the Middle Ages, groups of witches gathered in the streets surrounding Barcelona Cathedral, shouting and spitting at the processioners. They did this year after year until one day, they were miraculously turned to stone, transformed into petrified monstrous figures. Serving the church for eternity as punishment for their wicked behaviour. When passing by, if it happens to be raining, make sure to glance upward and check if the gargoyles are still unleashing their torrents upon unsuspecting pedestrians.

Cathedral of Barcelona

Head into the Placita de la Seu, where you have a majestic view of the incredible Cathedral of Barcelona spread out before your eyes. Its gothic spires silhouetted in the moonlight. The Cathedral of Barcelona, officially known as the Catedral de la Santa Creu I Santa Eulàlia, is named after the Christian martyr Saint Eulalia, whom we discussed before.

Carrer dels Comtes

Make your way around the north side of the Cathedral, down the Carrer dels Comtes. Stop along the Carrer dels Comtes just before you get to the entrance of the Frederic Marés Museum. On the left side of the alley, emblazed on the wall above the first floor, is an old insignia of the Spanish Inquisition. The insignia features a cross in the center with a sword on the right and an olive branch (a symbol of “justice”) on the left. This mark would have been announced to all those passing by the Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition, and the cries of the prisoners they held captive within would have echoed throughout the narrow alley. Listen closely to see if you can’t still hear their ghostly echoes today.

The Spanish Inquisition

The Spanish Inquisition was one of the darkest chapters in Spain’s history. The Inquisition was a tribunal established by the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, in the late 15th century to enforce religious orthodoxy and combat heresy, mainly targeted at Jews, Muslims, and later Protestants. People accused of heresy, blasphemy, or witchcraft were also subjected to interrogations, torture, and public trials.

Before the Inquisition’s arrival, Barcelona was a multicultural and diverse city with a significant Jewish population. However, with the establishment of the Inquisition, many Jews were forced to convert to Christianity or face persecution and expulsion. While the Inquisition’s influence waned over time, its legacy persisted. Fear and suspicion remained deeply ingrained in the city’s psyche, affecting social dynamics and religious practices for years.

Plaça del Rei 

Continue southeast onto Baixada de Santa Clara. It is here you enter the grand courtyard of the Plaça del Rei. The name Plaça del Rei (Place of Kings) comes from its historical role as the residence of the Counts of Barcelona and later the Kings of Aragon. While the exterior is doubtlessly impressive, it hides within it a dark secret. During the Inquisition, the inquisitors sought the destruction of all things Jewish, including even their cemeteries. Look closely, as the stones from the facade are made of old tombstones stolen from Jewish cemeteries in Montjuic. 

Due to its proximity to the prisons, this square also hosted many a public execution and the infamous auto-da-fé. Auto-da-fé was a public tribunal and the final step in the Inquisition process. It consisted of a Catholic Mass, followed by a procession in which the convicted individuals, wearing tunics and pointed hats adorned with symbolic drawings representing their guilt, had their sentences publicly read aloud in the square.

Casa del Botxí

On the square’s northwest corner, a building with an arched wooden door and two small Juliette balconies stands. This was the Casa del botxí, or the Executioner’s Home. From this chilling vantage point, the executioner could have observed his victim being led up the scaffolding before he stepped out to perform his duty. The building, a stark reminder of the square’s grim past, is a testament to the horrors that unfolded here. So much pain and suffering would have been taken out on innocents in this place, and many say that you can still hear whispers and footsteps and even perhaps a shadowy figure darting off into the darkness.

This stop brings us to the end of our tour. Whether you felt a chill as you wandered through the Gothic Quarter or sensed the lingering presence of the past at an abandoned building, I hope this tour enriched your understanding of Barcelona, blending its celebrated culture with its mysterious, lesser-known narratives. As you make your way home, remember to tread softly—you might be walking alongside centuries-old secrets waiting to be rediscovered. 

Happy haunting Adventurers!

The post Barcelona’s Dark Secrets, the Ultimate Haunted Self-Guided Walking Tour first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Whether you believe in ghosts or not, the true stories behind the legends are a great way to learn more about this incredible city. Whether you’re an avid urban explorer or just someone looking for something unique to do during your stay in New York, this Greenwich Village Ghost Tour will help you discover all of the best haunts. And best of all, you get to go at your own pace. There are so many places along the way to rest your feet, so don’t be scared to take a break, or grab a drink at one of the many bars and cafes along the way!

About the Tour

This tour starts off in the eastern outskirts of Greenwich Village and ends aptly on the north tip of the neighbourhood, just off of Greenwich Avenue. The google map below will show you all the stops along the way! The walk will take around two hours, taken at a leisurely pace. Stop in a restaurant, grab a beer in a pub or even just sit and admire the architecture. Plus, you want all the chances you can get to see if you can spot a spectre!

There are plenty of spooky and scary stories along the way, so if you’re taking this tour with little kids you might want to pre-read through some of the stories. That way, you can decide for yourself if they are appropriate for your kids.

Map of Greenwich Village Ghost Tour

When To Do the Tour

The best time to do the tour is before dusk. Remember: New York is a big city. And like any big city, you need to keep your wits about you when walking around at night. But the tour is designed around popular locations in busy parts of the city. That way, you’re not somewhere totally out of the way late at night. You don’t want to start your walk too late at night. That way, you might miss out on being able to stop in for drinks along the way.

Obviously, “spooky season” (aka September and October) are the most atmospheric times to do the tour. The leaves change and cast a gorgeous yellow and orange hue across the brick brownstones. And the crisp Autumnal air sets the scene for ghostly apparitions. But if you don’t care about the time of year, you can absolutely take this Greenwich Village Ghost Tour whenever you are in town.

Quick History of Greenwich Village

The original marshland that now makes up Greenwich Village was called Sapokanikan by the indigenous people who were the first inhabitants of New York. Sapokanikan means “tobacco field” since the indigenous people used this rich land, close to the water, for their fields and crops. Greenwich Village was also a popular spot for fisherpeople as it was located next to a populated trout stream.

When the Dutch colonized the land, they renamed it New Amsterdam, after the original capital city in the Netherlands. At the time, this little hamlet was far from the dense city centre. When the English arrived, they battled for land and won it from the Dutch in 1664. But it wasn’t until 1713 that the colony was officially designated as “Grin’wich” in the public records. It was named after a popular neighbourhood in London.

Exodus to Greenwich

In the late 1700s and early 1800s, people were trying to escape the yellow fever epidemic that ravaged the centre of New York. So they fled to areas outside the epicentre, into rural communities like Greenwich. New blocks of rowhouses began to pop along previously uninhabited farmland. These new streets were designed in the popular Federal style. Houses were simple square or rectangular boxes, only two or three stories tall. Most New York Federal-style buildings were made of brick with cast or wrought iron handrails. The brick buildings that make up this part of the city are one of the most iconic features of the area. These houses were occupied mostly by middle-class merchants and tradespeople.

In 1833 the New York City University moved its campus to Greenwich. With all these academics in one central area grew a bohemian environment. Art galleries, literary salons, and libraries swept through to match demand. This beatnik enclave was marked by cheap rent, drawing more and more artists and immigrants to the area. And drove out the upper classes.

Bohemian Greenwich

In the late 19th century, Greenwich Village saw another huge growth spurt. This was with the influx of French, Irish, and Italian immigrants fleeing Europe during World War II. Factories began to pop up around the area where large expanses of land were still available. And these factories could easily be filled with immigrant workers living in the newly created tenements housing.

This free spirit and rowdy community were rich with speakeasies in the prohibition era of the 1920s. Which ironically attracted uptown patrons who couldn’t find anywhere to drink in their upper-crust neighbourhoods. Throughout the years, the neighbourhood became known for its counterculture attitudes and was a hub for political and cultural movements. In fact, it was here that the Stonewall riots were first started. Sadly, rising housing costs in the district drove out the artists that originally made it what it was. Today the neighbourhood remains one of the most architecturally and historically rich areas of New York City.

St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery

The first stop on our tour is notoriously one of the most haunted. At the intersection of 2nd and 10th Street, walk north until you see the giant silhouette of a church in the distance. This is the old St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery. As you approach, keep your ears peeled for the sounds of an old church bell ringing in the distance.

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Petrus Stuyvesant

The site for this first church in the area was purchased in 1652 by Petrus (Peter) Stuyvesant. Stuyvesant was the first of the colony of New Amsterdam. Stuyvesant was originally a great Dutch soldier. But during a battle against the Spanish, he was badly wounded and lost his leg. It was amputated and replaced with a wooden leg, giving him the nickname “Peg Leg Pete.” Because he could no longer fight, he was selected by the Dutch West India Company to go to New York. There he would serve as governor of one of their new colonies.

Stuyvesant built a small church on the site for himself and his family. After his accident, Stuyvesant was a melancholy man. He was also a religious man, and the church brought him much peace. Stuyvesant had purchased this specific property for his dwelling because it was located far away from the hustle and bustle of the “big city.” So it was much to his dismay, as the city continued to grow, that his once peaceful neighbourhood would soon be riddled with townhouses and noisy pedestrians.

Despite all this, Stuyvesant stayed put in his home, and when he died, he was buried beneath his chapel. In 1793 the original chapel was sold off to the village. But the community built an even more impressive Episcopal church in its place in 1795.

The Ghost of St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery

But soon after building the new and improved church, people started noticing strange occurrences happening inside. One day, the villagers were awoken by the tolling of the church bell. This would usually not be a strange noise, but this bell was ringing in the middle of the night. And it wouldn’t stop!

Everyone raced to the church to see what was the matter. But when they arrived, they found the door to the bell tower locked shut from the inside. When they finally broke down the door, the noise stopped. But the room was empty. And they looked up to find the bell’s rope had been cut. The only reachable part of the rope was way too far above the ground for anyone human to reach. Everyone was perplexed as to how the bell had been rung at all, let alone for hours.

The townsfolk searched the church for clues. Finally, they found the torn part of the rope lying atop Peter Stuyvesant‘s crypt. And as they were all standing around the crypt in silent horror, they heard the sound of Stuyvesant’s wooden leg echoing throughout the halls of the church. Today many people report still hearing the ghostly footsteps of Stuyvesant’s wooden leg throughout the church. See if you can hear it for yourself.

The Body Snatchers

Another interesting story from the churchyard revolves around the stone burial vault of Alexander Turney Stewart. When he died in April 1876, Alexander Turney Stewart was America’s third-richest man. Stewart made his fortune as a retailer. He was a hugely popular figure in the city, and his funeral was packed with the city’s cream of the crop. Writers, politicians, lawyers and more all came out to St. Mark’s Church on the Bowrey to pay their respects.

In October, six months after Stewart’s burial, the church sexton noticed that doors to the vault had been disbursed. When he looked inside, he noticed several vault slabs moved, but the tombs were still in place. The sexton was immediately suspicious, with fears of so-called “resurrection men.” He made sure to a night watchmen just in case the people who broke in tried to do it again.

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Resurrection Men

In the 1780s, grave robbing was on the rise. Originally grave robbing was mainly done for doctors to get their hands on “fresh” dead bodies. They used these to practice their trade and other medical experiments. But in 1870, the sensation of grave robbing was often done in search of ransom. Even Abraham Lincoln’s body was victim to an attempted robbery. Although thankfully, that was thwarted. But it was not uncommon for the bodies of wealthy men to fetch an acceptable price. Once the ransom was paid, the bodies would be returned.

The Theft of A. T. Stewart’s Body

Unfortunately, the watchmen the section hired failed at his one duty. And on the morning of November 7th, the sexton discovered the body of A. T. Stewart had been removed from his vault. Police arrived on the scene and were horrified by the brown blotches they found around the area. These were immediately identified as “pieces” of Stewart. Stewart had been dead for more than eight months and would have been in a terrible state of decomposition. So when the criminals left with the body, they left bits of the body trailing behind them as they fled. But the trail went cold, and the police had no leads.

Media Sensation

The newspapers ate up this media sensation. A reward of $25,000 was offered to the public for any information leading to the thief’s capture. Hundreds of letters poured in with theories, but none proved to provide any actual leads. In 1879 the attorneys for Stewart received a letter from Canada claiming to be the robbers. When the lawyers asked for proof, they provided several silver pieces of Stewart’s missing nameplate, also taken during the robbery. The lawyers tried negotiating with the thieves, but the trail eventually went cold. As perhaps the thieves were getting scared off, with talk of the robbery is all the papers.

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Walling’s Confession

A very contested private memoir from the police chief Walling in 1878 claimed that he was in communication with the real thieves. And he claimed to have negotiated with the criminals. With the help of Stewart’s wife, they met up at midnight on an abandoned pathway outside the Hudson Valley. The masked men arrived on horseback with a velvet coffin cloth from the tomb. And a bag of bones they claimed was Stewart’s.

The masked men handed them over in exchange for the money and rode off into the night. Walling claims the bones were taken by Stewart’s wife. In 1885, they were laid in the Cathedral of the Incarnation, where Stewart’s wife was buried. But many have refuted this claim as gossip and a way for Walling to make a few bucks on his memoir. No one will ever know the truth, but many people have claimed that the cemetery is haunted by the ghost of Stewart. Stewart is known to roam angrily around the church, furious about being torn from his grave. Many say if you smell something awful, like the piece of his body that was trailed behind, that is a sign Stewart is just around the corner.

McSorley’s Old Ale House

Head south along 2nd Avenue, turning west onto East 7th Street. Walk west along east 7th Street until you reach #15 where you’ll find the historic McSorley’s Old Ale House. McSorley’s is Manhattan’s oldest continuously run tavern! You definitely need to make a point to stop here inside to rest your legs and admire the decor and atmosphere, and get a drink! The darkened wood of the walls is almost stained with history. Along the interior, you’ll see an authentic old wanted poster for John Wilkes Booth. The chair hanging above the bar was the one that Abraham Lincoln himself sat in when he came in for a drink. And the handcuffs on the wall were apparently worn by Harry Houdini.

But what might lurk in the shadows among the displays are the ghosts of the tavern’s past. Bar staff have frequently seen their cats arching their backs and nuzzling into invisible hands. As if the ghost that comes every night is only there to give the cats a pet. So see if you can spot any cats who look particularly happy with no living soul around to be entertaining them.

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Merchant’s House Museum

Walk south down 3rd Avenue, and turn west down 4th street. At #29 stands an old brick mansion, sitting in between two large empty lots, ripe for new constructions. But the old mansion remains, sticking out like a sore thumb. The house was once owned by wealthy merchant Seabury Tredwell. It was built in 1832, and despite its age, if you walked inside, you’d find almost the entire house unchanged.

In the 250 years since its construction, the house appears as if no time has passed. This is because the house is now a city-owned museum. It aimed at presenting to the public the personal lives of upper-class families living in New York in the 19th century. Throughout the museum are hundreds of personal objects from the Treadwell family. And supposedly, one descendant, in particular, doesn’t like when you touch her things. This would be their youngest daughter, Gertrude Tredwell.

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Gertrude’s Ghost

Gertrude was a spinster who lived out her entire Iife inside the house. She was born here in 1840 and died in 1933. Gertrude had seven siblings, two brothers and five sisters. While the rest of her family grew up and got their own families, Gertrude remained alone. Gertrude had one real chance at love, but sadly, the affair was broken up by her Episcopalian father, who refused to let Gertrude marry a poor Irishman. As she grew older and became a spinsterhood, she became more and more eccentric. She seemed to care only for the house, with nothing left in her own life to care for. She was constantly obsessing with ensuring the house maintained its elegance. Even as she herself fell into financial ruin.

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Her sad fate supposedly inspired Henry James‘ novel Washington Square Park, about a woman whose father attempts to thwart her romance with another man. After Gertrude’s death, the house was passed down to her cousin. But, knowing how much Gertrude protected the history of the house, the cousin was able to sell the house and all its contents to the city. Who saved it from foreclosure by turning it into a museum.

Since becoming a museum, the staff have seen the ghostly figure of Gertrude roaming the halls. She loved nothing more than to make loud noises whenever “her” objects were being moved. See if you can spot her in the window, peering down on the street. She is often seen looking out the window, always watching out for her beloved home.

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Furman Hall

Leaving 4th Street behind, we’ll head down to 3rd Street. Walk west down the street and continue walking until you reach the corner of #85 West 3rd Street. This building is the residence for NYU students, Furman Hall. Unfortunately for the students, we find ourselves at another haunted residence. But this building is a real literary treasure of the city. It was here where Edgar Allen Poe lived when he wrote his infamous poem, The Raven.

Preserving Poe’s House

Back then, the buildings along West 3rd Street were made up of a series of brick rowhouses. During Poe’s time in his rowhouse, he lived with his beloved wife (and cousin) Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe. Virginia suffered from Tuberculosis, but this, combined with the stress from Poe’s scandalous activities, caused her untimely death. After her death, Poe moved out of the house and to his cottage in the Bronx. Partly to escape the madness he began to suffer after her death. When the house was set to be demolished in 2001, 70 scholars from NYU fought to preserve it. They wanted to keep Poe’s legacy within New York alive for future literary fans to appreciate for years to come.

But the building was simply in too bad of a state to be restored, and even renovation would be near impossible. As a compromise, the entire front facade of the house was cut out and preserved. It was then integrated into the new building at #85 West 3rd Street. Standing opposite the new building, even those who might not know the whole story can clearly notice the rather strange-looking addition to the facade. You can really see the difference between the salmon-coloured bricks from the original facade and the deeper red-coloured bricks from the new building surrounding it. But both brick patterns were laid out in the rinning-bond pattern to create unity between the two structures. If you walk up to the small front door on the outside of the building, you can see a plaque dedicated to the famous writer explaining the whole story.

Ghost of Edgar Allan Poe

Another architectural element preserved from the original building was a wooden banister. Today, it stands in the entryway to Furman Hall. Many students have reported seeing the ghost of Edgar Allen Poe walking up and down the staircase, holding onto the railing. Often, the students report seeing him one minute and yet gone the next. Edgar Allan Poe was a deeply troubled soul, and the death of his beloved wife marred him perhaps more than all the other events in his life. So it is without a doubt that this place would be an important spot where his spectre would return. Wandering up the stairs, holding onto the railings, and looking out the windows, for that raven, nevermore.

#84 West 3rd Street

Right across the street, at #84 West 3rd Street, you can see the gorgeous facade of an old Fire House. The house has since been transformed into a grand private residence for none other than news anchor Anderson Cooper! But Anderson must be a pretty brave owner as this building is known to be haunted by the ghost of Firefighter Schwartz.

During its time as a firehouse, firefighters would constantly report seeing a man’s ghostly figure hanging from the attic rafters. The story goes that this was the ghost of a firefighter who once worked here in the 1930s. After discovering that his wife was having an affair, he hung himself from the rafters, unable to cope with the betrayal. Ever since, workers reported hearing noises and creaking coming from that attic. As if his body was still swinging from those rafters. The large windows frame the upper-level beam with light at night so keep an eye out to see if you can see the ghost still hanging from above.

Washington Square Park

Walking north, you only have to go so far before you hit Washington Square Park. This site is perhaps one of the most popular destinations for tourists coming to New York City. It’s known for its communal atmosphere, with musicians and artists surrounding the fountain at all times of the day. Entertaining the masses that collect here to sit around the fountain or relax on the benches that surround it.

Potter’s Field

But few tourists, and many locals, might not know when they are walking onto the square because below them lies over 20,000 bodies. Buried right under their feet. In the 1780s, the city purchased a parcel of eight acres of land to be converted into a large potter’s field. A potter’s field was the old term for a common grave site. The bodies buried in these types of graveyards were often those of criminals, the destitute, or even those who could not be buried in a church cemetery for religious reasons.

Yellow Fever Epidemic

But in the late 18th century, the epidemic of yellow fever hit New York City. The spread of the virus was most prevalent in the centre of Manhattan, and it claimed thousands of lives. But what to do with so many bodies? And bodies that were thought to still be infected. The answer was to bury them in graves far outside the city centre in the hopes of preventing further spread. So the potter’s field out in what is now Washinton Square Park was selected as the prime location.

Transformation into Washington Square Park

The cemetery was closed in 1825, and the ground was quickly paved to create the Washington Military Parade Ground. Seemingly overnight, the area was transformed from a haunting burial ground to a fashionable residential area. Fountains, pathways and gardens were added to the beautification of the park. And in 1889, to celebrate the centennial of George Washington’s inauguration, an enormous stone Memorial Arch was built in his memory. Modelled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

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Ghosts of Washington Square Park

But despite the visual changes to the area over the years, there is no use in ignoring the fact that this beautiful parks stands atop a mass grave. And ghosts have certainly not forgotten. People have reported feeling a freezing cold chill run down their spine even on hot summer days. And if you spot a woman dressed in 18th clothes walking by, only to disappear a moment later, you surely have spotted one of the “local” residents.

Another rumour tells the story of a local store owner who would see a woman in dishevelled clothing coming into his shop, begging for milk for her child. After taking the milk, she would quickly run outside. One day, the store owner followed her out. She ran into the park, and the horrified store owner watched as she disappeared into the dirt ground below.

Hanging Tree

But it is not just the bodies of those taken by the virus that haunts the ground here. The park was also home to a great Hangman’s Elm. The old tree still stands on the northwest corner of the park. The elm tree dates back more than 300 years and is considered one of the oldest surviving trees in Manhattan. There are tales that the tree may have been used for public executions, but there is no truth to this rumour. Its spooky appearance perhaps gives it a bad reputation. Only one public execution was ever known to have taken place here in Washington Square park. And it occurred with the use of a gallows, not by the tree.

Rose Butler

The victim of this sole execution was a young woman named Rose Butler. Rose was executed in 1820 for the shockingly benign crime of arson. Rose was only 19 years old and an enslaved woman living in the household of a nearby family. Her only crime was setting fire to the wooden steps of her owner’s house.

Police claimed she had “confessed” to setting the fire in the hopes that she could trap her enslavers inside the house. And burn them alive. But many doubt the truth of this story. Rose was sentenced to death for a minor crime where no one was injured, and the damage to the stairs was barely even noticeable. The fire put out with a small bucket of water. Her unjust death, is a clear marker of the racism that black people were subjected to. And still are to this day. In 1827, slavery in New York was abolished, just seven years after Rose’s execution.

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The Ghost of Rose Butler

Rose was buried in the same spot where she was executed, the last person buried in this potter’s field. Rose’s ghost is known to haunt the park. Some claim to see her swinging from the hangman’s elm. Others have been known to see her apparition walking through the park. Often lingering under the shadow of the elm tree. If you do come across her ghost, be sure to pay her some respect. As the last person buried here she is often thought of as the proprietor of the burial grounds. And so perhaps she is still walking about, monitoring and looking after her fellow departed.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

Walk through the park, east along Washington Place, to #23 where we find the Brown Building and the sight of the old Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. In this very building, the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of the city and one of the deadliest in U.S. history occurred.

As it was originally named, the Asch Building was constructed here in 1900 in a fabulous neo-Renaissance style. It was made in the most popular material of the time, iron and steel. These newly manufactured materials were all the rage as they were meant to be “fireproof.” Unlike the brick and wooden buildings of years past that would instantly be destroyed in a large fire, these iron buildings were thought to be able to withstand even the strongest blaze.

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Triangle Shirtwaist Company

These so-called “fireproof” buildings were very attractive to factory owners, especially those in the textile industry. Fires weren’t uncommon at the time, and the price to either rebuild or renovate after a fire was sometimes enough to bankrupt a company. The Triangle Shirtwaist Company manufactured women’s blouses and occupied the top three floors of the Asch Building. Most employees who worked here were young, Jewish, Italian, Russian, and German female immigrants. And although they came to the United States in search of a better life, they were almost immediately taken advantage of upon arrival. Even today, the garment industry’s underpaid labour is a huge ethical issue. And sadly, in the past, things were even worse.

The Life of a Factory Workers in 1911

Workers here were unpaid, overworked, and often as young as 14 years-old. But worst of all, they were subjected to awful working environments. The upper floors of the building had almost no ventilation, and the heat would have been unbearable in the summers. But worse, freezing cold in the winter. Being a textile factory, the rooms were filled with the most flammable objects you could bring together. Tissue paper, linen, cloth, and cotton cuttings were strung all over the floor and even hung from the ceiling above.

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March 25th, 1911

On March 25th, 1911, someone dropped a single match in the northeast corner of the 8th floor. No doubt, the poor freezing soul was just trying to keep warm on a cold winter’s day or perhaps lighting a cigarette as their only means of relaxation. In seconds the floor was aflame. And spread in an instant throughout the entire factory floor, igniting all the scraps that were strewn across the ground. There could be no better environment for fire to spread.

Women on the 8th floor rushed towards the exit doors. Although there were technically two exit stairwells, one was locked shut as a means to prevent theft by the workers. So only one stairwell was able to be used for escape. The remaining stairwell inside was a death trap. Since the building was always overcrowded, well past legal capacity, the escape became a log jam as people scrambled to get out. Many women were crushed to death in the stairwells, long before the fire even reached them.

Falling to their Deaths

It only took a few minutes before the fire spread to the 9th floor. But with the chaos ensuing below, no one could warn those above. When the fire erupted above, some women were able to escape using the freight elevators. But eventually, these elevators became overcrowded and the elevators unusable. When the women on the 9th and 10th floors went to use the stairwells to escape, they found them consumed with fire. The last option for survival was the fire escape on the outside of the building. But unfortunately, the outer stairs were flimsy and poorly anchored to the iron structure. So when these hoards of women tried to scramble down, the heat and extra weight caused the stairs to collapse, and about 20 women fell to their deaths onto the concrete, exactly where you’re standing below.

The women left upstairs who witnessed this horrifying scene could do nothing but wait. They saw the firefighters arrive on the scene, but their ladders could only reach the 6th floor. While they tried to use their hoses to put out the blaze, the flames were too strong to be so easily snuffed out. Many trapped women standing on the edge of the windows were forced to jump. Killed by the nine-storey fall. Many died from smoke inhalation as they could not escape from the fire.

When the fire was finally put out, there were nothing left inside but ashes. But the building’s structure was undamaged. The iron and steel were indeed “fireproof,” but sadly for the victims, this didn’t apply to them. Over 123 women and young girls died in the blaze, along with 23 men.

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The Aftermath

The owners of the factory, Max Blanck and Isaac Harris, managed to escape the fire. But they were not able to escape prosecution for their negligence. After the traumatic deaths of all these women, a rush of protests occurred throughout the city. These resulted in a huge change in legalization and for better safety standards for workers. It even was the catalyst for the creation of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union.

Ghosts of the Fire

Today, students report seeing countless ghosts throughout the building. The ninth floor of the building is where the most people died and is, therefore, the most haunted. The phantom screams of women echo from the top three floors late at night. A famous ghostly couple is often seen in a final embrace beside the window. They are seen standing together before jumping to their deaths, hand in hand. There have been ghostly apparations seen fleeing down the corridors, still trying to outrun the fire.

In the stairwells where so many women were met with a locked door, the door handles still seem to shake and jiggle, as if a phantom hand is still trying to get them open. And in another stairwell, the sound of running footsteps is often heard.

Above the elevator, on the 9th floor, there is a mirror that student says reflects the living and the dead. People have reported seeing a woman dressed in Victorian garb staring back at them in the mirror. But when they turn around, there is no one there. Listen carefully as you stand outside in the dark. People say that you can still hear the ghostly crackle of the fire that burns in the memory of this place forever.

#18 W 11th St

Walk north, turning onto 5th Avenue. Continue until you reach 11th Street. Before heading to the stops on 10th Street, we’re going to make a quick stop at #18 West 11th Street. The building stands out amongst the other classical buildings due to its unique appearance. You might not notice it from far away, but as you get closer, you’ll see how the facade of the house is diagonally indented. But it’s not its architectural uniqueness that brings us here today, but the incredible events which took place in 1970.

The Weather Underground

Back then, the house was owned by James Wilkerson. But at the time, he was letting his daughter, Cathy Wilkerson, stay at the property while he was away. Little did he know that his daughter was a prominent member of the Weather Underground group. The Weather Underground was a radical left-wing militant organization. So prolific at the time, it was named as a domestic terrorist group by the FBI. They originally started as a group of students from the Democratic Society. Their goal was to create a revolutionary party to overthrow American imperialism.

But their intentions turned violent in the 70s, and the group started a targeted bombing campaign. It aimed to destroy government buildings and large banks. It was in this house that several group members were set up, building bombs in the basement. No one could have suspected such activity was going on behind an otherwise innocent-looking middle-class brownstone.

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Bomb Explosion

While assembling the bomb, it was accidentally set off, causing an enormous explosion. Two members in the basement were killed instantly, and another outside the room would die from his wounds later that evening. Cathy had just been returning home and, once witnessing the explosion, fled the scene. She avoided capture for more than a decade but eventually surrendered in 1980.

A fascinating twist to the story was that actor Dustin Hoffman lived just next door! When the explosion happened, Hoffman was captured by the newspaper, fleeing his home. Since his house was one of the adjoining houses, it also caught fire. So Hoffman was caught running in and out of his house, carrying large pieces of precious artwork in the hope of saving them from the flames.

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Restoration of the House

The house was left vacant for years, the scars of the deaths that occurred here too fresh for anyone to want to move right in. Architects went about trying to restore the damage to the home. The heritage department prevented any kind of visual renovations to all the other houses on this street as they pre-date 1845. But since this home has been so badly damaged, there was a dire need for repair. The architects didn’t want to simply restore it back to the exact design of the original home. They felt they needed to honour what happened here not just hide it all away.

So they came up with the idea to create these angular and modernist bay windows that seems to cut into the fabric of the building. Almost exploding out of the frame. It was a pretty hotly contested design, but eventually, after time passed, the house was repurchased. And people began to forget the event ever happened. But the angry ghosts of those radical victims who never got to carry out their horrible deeds are known to still wander the streets. The ghostly echoes of the explosion still reverberate in the glass. So listen closely on hauntingly dark and quiet evenings to the sounds of the house that still cries out.

Church of the Ascension

Head back to 5th Avenue and walk down to the intersection of 5th and 10th, where you’ll find the gothic revival-style Church of the Ascension. One of the church’s unique aspects is that even at night, the stained-glass windows are illuminated. Giving the building a haunting effect, glowing brightly in the darkness. But the windows are not just a beautiful aspect of the church, but the spectral reason that brings us here today.

John La Farge

The windows were designed by artists John La Farge. La Farge was an innovative American painter, muralist, and writer, but most famous for his imaginative stained glass windows. After completing the window design, the church Parish was so impressive that they commissioned him to paint an enormous arched mural. This mural would be the central focus of the entire nave. The canvas he used was enormous, almost as wide as the church itself. When he completed the painting, hanging it up inside proved to be a big challenge. According to the legend, when the installers came to hang the mural, it fell off the wall, crashing down to the floor. It’s said that the same moment the mural crashed to the ground, La Farge passed away. As if the two incidents were eerily linked.

La Farge’s Ghost

La Farge lived just down the street at Tenth Street Studio Building. Ever since his death, multiple residents have seen La Farge’s ghost wandering the down the street and into his beloved church. Lights have been turned on, and doors unlocked. Many people have seen his ghostly figure, and he even appeared to people during seances when called upon. Keep an eye out for his shadow in the illuminated stained glass windows as he is frequently seen floating past.

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The House Of Death

Across the street from the church is perhaps one of the most haunted buildings in all of New York. You’d never known it from the classical brownstone’s appearance, looking just the picture of regal New York architecture. The house was built just before the civil war in the 1850s and has barely changed since. But since it is so old, it has seen its fair share of deaths over the years. There are reports of over 22 different ghosts who are said to appear to the residents of the building. All of these chilling happenings lend to the house’s nickname, The House of Death.

Many people believe that traumatic circumstances are the cause of ghostly appearances. But sometimes, even the presence of ghosts can cause these incidents, causing a knock-on effect. Various paranormal investigators who have visited the building have seen the ghost of a young child, an aborted fetus, a gray cat and a lady dressed in white. But the most famous ghost residing here is that of famous write, Mark Twain. A small bronze plaque is located on the outside of the building to mark Twain’s official stay.

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Twain’s Ghost

Mark Twain lived here for only a year in 1900. But even in that short amount of time, he claimed to have experienced some supernatural occurrences. But Twain was a skeptic, but one night, while sitting near the fire, he saw a piece of wood kindling moving all by itself. Floating in the air. He thought it was caused by a rodent and even shot at the wooden log. Blood appeared from the bullet hole, but no rodent was ever found. Despite being a skeptic, the strange occurrences were enough to cause his quick exodus from the building. Twain died ten years later at age 74 in Connecticut.

In 1930, a mother and daughter moved into the house. They almost immediately experienced the first sighting of Twain’s ghost, sitting near the window. He turned to them and said, “My name is Clemens, and I have a problem here. I gotta settle.” Clearly, despite dying in Connecticut, something was bringing Twain back to this site. Something left unfinished.

Jan Bryant Bartell

Years after Twain’s death, the house became home to actress and writer Jan Bryant Bartell. As soon as she moved in, Bartell began to experience paranormal sightings. This includes noises in the walls, and visions of a ghostly woman in white woman seen in the windows. She also would increasingly smell putrid aromas throughout the house. And could never find the source. But worse than anything else, was this constant feeling of a presence nearby. Even when she was alone in the house, she felt like someone was watching. One day, while searching for this presence, she saw the ghostly figure of Twain himself. He was standing on the stairs, dressed in his white suit. Staring straight thru her.

The Steinberg Case

But the most horrible event inside the House of Death was the murder of a helpless 6-year-old girl. In 1987 former attorney Joel Steinberg beat his adopted six-year-old daughter Elizabeth “Lisa” so badly that she fell into a coma. Unfortunately, little Lisa died in hospital a few days later from her injuries. Despite being convicted of manslaughter, at the time in New York State, first-degree murder applied only to those who killed police officers. Or had committed murder while already serving a sentence for a previous murder. So the jury could only convict Steinberg to the maximum penalty of 8 to 25 years in prison.

Despite NEVER claiming any remorse for the murder, Steinberg was released on parole in 2004 and is still living in Harlem. The relatively short stay in prison is an unjust reality compared to the cruelty of his actions. Today, the young girl’s ghost is known to cause the lights on the floor where she was killed to go on and off at various times when no one is home. A sign that the girl is still there, waiting for real justice to be served.

Emma Lazarus House

Just two doors down, at #18, is the Emma Lazarus House. Emma Lazarus is perhaps best known for her poem, The New Colossus. The poem is emblazoned on a pedestal beneath the Statue of Liberty. The poem goes, “Give me you’re tired, your poor/ Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Emma was a talented child right from the jump. Her father, a Jewish immigrant and wealthy sugar merchant, moved into the Italianate-style residence in 1883. Emma couldn’t attend school as a girl, but she was well taught by many private tutors. And when she was just 20 years old, she began writing poems. Some of which were actually published in newspapers all around New York.

Emma was also very outspoken about the rights and struggles of Jewish immigrants. She aimed to help new immigrants when they moved to the city and immersed herself in helping others. Emma never married; perhaps she already felt like she was a mother to many other families. Sadly, she fell ill at only 38 from what we now suspect to be lymphoma. She died shortly after returning home to New York from a European trip. But she never could find a way to leave her beloved home. And her ghost is known to roam the house halls even today. Her figure is often seen walking past the windows at night, looking out at the street below.

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43 W 10th St

Continue walking east along 10th street until you reach #43. This building was the original location of the old Tenth Street Studio. The Tenth Street Studio was La Farge’s original residence. And the place from which his ghost is often thought to emerge at night. Wandering down the street, heading towards the church. So be sure to keep an eye out for him as you pass by.

The Jefferson Market Library

Stepping out from 10th Street onto 6th Avenue, you are immediately overwhelmed by the sight of the most unbelievable architectural wonders of New York City; the Jefferson Market Library. Although it might look like a church, the building was originally designed in 1870 as a Victorian Gothic courthouse. Unlike today, most courthouses of the time housed their prisons inside the same building. The basements of courthouses were where prisoners awaiting trial would be locked away.

By the 1940s, the courthouse was closed, and the building was saved from demolition by being transformed into a public library. But ever since it became a public space, people have seen the ghost of a woman roaming the library halls. Particularly, she loves to lurk around the fire watcher’s balcony windows and wave to people below. If you spot her, try waving back. Perhaps she is just lonely and yearning for someone to give her back some affection. Many people speculate that she is the ghost of a wrongly accused prisoner who may have died in prison. And who today continues to wander the building, yearning for justice.

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Gay Street

Turn down 6th Avenue, and walk south for one block until you reach Christopher Street. Head east down Christopher Street until you reach the tiny, tucked away lane marked “Gay Street.” Gay Street is one of the most iconic streets in Greenwich Village. But despite what you might immediately think when looking at a street called “gay” at the time when the street was named, the word had nothing to do with homosexuality. It was actually named after the land owner, R. Gay, who was given ownership of the land in 1775. The narrow lane was originally used as a stable alley for horses. But in 1833, the lane was widened, and houses began to be built up around it. Only by coincidence was Gay Street, located in the heart of the Gay and Lesbian neighbourhood that grew in the 1970s and 80s.

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Ghosts of Gay Street

But the haunted nature of the street dates back even before the street had a proper name. Back when the area was still a part of the Dutch Colony, it was owned by Wouter Van Twiller. Twiller built a morgue and brewery in this very spot. As it was then on the city’s outskirts, these two smelly establishments were perfectly suited to be on the fringes. But from day one, death seemed to hang heavy in the streets. With local residents claiming to see the ghosts of the corpses fresh from the morgue still wandering the streets.

The Gay Street Phantom

In the early 20th century, Gay Street became a popular spot for the city’s black residents, many of whom were musicians. And with great music came great parties! During prohibition, Gay Street was a popular spot for speakeasies, as the street was not only off the beaten path but also quite tucked away from the main roads. The parties of the 1920s roared down the narrow lane. And one of the partygoers seems to have never left. They call him the Gay Street Phantom. The Phantom is frequently seen walking down the street dressed in his dapper black cloak and large top hat.

12 Gay Street, Manhattan

The quaint brick townhouse with pale blue shutters at #12 Gay Street was once home to one of the most famous speakeasies; the Pirate’s Den. The Pirate’s Den was opened during prohibition as a theatrical buccaneer-themed establishment and a popular hang-out for then-local Mayor Jimmy Walker. Before he was a mayor, Walker actually wrote the music for broadway shows and his love for the theatre never waned. And neither did his love for chorus girls. Despite being a married man, he became so obsessed with one particular Ziegfeld showgirl, Betty Compton. He was so enamoured with her that he set her up with a small apartment inside #12 where she could live as his mistress and eventually be his wife.

Today, the house is rumoured to be home to Walker’s ghost. The ghost is known to still walks about the house, the upper levels’ floorboards creaking at night when no known is at home on those levels. His spirit must have clung to these streets, wishing to return to a better time when life was all about fun and frivolity. Walker’s time as mayor was marred with scandals and corruption. Life was easier when he was just a broadway tunes writer.

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Marie’s Crisis Café

Walking west, turn down Grove Street to #59, where we find Marie’s Crisis Café. Marie’s Crisis Cafe is a lively piano bar built atop the site of Thomas Paine’s home. Thomas Paine was an English-born political activist. Despite his English origins, he was one of the most influential writers who drove the ideals of the American Revolution into the hearts of the people of New York City. One of his most famous pieces of writing was called the “Crisis Papers,” hence the bar’s name. Shortly after the American Revolution in 1809, Paine died inside his beloved home. Despite all his work to fight for the revolution, his oppositional opinions on institutionalized religion drove him to be ostracized by his peers. And sadly, only six people attended his funeral.

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After Paine’s death, the area around the house fell into disrepute, and the home was transformed into a popular brothel. It wasn’t until the late 1850s, during prohibition, that the building served as a speakeasy. After prohibitions were dismantled, the bar continued its operations, this time more public-facing. It continues to be one of the most entertaining places in town. With hundreds of people gathering nightly to sing Broadway tunes around a grand piano. Paine’s ghost is known to still haunt the building. But happily, unlike at the end of his life when he drove everyone away, today he is surrounded by dozens of friendly faces inside Marie’s Crisis Café.

One if by Land, Two if by Sea

Walk across 7th Street, which cuts diagonally across the village. Take a turn east down Barrow street towards the restaurant named One if by Land, Two if by Sea. The building now houses one of New York’s most illustrious and elegant restaurants, but when it was first built in 1790, it was used as a horse stable. But not just any stable; it was the stable house for none other than now star of the Broadway stage, Aaron Burr. The current restaurant owners pay tribute to the American politician by hanging horseshoes, hitching posts and other antiques they found within the house on the restaurant’s walls.

Aaron Burr’s Home in New York

Aaron Burr owned a swath of land just a few streets west at #17 Commerce Street, but while that home was being built, he moved into the carriage house with his daughter after his wife died. His daughter, Theodosia, was the apple of his eye. And the two spent many good years together inside this quaint home. But sadly, after that fateful dual against Alexander Hamilton, which ended in Hamilton’s untimely death, Burr fell sharply out of the popular political circles in New York. Burr was forced to sell off much of his property, including the carriage house.

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After its sale, the house was converted into an engine house for the next-door firehouse. And like many of the buildings we’ve been to throughout our Greenwich Village ghost tour, in the 1890s, the house was (you guessed it) transformed into a brothel and speakeasy. This building was especially useful as a speakeasy because it housed an underground passageway. The passage provided access to the shores of the Hudson River. This meant it was easy to sneak in and out of illegal goods. It wasn’t until the 1970s that the home was purchased as a restaurant and opened back up to the public.

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The Ghosts of Aaron and Theodosia Burr

But even after all this passage of time and changing faces of the building, Aaron Burr and his beloved daughter are known to meet here in the afterlife. It was here that they both shared so many warm memories, and it is no surprise that they would want to return. Theodosia also suffered a terrible fate. On her way home to New York, the ship she sailed home in disappeared. Many people think pirates kidnapped the girl; others believe the ship sank in a terrible storm. Whatever the case, her body was never recovered, which drove Burr into a despair from which he could never rebound.

Theodosia’s ghost is known to wear a long black gown and stand at the top of the stair, looking down at the guests below. She is also known to go up to some women inside and pull at their beautiful earrings. Perhaps trying to acquire them for herself.

Burr, on the other hand, is perhaps slightly more angry at all these people seemingly taking up residence inside “his” house. Waiters have been known to be shoved down the stairs late at night or see plates flying across the walls as if thrown by spectral hands. Lights are known to flicker on and off after the restaurant has closed. Picture frames are often found off kilter in the morning when the manager opens the restaurants despite no one being inside.

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Chumley’s

Continue walking west along Barrow Street, turning north on Bedford Street to #86 Bedford Street. Here we find ourselves outside the blank stone facade of what was once of the most popular bars in the city; Chumley’s. Long before it hosted such notable figures as Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck and F. Scott Fitzgerald, the building served as the community’s blacksmith back in 1831. It wasn’t until 1922 that Leland Stanford Chumley converted the building into his covert speakeasy.

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86’ed

There isn’t even a remnant of any old signage indicating where the old bar once was because the original speakeasy had to be as low profile as possible. Even after prohibition was abolished, they kept up the tradition, and only those “in the know” could find the bar. It is rumoured that the term “86’ed” actually comes from life at Chumley’s. During prohibition, the speakeasies paid off police certain officers to ensure they would be informed about any raids in the areas. The officers would call the bartender and tell them to “86 your customers” as a code word to get them to evacuate the customer before police arrived. They used the word “86” since back then, the address of #86 Bedford was actually the back door to the bar. The primary entrance was located on the other side, in the Pamela Courtyard.

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The Ghosts of Chumley’s

The first person known to die inside the fabled bar was writer Clinton Curtis. He was involved in a bar brawl that resulted in his throat being cut by an angry seaman. The cause of the brawl? A rather intense game of chess, of all things! Curtis’ ghost frequents the bar, still looking for chess partners to play with.

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After Leland Chumley’s death, the bar was inherited by his wife, Henrietta. But Henrietta fell victim to the call of the alcohol that flowed so freely inside the bar. She died in 1960, sitting inside her favourite booth. Her ghost is still said to haunt that very same booth today. Still drunk as a skunk, her spirit is often heard knocking over shelves, smashing glasses and even drinking up half-empty beers left on the tables.

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Chumley’s was forced to close in 2007 after a load-bearing wall collapsed inside. After extensive renovations, it reopened shortly in 2016. But was forced to close its doors once more during the Covid pandemic. The thirsty ghosts still reside inside, awaiting Chumley’s triumphant return, when they can dine with the living once more!

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The Church of St. Luke in the Fields

Crossing over Grove Street towards Hudson Street, you find yourself face to face with the rather quaint exterior of the Church of St. Luke in the Fields. The church dates back to 1820, when it was built in the image of an old English village church by the local community around here. The church was named after Saint Luke, the patron saint of physicians and surgeons. 

Saint Luke

As mentioned when visiting Washington Square Park, Greenwich Village was a safe refuge from yellow fever that plagued the inner city. So the church was built in St. Luke’s name in the hopes he would protect this new community. Later, in the 1980s, at the height of the AIDS crisis, the church once more did right by its namesake. They created the AIDS Project, which provided Saturday dinners and weekend teas to tens of thousands of people afflicted by the disease.

Ghost of Clement Clarke Moore

The most famous ghostly resident whose grave can be found in the cemetery is of Clement Clarke Moore. You might not immediately recognize the name, but you will know the story he penned, “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Moore even first read the poem to the congregation here at the church. Moore loved his church. He was the only child of a wealthy family, so he spent much of his fortune funding the church. He even used the wood from his orchard to help rebuild the church after a fire.

After his death, many claimed to see his spirit inside the church every Sunday. But Moore is the definition of a “friendly ghost.” Many liken his personality to that of Santa Claus himself. Many have seen his spectre singing here at Christmas along with the carolers, as the festive season was always his favourite time of year. People have also reportedly heard the organ being played late into the night. Moore banging out Christmas tunes which echo throughout the empty nave. So listen closely as you pass by to see if you can hear him at play.

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White Horse Tavern

Continue north along Hudson Street towards the old White Horse Tavern. The White Horse Tavern touts itself as the second oldest bar in New York, opening in 1880 under the name Longshoremen’s Bar. But the tavern wouldn’t fall into the history books until the 1950s and 60s, when it became a popular hangout for New York City’s most prolific writers and musicians. Being frequented by Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Norman Mailer, Bob Dylan and Jim Morrison.

The Ghost of Dylan Thomas

But most notably for our purposes, the White Horse Tavern is where people often see the ghost of poet Dylan Thomas. When Thomas was visiting New York, he came to this tavern and drank over 18 shots of whiskey. It was a triumphant record for him. He later that night returned to the Chelsea Hotel, bragging about his accomplishment at the famed White Horse Tavern.

But that would be one of the last happy memories for Thomas, as he was suffering from a severe lung infection. Only days after visiting the White Horse Tavern, he died at St. Vincent’s Hospital. Thomas’ ghost is known to return to the tavern, sitting at the bar, sneaking shots of whiskey. Perhaps trying his best to beat his own record. He even has a favourite corner table where guests have most frequently seen his spirit. This is a great place to stop in for a drink to see if you can spot him for yourself.

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Waverly Inn

The last stop on our tour can be found after a short walk east along West 11th Street. At #16 Bank St., we see the picturesque brick exterior housing the old Waverly Inn. The house was initially built in 1884 and served as a tavern and a bordello. Surprise, surprise. After the original tavern closed, the building was converted into a carriage house for the wealthy owners of the homes nearby.

But, the 1920s prohibition era brought the saloon back to life, reopening as a “teahouse.” Teahouses were the nickname many people gave to keep speakeasies a secret. It was one of the most upscale speakeasies of the time. It was even frequented by American poets Robert Frost and Edna St. Vincent May. In 2006, the restaurant was purchased by Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Graydon Carter. Carter would transform the restaurant from a classic tavern to full-on 5-star dining with a wait list full of celebrity names!

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The Firebug Ghost

But the most frequent guest at the Waverly Inn is their seasoned spectre. Many reports see the apparition of a man dressed in a 1920s-style waistcoat and black top hat. He is often seen lurking in the shadows around the inn’s many old fireplaces. But he doesn’t just like to look; many people have nicknamed the spectre the “firebug” ghost as he is known to light the tinders left in the fireplaces when no one is looking. The fire pokers are seen moving as if by phantom hands as he tends to his beloved fires around the building.

Unfortunately, he is not always so careful with the fires he lights. In 1997, a fire broke out in the middle of the night inside the restaurant. After firefighters arrived and put out the blaze, they could find no sign of accelerants to have started the fire. No electrical outlet had sparked, and there were no combustibles on the scene that could have started the fire. They were left totally perplexed, and yet to everyone who had seen the firebug ghost before, they knew it must have been him! Since 1997, more fire alarms and sprinkler systems have been installed to ensure that whatever he gets up to in the middle of the night doesn’t cause an end to this historical establishment.

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This brings us to the end of our Greenwich Village Ghost Tour. I really hope you learned something new along the way, and the stories we told sent a shiver down your spine. Please let me know in the comments if you were lucky enough to see one of the resident hauntings on your city tour. Or any other spectres you came across on your trip to the Big Apple.

Happy Travels, Adventurers!

The post Ultimate Self-Guided Greenwich Village Ghost Tour, New York City first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

This Jack the Ripper Walking Tour takes you through some of the most notorious places involved in the crimes. You’ll hear stories of Jack the Ripper’s victims and learn about this terrifying time in London’s history. In addition to the bloody sights and grisly details, these murders are also significant for being one of the earliest tabloid true crime sensations. One hundred and thirty-three years later, Jack the Ripper still manages to fascinate people everywhere with his gruesome, unsolved murders.

Table Of Contents

1. London in 1888
2. Starting Point: Gunthorpe Street
3. The Murder of Martha Tabram
4. Flower and Dean Walk
5. Osborn Street
6. Brick Lane
7. Frying Pan
8. Buck's Row
9. Mary Ann Nichols
10. Whitechapel Road
11. 29 Hanbury Street
12. Annie Chapman
13. The Newspaper Tabloids
14. The Ten Bells Spitalfields
15. Queens Head Pub
16. The Princess Alice Pub
17. Henriques Street
18. Elizabeth Stride
19. Catherine Eddowes
20. Mitre Square
21. From Hell Letters
22. 13 Millers Court
23. Mary Jane Kelly
24. So Who was Jack the Ripper?
25. White Hart Pub
26. The Suspects

About This Walking Tour

In just under two hours, you can retrace the steps of Jack the Ripper in 1888. Although I would carve out about three hours so you can take your time. This way you can even stop into some spots along the way. The Ripper is still alive in our memories as if he still lurks behind every corner. As you walk, listen for footsteps behind you on these dark streets and be sure to have your wits about you. Jack’s ghosts are known to prowl the street of Whitechapel even to this day. All you need is this map and your curiosity as you embark on this eerie adventure.

Be warned! This tour goes into lots of detail about Whitechapel’s poverty, Victorian life in 1888, and the gruesome murders. It might be a little much for some youngsters so use your judgement. We don’t share any pictures in this post from the crimes scenes but we also don’t judge what you choose to google. The tour starts at the entrance to Gunthorpe Street on Whitechapel Road. If you’d prefer to just skip to only certain parts of the tour you can easily use the table of contents to find what you’re looking for.

Self Guided vs Guided Tour

Jack the Ripper Walking Tours in London, are a profession. Many of the best guides are more like actors and historians than just plain chatty guides. This part of London is overrun with tour guides taking Jack the Ripper groups along the streets. They can get swamped, and the cheaper tours are often so large that it’s sometimes hard to hear the guide talk. Taking a self-guided tour means you can go at your own pace. You can stop or detour where you want or just follow the steps as I’ve laid them out here. I’ve done my best to really make this tour as in-depth and historically accurate as possible. The stories we tell making the tale come live in front of you and take you back to 1888.

TIPS

• If you see a tour group overtaking a particular spot, just wait for them to move along
• Once the larger groups move along you’ll suddenly have the entire area just to yourself!
• If you want a more haunting atmosphere for your tour, come late at night, long after the group tours have concluded. You’ll find the East End almost as dark and eerie as it was back in 1888
• All of the stops on the tour are located on public property but if you do choose to take the tour at night, keep your voices down as we do pass by several residential areas
• Alternatively, if you have kids who are interested in learning about Jack the Ripper but up for the late night tour, you can easily do this tour during the day
• Remember, this part of town isn’t a museum. The East End is a working neighbourhood filled with locals, so be sure to not stop in the middle of the sidewalk. This is very irritating to the residents who are just trying to make their way around

Following Jack the Ripper’s Footsteps

This tour is designed to walk the steps of Jack the Ripper and his victims in chronological order. Because of this, we might backtrack here and there. But we will always walk along a different stretch of road to fully explore the area around Whitechapel and Spitalfields. Walking in chronological order makes the story unfold in front of you in an even more exciting fashion. Reading all the evidence and stories about Jack the Ripper as it happened in 1888 really brings the story to life.

London in 1888

Sadly, much of the Victorian City of London was destroyed during the bombing in World War II. Few buildings remain in Whitechapel, which are reminiscent of life here in 1888. But there are still some hidden gems that cast a little glimpse into the past. Various streets or structure that gives us an idea of what the neighbourhood looked like during the reign of terror of Jack the Ripper.

Whitechapel was a small borough of London bordered by the ancient City of London to the west, Spitalfields to the north and St George-in-the-east. The name ‘Whitechapel’ comes from the old St. Mary Matfelon church, which was established here in 1338. The church has been a simple white painted, which was the largest structure in the East End at the time. Being such a landmark, it became a nickname for the district. In 1888, Whitechapel was London’s worst slum. It had the highest death rates, the most severe overcrowding, and the most dangerous place in London.

The Whitechapel Slum

The Whitechapel neighbourhood was developed adjacent to the city’s noxious industries. Shipyards, breweries, tanneries and slaughterhouses were the foul-smelling industries. The City of London designated the East End for these businesses as the prevailing winds in London travelled from west to east. This way, most of the odours would not flow into the upper-class areas of the city. But it meant that Whitechapel was where the worst pollution and smells would coagulate. It was a less than desirable area where the most impoverished people lived. The low-paid employment in the docks and those foul-smelling industries made worse piecework and casual labour, resulting in the area becoming somewhat of a slum.

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Immigrant Population

Rent was extremely cheap and in addition to the local unfortunates, Whitechapel drew in a large immigrant population. In the 1880’s Whitechapel was home to thousands of eastern-European Jewish and Polish refugees. The English residents were less than welcoming to these refugees. There was rampant anti-Semitism in the streets of Whitechapel. English residents feared they were taking away “English” jobs and the reason for their sordid plot in life. This melting pot of hate, poverty and filth all contributed to the boiling point which was about to explode when Jack the Ripper came to town.

Life in the East End

Some streets in Whitechapel were so dangerous they were dubbed “the blackest of the black streets.” Police only patroled in groups of four to protect themselves from the gangs that roamed the shadowy alleys. There was no sanitation in Whitechapel. There was no plumbing inside the apartments, where sometimes as many as nine people shared one bedroom. You would just throw your sewage and rubbish out into the streets. The smell walking down the lanes would have been almost unbearable.

Unlike some images, we might have in our mind of London in 1888, the streets were not all light by the gaslight. Instead, Whitechapels alleys were some of the darkest places in the entire city. Whitechapel Road was well lit but as soon as you headed off on the side streets, you were met with utter darkness. In this complete obscurity, prostitution could easily take place. Out of sight of the police. But it was also in this complete darkness where murderers could quickly and easily kill their prey and then slip away into the night.

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Whitechapel Today

Today, the area of Whitechapel is filled with Bangladesh and Asian immigrants who moved here in the 1960s to set up textile shops and incredible restaurants! If you’re coming here to do a Jack the Ripper walking tour, please make sure you dine in one of these top-notch restaurants. Instead of just tromping through the area and not giving back to the community be sure to stop in and get a spot of dinner or a snack at one of these many amazing restaurants.

Starting Point: Gunthorpe Street

We start our tour at the intersection of Gunthorpe Street and Whitechapel Road. A small archway leads you from Whitechapel Road into the narrow alley which is Gunthorpe Street. Gunthorpe Street is located away from the car horns of busy Whitechapel Road. This quiet alley feels like a glimmer of London from 1888. The cobblestones and brick buildings are reminiscent of a bygone era.

It was here where you’d find some of Whitechapel’s most raucous lodging houses, stables and narrow garden courts. The area already had a mean reputation and has been described as a “notorious Rendez-vous of thieves.” Violent assaults were commonplace around here, but surprisingly murder was less common. And when someone was murdered it was commonly a part of a robbery. Murder for murder’s sake was almost unheard of. And the violent mutilation that Jack the Ripper inflicted on his victims was unlike anything even the most hardened district had ever seen.

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George Yard Lodging House

In 1888, Gunthrope Street was named George Yard. It was along this street where you would have found the George Yard Lodging House. Lodging Houses were how some of the poorest inhabitants of London slept at night. Few people had a fixed address in Whitechapel. They wore everything they owed as they walked the streets. A bed for the night had to be earned, and if you couldn’t pay, you were thrown out on the street. The lodging houses were also called “doss houses” or “fourpenny hotels” as the cost of a night’s stay was 4-pence.

In the front window of the lodging house, a number was posted, this referred to the number of free beds available. Often you’d find 20 people sleeping in one crowded room. They slept atop horsehair mattresses. These were usually filled with lice, scabies and even feces. The bed linens were only changed once a week (hence all the bugs). By law, the windows had to be opened and aired out at 10 am the following day since the smells from the residents were so potent they often were overwhelming.

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The Murder of Martha Tabram

It was here on Gunthrope Street (then George Yard) that the mutilated body of 39-year old Martha Tabram was found. Although Martha wasn’t considered a “canonical victim” of Jack the Ripper at the time, many detectives since are more persuaded of Jack’s involvement in the murder. 

Tabram was discovered on the first-floor landing of George Yard Buildings at 4:50 am on August 7th, 1888. No one knows when she was killed as her body was only discovered when the lamps were lit in this darkened lane. Although some Lodging Houses did have lamps above their entrances, the gaslamps were usually put out around 11 pm to save money. 

The attack on Martha was extremely violent. She suffered from 39 frenzied stab wounds to her throat, chest and abdomen. One of the reasons the police didn’t connect her to the future Jack the Ripper murders was that she was not disembowelled. Nor had her throat been cut (although it had been slashed.) But many suggest that perhaps Jack was only starting his horrific crusade. The variations in her murder scene were simply because he had yet to settle into a routine. Either way, her murder horrified the residents of Whitechapel, who clung to any piece of information they could glean from the newspapers. 

The Unfortunates of the East End

Martha Tabram was often referred to in the papers and in the history books as a common prostitute. But like with almost all of Jack the Ripper’s victims, this is only a part of these women’s stories. We spend a lot of time talking about the identity of Jack the Ripper. But to give his victims their due, I also focus on stories of the victims who too often get forgotten in my tour. Most, if not all of the victims of Jack the Ripper, didn’t choose prostitution. They were forced into it by a system that left them with no other opportunities to make enough money to live.

Martha was married in 1869, but the two divorced in 1875 due to Martha’s apparent “heavy drinking.” The excuse of alcoholism was another common thread that many of these women share. Drinking to forget the horrible place in which they lived. Martha was given twelve shillings per week allowance by her ex-husband, but this was reduced to 2 shillings and 6 pence after she kept harassing him in public for more money. When he learned she had been living with another man, her allowance was cut off.

The new man in her life was carpenter, Henry Turner. The two made a decent living selling trinkets they made on the street, but they separated in the cursed year of 1888, once more due to Martha’s drinking. With no means of making money, Martha turned to selling her body on the streets. Although the word “prostitute” is used to describe their occupation, I prefer the Victorian term “an unfortunate” as this is genuinely the best definition of these women’s situation.

Flower and Dean Walk

Continue along Gunthorpe Street, veering left at Wentworth Street stopping at the arched entrance to Flower and Dean Walk. The beautiful red brick townhomes along Flower and Dean Walk are very reminiscent of this area in 1888. After the construction of the business-laden Commercial Street to the east, this narrow road became even more cramped and overcrowded. The original townhomes located here were so run down they were demolished in 1970. But in 1888, this part of town was where you would have found various famous lodging houses favoured by the city’s prostitutes. Two victims of the attacks in 1888 lived here at Satchell’s Lodging House and Cooley’s Lodging House.

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Emma Smith, Martha Tabram and Mary Ann Nichols stayed here off and on in 1888. But almost all of Jack’s victims stayed on this street at one time or another. Although this might seems like a huge clue tieing all the victims together, Flower and Deak Walk was simply a popular spot for the prostitutes of Whitechapel. One of the reasons it was such a hot spot was that Flower and Dean Street was made of a mixture of courts, alleys and interconnecting lanes. The perfect area for the women of the night to conduct their business out of the prying eyes public and the police. At #55 was Cooney’s Lodging House. This lodging house allowed “married” couples to bed together. But they didn’t ask for proof and this allowed prostitutes to bring home clients under the guise of calling them their “husbands”.

Osborn Street

Turn back east along Wentworth Street and stop at the crossing of Osborn Street and Old Montague Street. The old Buxton Hotel and Pub makes a great backdrop for this next story. When Martha Tabram was murdered, a huge veil of fear descended on the neighbourhood. This was because she had not been the first violent death of a prostitute that year. Earlier in April, 45-year old Emma Smith had died of her violent injuries just a few steps away in Royal London Hospital.

Emma Smith

On April 3rd, 1888 at four in the morning, Emma Smith returned to her Lodging House at 18 George Street. George Street is now gone but would have been located where we find Flower and Dean Walk today. She was covered in blood having been viciously attacked by a group of men. But Smith was a tough ol’ broad. The deputy keeper of the lodging house, Mary Russell, recounted how Smith had previously been punched in the face and thrown out a window and yet survived. She frequently returned home with black eyes and sadly was used to this type of violence.

Emma claimed that she had been walking along where we stand on Osborn Street. Then suddenly, a gang sprung at her from the darkness. They robbed her of all the money she had earned that night. But not before one of the men slashed at her with a long knife or perhaps a solider’s bayonet.

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But the time she returned home the extent of her wounds would prove fatal. Her face was slashed, her ear badly cut, and her lower abdomen was also bleeding profusely. Her bedmates pleaded with her to get to the hospital. She agreed and made her way to the hospital. But at 9 am the following day, she died of her injuries. But not before giving the police as much information as she could on the attackers.

The First Ripper Victim?

Emma Smith clearly wasn’t a victim of Jack the Ripper; they proved that she had been attacked by a group of men. Nevertheless, this violent attack on a prostitute had raised the hairs of both the police and the public. It drew attention to the violence that these unfortunate women suffered. And unlike years prior, the violence seemed to be escalating, now with the death of Martha Tabram. Despite no connection to the Ripper, her murder was the first that opened the case files entitled “The Whitechapel Murder.” This was the famous case file that contained all of the following “canonical five” Jack the Ripper victims.

Brick Lane

Turning northwards, Osborn Street turns into Brick Lane. Brick Lane was named in 1550 when two tile factories were located here. Clay could be dug right out of the wet ground used to produce bricks and tiles for the factories. These were the literal building blocks of Whitechapel’s architecture. But during the 1880s, Brick Lane was home to a variety of shops, pubs, lodging houses, and timberyards.

Today, the area is known as ‘Banglatown‘ due to the high number of Bangledesh restaurants. Bangladeshi immigrants came to this part of town to work in the clothing shops and factories. These sprung up in the 1970s and have flourished ever since. Many of the old breweries were shut down, and their large factories transformed into art and entertainment venues. Brick Lane has become a popular hipster hangout in recent years with chic vintage shops popping up further north along Brick Lane.

Frying Pan

Most of the original pubs in the area have all but disappeared. This is partly due to the large Muslim population in the area who do not drink. But at #13 Brick Lane, you can still find the building which housed the Frying Pan pub in 1888. It was here that Mary Ann Nichols, Jack’s first canonical victim, was allegedly drinking on the night of her murder. She is seen leaving the Frying Pan pub at 12:30 pm on 31st August 1888. The Frying Pan Pub was known for its clientele of prostitutes during the 19th century. It was a hot spot where unfortunates would lose their daily “doss” (lodging) money in favour of a pint of gin.

The Gin Craze

Unlike many pictures we might have in our mind of a pub in Victorian London, people weren’t typically sipping on pints of beer. Instead, they preferred large glasses of homegrown gin. “The Distillers have found out a way to hit the palate of the Poor, by their new fashion’d compound Waters called Geneva (Gin), so that the common people seem not to value the French-brandy as usual, and even not to desire it,” claimed English journalist Daniel Defoe. Gin was extremely cheap to make and much faster to get drunk off of than beer. And it got you very, very drunk.

Alcoholism in 1888

Gin was made inside large iron bathtubs in Whitechapel. It was so strong that it was known to eat through paint and iron of the tub it was made in. One can only imagine how awful it would have been to imbibe. Many unfortunate women would come to these “gin palaces” nightly for pint after pint of the stuff. Most of the women killed by Jack the Ripper were said to look much older than their actual age upon their autopsies. No doubt, early ageing was brought on by the potency of the alcohol.

The women who worked the streets of Whitechapel longed to forget their plight. Alcoholism was rampant among the poorest of Whitechapel’s residents. Although the Gin Craze was more prominent in the 18th century, it saw a resurgence in the 19th century, especially among Whitechapels prostitutes. An entire bottle of gin could be purchased for a few pence, and sadly many of these victims chose the bottle over their lodging. A choice which no doubt led to their deaths.

Old Montague Street Mortuary

Turn right down Chicksand Street toward Greatorex Street. Walking south along Greatorex Street turn left along Old Montague Street. Walking along Old Montague Street at the corner of Davenant street, you’ll find the spot wherein 1888 stood the Old Montague Street Mortuary. It was here that the bodies of the Whitechapel Murder victims Mary Ann Nichols and Annie Chapman were taken for their autopsies. But conditions inside this run-down mortuary weren’t sufficient for the high-level investigations taking place here in 1888. Dr. George Bagster Phillips was quoted as saying;

“It was under great difficulty he could make his examination, and, as on many occasions he had met with similar difficulties, he now raised his protest, as he had previously done, that members in his profession should be called upon to perform their duties in these inadequate circumstances. There were no adequate conveniences for a post-mortem examination. At particular seasons of the year, it was dangerous to the operator.“

Buck’s Row

Continue along Old Montague Street towards Whitechapel Station on Durward Street. In 1888, Durward Street was called Buck’s Row. During the 19th century, this narrow thoroughfare was lined with large warehouses and stables on the north side. On the south side, you’d find a cramped row of terraced cottages. These small cottages were considered some of the most “luxurious” accommodations in Whitechapel. It was here in Buck’s Row, outside the gateway of Brown’s Stable Yard, where Mary Ann Nichols‘ body was found. Because of the notoriety brought upon the street by the murder, Buck’s Row was renamed and renumbered Durward Street in 1892.

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Mary Ann Nichols

Mary Ann Nichols, who went by the nickname Polly, was 43-years old when she met her dark fate. She married William Nichols in 1864, and the two had five children. The two separated in 1881 after Nichols claimed that Polly had been living as a prostitute. In 1881 if a man claimed his wife was a prostitute, he would not have to pay the woman any support money. Polly’s father contested that Nichols was the one having an affair. Supposedly he was sleeping with a nurse who actually cared for Mary Ann Nichols during a difficult-bought of illness. Either way, William Nichols won the case against Mary. Leaving her with no support payments, and no choice but to go to the workhouses.

Workhouses in London

Workhouses in London were where the orphaned, elderly, sick, disabled or those simply unable to find work came to live. The workhouses were bleak places. You had to work 16 hours a day for the chance at food and a bed for the night. The food was barely edible, with bread so hard it had to be soaked in hot water to become soft enough to eat. Even the beds were smaller than the ones you’d find in prisons. The workhouses were about the worst place you could end up. Many women chose casual prostitution as an alternative. By turning to sex work women would be able to make enough money to pay their way into the more “upscale” lodging houses.

The Night of the Murder

But on the night of her murder, Wilmott’s Lodging House, on Thrawl street, had thrown Mary out. She owed the landlord too much money and couldn’t pay the fourpence for her bed that evening. Mary was seen leaving Wilmott’s Lodging House around 1 am bragging about a new bonnet she had just purchased. “I’ll soon get my doss money. See what a jolly bonnet I’ve got now.”

Mary was seen again at 2:30 am, extraordinarily drunk and staggering around Osborn Street. Her friend Emily Holland passed her on the street. Emily was already fearful for Mary after the previous two murders and tried to pay for Mary’s lodging. It was a cold and rainy evening and Emily hoped her offer would get Mary off the dark streets. But Mary wouldn’t go. She claimed that “she had had her doss money three times that day and had drunk it away, and it won’t be long before I’m back.” But that was the last time Mary Ann Nichols that would be seen alive. Somewhere between Osborn Street and this spot on Buck’s Row, Mary met with the Jack the Ripper. Perhaps along the route we just walked ourselves.

Body Discovered

One of the most interesting things about this case is how well documented the times are throughout the investigations. And these timelines help us understand how quickly Jack the Ripper worked in the utter darkness of Whitechapel. At 3:15 am PC John Thain passed down his beat along Buck’s Row and noticed nothing out of the ordinary. But by 3:40 am, Charles Cross discovered Mary Ann Nichols’s body on his way to work. He found her lying at the gateway entrance to Brown’s stableyard. When Cross and his coworker came across the body, they overlooked the extent of her injuries. They even thought they heard a heartbeat. Seeing as they didn’t want to be late for work, they arranged Nichols’ skirts to give her some decency and made plans to alert the first policemen they saw. 

But PC John Neil arrived before Cross could alert anyone. He took a better look and found her dead, her throat vigorously slashed, and her new bonnet, stained with blood, laying on the ground. Neil went to get back up and called for Dr. Llewellyn. At this time, only a doctor could pronounce someone dead, and they were, therefore, the first to the scene, even before the inspectors. Dr. Llewellyn pronounced Mary Ann Nichols dead, having passed away around 3:50 am. Meaning Charles Cross did indeed come across Mary’s body while she was still alive. Perhaps even while Jack the Ripper lurked in the darkness. 

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Autopsy of Mary Ann Nichols

Mary’s body was brought to the Old Montague Street Mortuary. It was there that they discovered her abdomen had been slashed open, exposing all her organs. The policemen on the scene didn’t see this right away because of the layers upon layers of clothing she was wearing. Remember, since she had no fixed address, Mary would have been wearing all the clothing she owned. These layers of clothing had absorbed the blood flowing from the deep gash in her stomach. 

There was no blood spray on the scene despite the deep gash to her throat and to her stomach. Early speculation was that the murder, therefore, could not have been committed on this spot in Buck’s Row. But with further analysis, they discovered that it appeared Jack would strangle the victims before mutilating them. This meant that there would be no large spray of blood when he cut their throat as the victim would have already been deceased.

The Board School

Standing right above the crime scene is the towering Old Board School building. Most of this area has been modernized, and little of Victorian London remains. But this building still stands just as it was in 1888. It was restored and its interiors are currently used as swanky apartments. But these windows are the same ones that would have looked down over the death of Mary Ann Nichols as it happened in 1888.

Whitechapel Road

Continue east along Durward street turning south along Brady Street towards Whitechapel Road. Walk east along Whitechapel Road, taking in the charming series of brick buildings along the northern side of the road. While their shop fronts are all modern conveniences, the buildings themselves stand as historical landmarks from Victorian England.

Working Lads Institute

At #279 Whitechapel Road, high up along the roof, you can make out the name of the building, “Working Lads Institute.” Above the arched entrances on either side of the building, you’ll find the words “Gymnasium And Swimming Bath” and “Lecture Hall” carved into the stone. The Working Lads Institute was created to keep local boys out of trouble. Instead of heading to the pub, these buildings provide educational classes, gymnasiums, libraries and swimming pools. Inside, these lads could find enjoyment other than the one they found inside a bottle. It’s no surprise the victims of Jack the Ripper were all women. Women had no “Working Gals Institute” to keep them from the bars at night. This is another example of how the system failed these poor women. And even contributed to their deaths.

Early Jack the Ripper Offices

The Working Lads Institute is one of the few remaining pieces of Victorian London connected to Jack the Ripper. It was here, on the second floor, where the inquests into Jack the Ripper’s victims took place. There was no official office at the time large enough for the police, coroners, doctors, and witnesses to meet and discuss the case. So when the case began to take off as a large-scale endeavour, they selected this public space as their first board room. Eventually, they required a more private and secure spot, and the investigation was moved out of the institute. But it was here that it all began!

Wood’s Buildings

A few steps down from the Working Lads Institute, you’ll find the sign for the old Wood’s Building alleyway. The Wood’s Building entrance is now closed to the public by a series of metal gates on either side. The alley was previously used for nefarious purposes with people inside selling drugs or just as a makeshift restroom off the busy Whitechapel road. But the nefarious atmosphere of Wood’s Buildings alleyway wasn’t anything new. In fact, if you could walk through here, you’d end up right at the spot where Mary Ann Nichols was murdered. It is highly suspected that Jack the Ripper used passages like this to melt away into the night without ever having been seen. Walking from the quiet, dark corners of the inner streets out into the morning market traffic of Whitechapel Road, where he would have been immediately lost amongst the crowds.

Prostitution in 1880s London

Walk west along Whitechapel Road, turning right up Vallance Road. A block north on Vallance Road, you’ll turn left onto Hanbury Street towards our next destination. The walk is about 15-minutes long. As we walk you can read more about what was going on for unfortunate women in London in 1888. The murder of Mary Ann Nichols was now the third prostitute killed in Whitechapel in 1888. Police were beginning to see a pattern and started to interview prostitutes all over the Whitechapel district. 

The Criminal Law Amendment Act

In 1885 the City of London had passed the Criminal Law Amendment Act. The act would “make further provision for the Protection of Women and Girls, the suppression of brothels, and other purposes.” One of the actions was to change the legal working age of prostitutes from thirteen to sixteen. Still shockingly young! Becoming a prostitute at such a young age would have made it almost impossible to escape that way of life. There was no assistance or education provided for these women and girls. No means by which they could climb out of a life of poverty and prostitution by means of skilled employment.

Although the city thought they were doing something to protect women by closing the brothels, they actually put them at more risk. Inside the brothels, they had the protection of four walls and sometimes armed security. But once the brothels were closed, they were forced to work on the streets. In essence, casting them out into the arms of Jack the Ripper. At the time, the police estimate that an average of 1,200 prostitutes operated in the areas around Whitechapel alone. So Jack had plenty of women to choose from.

Their Dark Fate

Prostitution in itself was not an offence, but solicitation was. Women were not allowed to approach men, but men could approach women. This also was an issue as it meant the women couldn’t pursue men they thought might be more approachable. Instead, they were forced to take whatever came their way. Prostitutes were also not allowed to loiter, so they would have to constantly keep moving. These women would have known the city like the back of their hand, even in complete darkness. And in a sick twist of fate, the women themselves would have chosen where they died. Jack would have required a quiet, hidden corner of the city to murder these women. And the prostitutes would know the best place to go, as they needed such a spot to carry out their daily sexual deeds.

29 Hanbury Street

The quiet backstreets of Hanbury street begin to squeeze together as we get closer to our next destination. It’s here, along the busy restaurant-laden alley where you’ll find a brick parking lot with the number “29” painted outside. It was here that the second canonical victim, Annie Chapman, was discovered.

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Annie Chapman

Annie Chapman, aka “Dark Annie,” was the oldest Ripper victim at 47-years old. Her nickname comes from the dark brown colour of her wavy hair. Annie was married at 28 (very late for women in Victorian England) to John Chapman. Sadly, the two divorced after having three children together, possibly due to John’s chronic alcoholism. Although Annie had been arrest multiple times for public drunkenness, she wasn’t known as a chronic alcoholic. Unlike other husbands of the time, John agreed to pay a weekly sum of 10 shillings to Annie. This kept her comfortable enough to stay off the streets for a time.

John died in 1886, and this left Annie without those 10 shillings she needed for lodging. She did her best to get some work crocheting and sewing for more affluent families. She also tried selling artificial flowers. Sadly it wasn’t enough to make ends meets. So she turned to what many women did without any other options; prostitution. In this line of work, she caught the deadly disease of syphilis, common in sex workers at the time. Ironically, if Jack didn’t end her life, she undoubtedly had little time left. Her illness was very advanced and her brain tissue had already started to degenerate due to syphilis.

The Night of Annie’s Murder

On the evening of September 8th, Annie was seen walking along Dorset Street. She ran into her friend Amelia Palmer who asked if Annie was heading out to work the street. Amelia knew Annie didn’t have the money she needed for the doss house that night. But Annie responded that she was too ill to work. She hoped that the lodging-house would take pity on her. But the night watchman who came to collect her bed rent cast her outside. Telling her to come back when she had the money to pay for her bed.

So despite being so ill and the rain beating down, Annie heads back out to find a client. She was seen by fellow sex worker Elizabeth Long at 5:30 am talking to a man outside 29 Hanbury Street. Elizabeth knew it was precisely 5:30 as she heard the clock on the Black Eagle Brewery (which still exists) strike the five and a half-hour. Famously she overheard him saying to her, “Will you?” to which Annie replies, “I will.“

Annie’s Body is Discovered

The direness of Whitechapel was such that next-door neighbour Albert Cadosch heard Annie crying “no!” But cries like this were commonly placed in Whitechapel. Cadosch went about using the outhouse and returned inside without alerting anyone to the noise. Annie’s body was discovered a little before 6:00 am by John Davis, who lived on the third floor of #29 Hanbury. He came into the garden to use the outhouse himself and found her lying dead beside the fence.

Her throat had been cut so several of the men who found her thought it was barely hanging on. The body was terribly mutilated. Unlike Mary Ann Nichols, she had been dead for a time, as her limbs had already begun to stiffen. Even most disturbing was the body had been disembowelled and the killer had deftly cut out Annie Chapman’s womb. And taken it with him.

This time, the police got a little more information about the killing. The blade used would have been longer than a common pocket or kitchen knife. They also found that the removal of her anatomy would have required some professional or anatomical knowledge.

Leather Apron

Found near the scene of the crime was a man’s leather apron. It was discovered in the corner of the garden. Women in and around Hanbury street jumped to accuse a man they called “Leather Apron” of the crimes. His name was brought up repeatedly even though there was little to tie the apron found to the crime. It could have easily been there long before the murder took place. Nevertheless, this nickname would go on to be one of the most famous nicknames for the Ripper. 

Many of Whitechapels prostitutes were being extorted by the man they called “Leather Apron.” He would approach the prostitutes with a knife and threaten to “rip them apart” if they didn’t hand over their cash. He was called “Leather Apron” as he was frequently seen wearing a butcher’s uniform consisting of a large leather apron.

The Newspaper Tabloids

By this time, the newspapers had begun the report on the murders. And they saw an immediate uptick in their sales. This was the first tabloid sensation, and the newspaper wanted to capitalize on this craze. Their reporters hit the streets almost as aggressively as the police. Some reporters even dressing up as prostitutes in the hopes of catching the Ripper themselves.

The leading newspaper which was reporting on the murders was ‘The Star.’ Despite the police’s best efforts, their witnesses told the press about Leather Apron. And the press ran with the headline: “LEATHER APRON THE ONLY NAME LINKED WITH THE WHITECHAPEL MURDERS. THE STRANGE CHARACTER WHO PROWLS ABOUT AFTER MIDNIGHT. UNIVERSAL FEAR AMONG WOMEN – SLIPPERED FEET AND A SHARP LEATHER-KNIFE.” In the article, they gave the same description as the women gave the police. But they also added a few embellishments that would mar the case forever.

Anit-Semitism in London

The Star claimed that “all are united in the belief that he is a Jew or of Jewish parentage, his face being of a marked Hebrew type.” None of this was confirmed by the police. In fact, all the women couldn’t describe his appearance as they said a deerstalker hat hid his face. During this time in London, antisemitism was rampant. Jewish people began migrating to London in the 18th century. By 1888, over 3,000 Jewish immigrants were living in Whitechapel. Much to the chagrin of the racist English population.

The locals believed an Englishman couldn’t possibly be responsible for these awful crimes. So they placed their blame directly on the Jewish community despite no clear evidence. The police were greatly concerned about this wave of antisemitism. They were attempting the quell this anger and fear before the pot boiled over into full-scale anti-Jewish rioting. The newspapers on the other hand were seemingly trying to turn up the heat…

Wilkes Street & Fournier Street

Walk to Wilkes Street where you can turn south towards Fournier Street. Wilkes Street and Fournier Street are two of the most incredible examples of what East London would have looked in 1888. These are my favourite architectural spots in the entirety of this tour. And the perfect place for a photo op. The buildings are incredible examples of Victorian architecture. And since none of the murders occurred here taking a cute selfie or picture of yourself down these alleys feels much more appropriate.

Frederick George Abberline

After the murder of Annie Chapman, inspector Frederick George Abberline of the Metropolitan Police joined in the team of detectives on the hunt for the killer. Frederick George Abberline has been working in the neighbourhood of Whitechapel for 14 years as a patrolling officer. He has been recently promoted and was selected as the primary officer on the case. This was in the hopes that his knowledge of the locals and the area would prove invaluable.

But even the most knowledgeable officer who lived in the area found the spiderweb-like network of alleys and underground tunnels impossible to patrol. Unlike straight and narrow streets in America, the twisting passageways which spread out across Whitechapel meant that an officer could lose sight of someone he was following in the blink of an eye. The police were at a huge disadvantage. The rate of expansion in the area did not correlate with the staffing in the police department. The population was rapidly growing, and the police force was constantly overworked and understaffed.

The Ten Bells Spitalfields

Walking west towards Commercial Street from Fournier Street, you’ll find the most famous of all the Jack the Ripper sights. This is the great Ten Bells Spitalfields Pub. This pub is so important to the history of Jack the Ripper as it’s one of the only places you can still visit and have a drink inside. Nearly all of the victims were known to frequent the Ten Bells Pub to indulge in a glass of gin to numb the pain of their existence. I suggest you do the same

Stop inside to give your legs a little break and take in the atmosphere of this historical landmark. It was here that both Annie Chapman and Mary Jane Kelly had a drink just before they met their untimely end. Despite this connection, the pub has tried to shake off the association with the murders. Inside you’ll find no posters or memorabilia on the walls dedicated to Jack the Ripper.

Christ Church Spitalfields

Standing outside the Ten Bells pub, on the corner of Commercial Street and Fournier Street, two more buildings from 1888 remain. These buildings would have been ones the girls and Jack would have passed every day on their way to work. Or while stalking his victims. The first and most imposing is Christ Church Spitalfields. This church has been a beacon for the residents of Spitalfields since the 1700s. Its large clock face, atop the tower, is viewable above most buildings in Spitalfield. This was one of the only ways residents could tell the time back in 1888. The peaked tower also served as an easy-to-find meeting point for people all over the city.

Spitalfields Market

The other large Victorian building dominating Commercial Street is Spitalfields Market. The Spitalfields Market has existed here in some form or another since the 1600s. But the current building was constructed in 1887, just before the murder, and opened by Queen Victoria herself. The space inside Spitalfields Market is today a hip marketplace with vintage clothing sellers, bakers and artisans.

Queens Head Pub

Walking south along Commercial Street, at #74, you’ll find the Queens Head Pub. It was inside this pub where Elizabeth Stride (Jack’s next victim) spent the last of her doss house money. The old signage outside on the facade corner has been restored by the architects who now own the building.

The Princess Alice Pub

A few ways down at #40 Commercial street was where you’d have found the Princess Alice Pub in 1888. This pub was another popular spot for the prostitutes in the East End. But it was here that the popular suspect ‘Leather Apron‘ was a frequent patron. Leather Apron was identified as John Pizer. Pizer was a Polish Jewish who worked as a boot finisher. And a leather apron would have been a uniform of his trade. Pizer was commonly referred to as “Leather Apron”, and once his name got into the papers, his family feared for his life.

Thinking an angry mob would come to bring him to the police, he escaped to the countryside. You see, John Pizer had a prior conviction for a stabbing offence. AND he was suspected of a string of assaults on local prostitutes. But after the press coverage was mounting he was pressured into turning himself in. After much questioning by the police, he was released. Pized, as bad of a guy as he was, had two solid alibies for his whereabouts during the murders. Pizer had been at work during the murders and seen by more than a dozen other people. He was then ruled out as a suspect.

Henriques Street

Continue walking south along Commercial Street and stay with it as it crosses Whitechapel Road. Turn left when you reach Henriques Street and walk towards the iron gates of Harry Gosling Primary school. Henriques Street was called Berner Street in 1888. It was here that Jack’s fourth victim was found. Elizabeth Stride, or “Long Liz” as she was called, would be the first of two victims on September 30th. A night which would go by the infamous name “the double event.”

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Elizabeth Stride

Born in Gothenburg, Sweden, Elizabeth Stride came to London in 1866. She married John Stride, and the two lived a pretty good life together. They opened a coffee shop on Chrisp Street in 1870. Sadly her husband died in 1884, leaving Elizabeth with no way of making money.

Liz made most of her money from sewing, and only on very infrequent occasions did she work the streets. After leaving the Queen’s Head Pub she was seen on Berner Street by labourer William Marshall at 11:45 pm. He saw her in the doorway of 63 Berner Street talking to a man. The man wore a short black cutaway coat and sailor’s hat. They had been kissing, and he overheard the man say to Liz, “You would say anything...but your prayers.” A phrase that has been long repeated in Ripper stories.

Dutfield’s Yard

A few hours later, at 1:00 am, local jewellery seller, Louis Diemschutz, attempted to enter Dutfield’s Yard off Berner Street. Diemschutz was travelling home, as he did every night, with his cart and pony. The pony had walked this route hundreds of times before. But on this night, the pony was frightened by something and pulled left of the middle of the road. Louis Diemschutz jumped out of the cart to see what was wrong. In the darkness of the night, felt around with his whip and felt a large bundle on the ground. He figured it was his wife, asleep drunk in the streets as she had done many nights before. He lit a match and made out the shape of a woman but couldn’t see her face

He led the pony in the darkness into the yard and went into a local club to get a lantern. But when he entered, he found his wife safe and sound inside. He took a lantern with him into the yard, and it was there he discovered Elizabeth Stride’s body. But unlike the rest of the victims, only her throat was cut, and her body was still warm. In the darkness of the night when Louis Diemschutz got off his pony, it’s safe to assume that Jack the Ripper was interrupted. It’s safe to assume that if Diemschutz had had a lantern with him, he would have come face to face with the killer.

The Ripper Flees

Having almost been caught in the act, Jack the Ripper fled the scene. But he couldn’t rest just yet. He didn’t finish the job, and in a mad lust for mutilation, he went to find another victim. And Jack knew just where to go. We walk now in his rushed footsteps towards Saint Botolph Without Aldgate church. No doubt Jack would have taken the back streets, but we will retrace our steps along Commercial street and head west along Whitechapel Road.

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Catherine Eddowes

Catherine Eddowes, a.k.a. Kate Kelly, was a scholarly woman of 46-years old but one who was possessed of a fierce temper. She entered into a partnership with Thomas Conway in 1862 when Eddowes was only 20 years old. But the two split in 1881 after having three children. Catherine got together with John Kelly shortly after her split with Conway, and the two were known to be a cheery couple.

In 1881, they moved into Cooney’s Lodging House at #55 Flower and Dean Street. Unlike the other women, Eddowes and Kelly had pretty steady jobs. During the summers would go to the countryside to go hop picking. Upon their return to the city in September 1888, they could not find any lodging houses for couples. Eddowes gave John Kelly some money to get himself a room in the men’s wards. Eddowes said she would head over to another lodging house on Shoe Lane to find herself a single bed.

Catherine Eddowes Arrest on September 30th

Eddowes went out but clearly found herself at the bar. At 8:30 pm on the night of the double event, Catherine Eddowes was found drunk by PC Louis Robinson during his rounds outside 29 Aldgate High Street. Eddowes lying in the streets and picked up by PC Louis Robinson, who took her into Bishopsgate Police Station. After sobering up, around 1:00 am, she was released.

Saint Botolph Without Aldgate

Bishopsgate Police Station is located much nearer to her lodging house than where her body was found in Mitre’s square. Which was far south of the police station. Catherine Eddowes made her way from the police station, 10-minutes down the road to Saint Botolph Without Aldgate church. Every night, 200 prostitutes would circle this church, as they could not be seen loitering. This church was once known as “prostitute island,” and it was one of the most notorious places for men to pick up prostitutes in the entire city. Catherine Eddowes knew this, and so did Jack the Ripper. On the run from Berner Street, Jack the Ripper would have made his way here to finish what he started with Elizabeth Stride.

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Saint James’s Passage

Catherine Eddowes was spotted at 1:35 am at the corner of Saint James’s Passage, which leads directly into Mitres Square. She was spotted by three separate men. But only one, Joseph Lawende, got a look at the man with whom she was speaking. 

A few rogue street lamps cast enough light on the scene for Lawende to see the couple. He never saw Eddowes’ face, as she had her back to him, but he could identify her by the clothing she was wearing. Lawende provided the police with a detailed description of the man. But only days later, he claimed that if he saw the man again, he wouldn’t recognize him. 

Jack the Ripper Spotted

At the time, Lawende told the police that the man he saw talking to Eddowes was around 30 years old, 5 foot 9 inches tall, with a medium build. The man had a fair complexion and a small fair moustache. He sported a reddish neckerchief, tied in a knot, wore a pepper-and-salt coloured, loose-fitting jacket. The suspect had on a grey, peaked cloth cap. Because Lawende saw this man with Eddowes just 15-minutes before her dead body was discovered means that Lawende would no doubt have seen the real face of the Ripper.

Mitre Square

Mitres square was enclosed by massive series of warehouses with only a few houses around the central courtyard. Warehouses contained valuable goods, and in an area as poor as Whitechapel, they were ripe for robbery. So privately paid police officers surveyed the areas every 15-minutes. They were rigorously monitored and would not have missed their patrol for fear of being fired. PC Edward Watkins patrolled the square at 1:30 am with nothing to report.

Mitres square was an advantageous spot for a murder. There were three separate entrances in and out of the courtyard. This meant even if Jack was caught in the act, he could escape without running into the witnesses. Perhaps Jack had been here before and already knew this spot well.

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Catherine’s Body is Discovered

At 1:45 am, PC Edward Watkins came back just as he had 15-minutes prior. But this time, he discovered Catherine’s horrifically mutilated body, found in the absolute darkest corner of the square. This means that the Ripper did all his dastardly work in the span of just 15-minutes. PC Edward Watkins reeled back by what he saw. Catherine Eddowes lay in a large pool of blood. Her clothes were pulled up over her waist, revealing her large stomach lacerations. Watkins ran to a nearby townhouse where a retired police officer worked as a night watchman. They quickly ran to get Dr. George William Sequeira from a nearby street to pronounce the woman’s death at 1:55 pm.

The officer found her on her back with her intestines drawn out of her body. A piece of her intestines was found several feet away from her body in an apparent dark design. This time the Ripper even smeared feculent matter over her body. He had brutally cut away at her womanhood, tearing the lower portion of her body to the point of it being unrecognizable. He even went so far as to stab her liver with an apparently pointed instrument and take a part of her kidney with him.

Her face was brutally mutilated, and some of the cuts went right down to the bone. Even her earlobes had been cut away. The scene proved to everyone that Jack wasn’t finished yet. And more than that, he was escalating the gruesomeness of his attacks.

The Autopsy of Catherine Eddowes

The coroner attested that “the perpetrator of the act must have had considerable knowledge of the position of the organs in the abdominal cavity and the way of removing them. It required a great deal of medical knowledge to remove the kidney and know where it was placed. The parts removed would be of no use for any professional purpose.”

The City of London Police

Catherine’s death in Mitres Square was important as it was located just inside the walls of the ancient City of London. Until now, all the murders had occurred in the jurisdiction of the London Metropolitan Police. But Mitres square was in the City of London. This meant the crimes now took on two sets of police. Inspector Edward Collard arrived from Bishopsgate Police Station and ordered an immediate search of the neighbourhood. Police spread throughout the city like wildfire to Jack on the run. They were instructed to even make door-to-door inquiries, yet Jack seemed to simply slip away into the night.

Goulston St

But as Jack seemed to evade police, he was in a rush that he left behind his only piece of evidence. We can follow his footsteps east along St Botolph Street, north up Middlesex Street, then turning right onto Goulston Street.

At around 2:20 am, when the body arrived at the mortuary, they noticed that a fragment of the woman’s apron had been ripped offer. Perhaps taken as a token for the killer. The police on patrol searched the streets, and this segment of the apron was found by PC Alfred Long along Goulston Street. He had previously searched the streets at 2:20 am and found nothing but at 2:55 am he discovered the apron. It was lying on the floor inside a doorway. The apron looked like it had been used to wipe away the blood, perhaps off the killer’s hands.

Because this piece of evidence ties us to Jack, it is interesting to consider why he would come this way. The streets to the east were cramped with many more residents who could have come upon him. He could have fled to the north where there were few police and more places to hide. The one major piece of speculation was that he was going home. Where he knew he could escape from the prowling hoards of police officers. This was a major break in the case as it seemed to solidify their theory that Jack lived locally.

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Mysterious Graffito

Once PC Alfred Long had discovered the bloody piece of apron, he thought there might be another victim close by. So he searched the area further. Above the doorway where he found the apron, he found a message scrawled in chalk which read, “The Juwes are the men that will not be blamed for nothing.” When other PCs came to the scene, there was a real sense of dread. If the graffito was indeed written by Jack it was sure to cause a newspaper sensation. Which was sure to stoke the fires of antisemitism already on the rise.

In perhaps one of the biggest mistakes in the case, the graffito was wiped away. In the hope of hiding it from the press. But this meant that the handwriting could not be analyzed and compared to the other letters the police had received. Today, you can head into the Happy Days Fish and Chip Shop to dine on some delicious food and study a miniature recreation of the graffito left behind that day.

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From Hell Letters

Until this point, the name “Jack the Ripper” had yet to enter the mouths of people around London. Many hoaxes and prank letters, some count up to 700, passed through the police department. But almost all were quickly dismissed as false. But on September 27th, one letter caught the interest of inspectors but, more importantly, the newspapers.

It read:

Dear Boss,

I keep on hearing the police have caught me, but they won’t fix me just yet. I have laughed when they look so clever and talk about being on the right track. That joke about Leather Apron gave me real fits. I am down on whores, and I shan’t quit ripping them till I do get buckled. Grand work the last job was. I gave the lady no time to squeal.

How can they catch me now? I love my work and want to start again. You will soon hear of me with my funny little games. I saved some of the proper red stuff in a ginger beer bottle over the last job to write with, but it went thick like glue, and I can’t use it. Red ink is fit enough, I hope, haha.

The next job I do, I shall clip the lady’s ears off and send to the police officers just for jolly, wouldn’t you? Keep this letter back till I do a bit more work, then give it out straight.

My knife’s so nice and sharp. I want to get to work right away if I get a chance.

Good Luck.

Yours truly

Jack the Ripper

Don’t mind me giving the trade name. Wasnt good enough to post this before I got all the red ink off my hands; curse it. No luck yet. They say I’m a doctor now. haha”

The letter was posted just a few days before the double murder. The part regarding “clipping the lady’s ears off” was particularly interesting as Catharine Eddowes’s earlobes had been so badly mutilated. The letter was also written in red ink with bloodstains, which could have been from one of his previous victims.

Saucy Jack

With almost no leads, the police thought they would release the letter to the public in the hopes of getting some help from the locals. Shortly after publishing this in the newspaper, another postcard came in that was of interest to the police. This one was also addressed to “the boss” and signed Jack the Ripper in the same hand as the previous letter. It read:

“I was not codding dear old Boss when I gave you a tip; you’ll hear about Saucy Jacky’s work tomorrow double event this time number one squealed a bit couldn’t finish straight off had not the time to get ears for police. Thanks for keeping the last letter back till I got to work again.”

Jack the Ripper.

The postcard was post-marked October 1st, the day after the double event. So whoever wrote it, if it wasn’t Jack himself, would have had to copy the handwriting very quickly to get the letter into the post box quick enough to fool the police.

The Workhouse

Continue walking north along Goulston Street, which turns into Bell Lane. On the northwest corner, we can find one of Spitalfields’ oldest workhouses. You can find two entrances around the corner, one with the words “women” carved above and the other with the words “men.” This was because the men and women were separated inside these workhouses.

Every day around 200 men and women people would queue up outside in the hopes of getting a free bed and meal for the day in exchange for 16 hours of hard, hard labour. The beds were coffin-shaped boxes and sometimes were shared between two or more people. The situation was so dire that if they ran out of bed, they would hang ropes to the wall and then tie people onto the ropes to sleep. This is where we get the term “hangers-on.“

Artillery Passage

Take a quick look down the Artillery Passage as this slice of the East End really is evocative of 1888s. And it is a rumour that this street was the exact location that ended up being the inspiration for Diagon Alley in Harry Potter.

13 Millers Court

The last spot on our tour was where Jack the Ripper committed his most heinous crime. But the building and street where this murder took place has since been destroyed. #13 Millers Court was located along Dorset Street, which ran east-west from Crispin Street to Commercial Street. But when the Corporation of London bought the Spitalfields Market in 1920, they demolished the north side of Dorset Street. This allowed them to expand the market into what is now the Fruit Exchange. But many of the side streets off Commercial Street can still evoke the feeling of what was once Miller’s Court. Take a walk down White’s Row, just behind the Workhouse. Walking along White’s Row you can even see the back of the buildings that would have faced into Miller’s Court.

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Dorset Street

In 1888, Dorset street was home to several pubs, artisan workshops and, of course, lodging houses. In 1898, George Duckworth said of Dorset street, “The worst street I have seen so far – thieves, prostitutes, bullies, all common lodging houses. Some called ‘doubles’ with double beds for married couples but merely another name for brothels. Women bedraggled, torn skirts, dirty, unkempt, square jaws standing about in the street or on doorsteps.“

Mary Jane Kelly

Mary Jane Kelly was the last and the youngest victim of Jack the Ripper. She was just 25 years old. Perhaps because of her young age, little is known about Mary Jane Kelly’s life. Anyone who knew her said she was a very kindly girl, and if she wasn’t in the liquor, she was a quiet woman. Most of the information we have about Mary Kelly comes from Joseph Barnett, her former lover. And anyone who has had a former lover knows that this information is bound to be slightly biased. She was married at the young age of 16, but her husband was killed in an explosion. After that, she went into prostitution to make ends meet and moved to London in 1884.

She began working in a high-class brothel in the West End as she was a pretty young thing. In 1886 she went to live in Cooley’s Lodging House in Spitalfield, where she met Joseph Barnett. The two tried to live a stable life without the prostitution. But, in September 1888, amid the Ripper murders, Barnett lost his job. With no money coming in, Mary Jane decided to return to the streets. Mary was a good-hearted woman and took a shine to the younger prostitutes she worked with. If they didn’t have enough money to pay for their rooms, she would invite them inside the room she shared with Barnett.

November 8th, 1888

This was the last straw for Barnett, and the two separated. The two tried to stay friends but it was obvious to everyone that Barnett had stronger feelings for Mary than she had for him. Interestingly, on the night of her murder, Barnett and Kelly fought loudly with each other. Their argument was heard by many of their neighbours. A window was broken and Barnett was seen storming out that night.

Hutchinson’s Account

On November 8th, 1888, Mary Kelly was known to be drinking at the Ten Bells Pub. She was seen with a woman named Elizabeth Foster until around 11:45 pm. Mary came home around 12:30 am when she was heard loudly singing outside her room. Causing quite the disturbance to the other residence. Around 2 am George Hutchinson sees Mary Kelly, and she asks him if he can lend her sixpence as she has fallen behind on her rent. He has nothing to spare, so she tells George Hutchinson that “I must go and find some money” and walks off in the direction of Thrawl Street.

Mary at the Queen’s Head Pub

Hutchinson watches Mary as she heads off to the Queen’s Head Pub, where she meets with a man. They stand together under the street light, and Hutchinson can make out a description of the man. He testified that he was 5′ 6″ or 5′ 7″ tall and about 35 or 36 years old. According to Hutchinson, he had a pale complexion, a slight moustache turned up at the corners, dark hair, dark eyes, and a “Jewish appearance.”

The man was wearing a soft felt hat pulled down over his eye and a long dark coat with a black necktie. He carried gloves in his right hand and a small package in his left. One can only wonder what was in this package. This was the last time Mary Kelly would be seen alive. And the man she was seen with by Hutchinson was doubtlessly Jack the Ripper.

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Mary’s Body Discovered

At 4 am that night, Elizabeth Prater, who lived upstairs from Mary Kelly, heard the cry of “Oh, murder!” But once more, since the cry of murder was frequently heard in the district, she paid no attention to it and went back to bed. People in bar fights and streets brawls would often cry out, “oh murder” to get more attention from local police so Prater simply thought it was a street fight.

The following day, John McCarthy, the lodging house owner, sends Thomas Bowyer to collect past due rent money from Mary Kelly. Bowyer knocks on the door, but there is no answer. Knowing there is a broken window, he reaches inside to push away the curtains to see if anyone is home. When he does, he is the first to glimpse what was left of Mary Kelly’s body. Upon seeing the walls painted in blood, and her lifeless body, he runs back to inform McCarthy.

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Inspectors Enter the Scene

The two go to the Commercial Street Police Station to let Inspector Walter Beck know of the murder. There was a very long delay between the time the body was found and the time the police entered the room. The police had been misinformed that bloodhounds were on their way. They hoped the hounds might be able to track the scent and find Jack the Ripper. But the hounds never arrived, and eventually, Superintendent Thomas Arnold took an axe to the door and entered the room.

The first person to enter the room was Inspectors Walter Dew and Walter Beck. Dew recalled in his memoirs;

“As my thoughts go back to Miller’s Court, and what happened there, the old nausea, indignation and horror overwhelm me still… My mental picture of it remains as shockingly clear as though it were but yesterday…No savage could have been more barbaric. No wild animal could have done anything so horrifying.“

Inside Mary Kelly’s Room

What they found would be a scene that none of the officers present could ever forget. Since this was Jack’s first murder indoors, he had plenty of time to do his dark work. No one would interrupt him, and he had clearly indulged in the opportunity. Her clothes were neatly folded on the chair, and her boots were even set in front of the fireplace as if they were put out to dry. Mary was lying naked on the bed. The whole of the surface of the abdomen and thighs had been removed. And the abdominal cavity emptied of its viscera. The uterus and kidneys with one breast was found under her head. The other breast by the right foot, the liver between the feet, the intestines by the right side and the spleen by the left side of the body.

The flaps removed from the abdomen and thighs were almost neatly folded on the bedside table. Her face was torn apart, leaving her all but unrecognizable as a human being. The tissues of the neck were severed cut down to the bone. But her eyes, they were preserved. Dew said, “…the poor woman’s eyes. They were wide open, and seemed to be staring straight at me with a look of terror.“

The Lasting Effect of Jack the Ripper

Although her gruesome death is unforgettable, it is seen as the last murder by the Ripper. Although there were several murders in the next few months which bared some similarities to the Ripper they were all ruled out as being done by the same man. To this day, only the five canonical women (Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly) are considered victims of Jack the Ripper.

Despite their grizzly deaths of these innocent women, they didn’t die entirely in vain. The deaths were reported widely in the paper, and it caught international attention. Newspapers as far off as New York City were reporting on the murders in Whitechapel. It drew attention to the fact that a city as prosperous as London could have such abject poverty contributing to the deaths of these innocents. People found it appealing to read about the conditions these unfortunate women lived in what they thought was a modern city.

A Change in Whitechapel

In fact, George Bernard Shaw was quoted as saying (in a tongue-in-cheek manner) that perhaps the murders were committed to for the sole purpose of bringing attention to the slums and to bring about social change. And not long after the murders, reform came to Whitechapel. The church of England and the Samaritans got involved and helped take young kids off the streets, so they didn’t fall into prostitution. They also provided more assistance for the poor in Whitechapel and Spitalfields.

Due to the lack of street lighting, Jack the Ripper could hide almost in plain sight. This resulted in the city investing more money into illuminating the dark alleys of the East End. Even today, cities find that installing additional lighting correlates with a crime reduction. Its easy to see how the deaths of the canonical five change Whitechapel foreer and their memories live on through the reform seen across the neighbourhood.

So Who was Jack the Ripper?

So who was Jack the Ripper? Unfortunately, no one knows. Even the FBI has investigated this case and still, no one suspect has ever been clearly identified as the killer. Many people think its the mystery that keeps people so interested in the story even all these years later. Everyone is hoping to solve the mystery, if not just for themselves.

White Hart Pub

To end our tour why don’t you head over to the White Hart Pub on Whitechapel Road. This is the location where one of the suspects in the case even worked as a barber back in 1888! It is an old-fashioned pub that provides the perfect atmosphere for discussions into the identity of Jack the Ripper. The police, detectives and investigators themselves would have spent night after night in pubs like this discussing the motives and mannerisms of this monster. And even Jack the Ripper himself might have been drinking one a few feet away from where they sat.

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The Suspects

Over 2,000 people were interviewed during police investigation in the 1888s. Upwards of 300 people were investigated, and 80 people were detained. Entire books have been written on the subject of the suspects who might have been Jack the Ripper. Although there are hundreds of conspiracies and suspects, there are a few clear front runners. These are the ones who many professionals and investigators stand behind as their chief suspects. Discuss amongst yourself over a pint of beer, or better yet, a glass of gin. See if you can all agree on your pick for the identity of Jack the Ripper!

The FBI Profile

In 1998, an FBI profile was compiled by John Douglas of the National Centre for the Analysis of Violent Crime. The findings can give an idea of the key aspects of the murderer, which are important in identifying the killer.

• He was a White male, aged 28 to 36
• He lived or worked in the Whitechapel area as he had extensive knowledge of the area.
• In childhood, there was an absent or passive father figure.
• The killer probably had a profession in which he could legally experience his destructive tendencies and wouldn’t be put off by the sight of blood.
• Jack the Ripper probably ceased his killing because he was either arrested for some other crime, died or felt himself close to being discovered as the killer.
• The killer probably had some sort of physical defect, which was the source of a great deal of frustration or anger and may have had a hatred of women for their treatment of him resulting from this defect.

Although the real killer might not have all these characteristics, they provide a good framework for ruling out or focusing on suspects.

The Royal Conspiracy

I’ll say right off the bat that the famous “Royal Conspiracy,” which was made famous in a 1976 book by Stephen Knight and popularized in the 2001 movie ‘From Hell‘, is out and out fiction. The theory goes that Prince Albert Victor, son of Queen Victoria and next in line to the throne, married and fathered a child of a local Whitechapel unfortunate. To cover up the secret marriage between the second-in-line to the throne, the queen employed freemason and retired notable physician Sir William Gull. Stephen Knight got the information for his book from a descendant of painter Walter Sickert. Sickert claimed that Prince Albert Victor was an apprentice under Sickert and told Sickert of the crimes. After the book was published through the family member admitted the story was nothing but a hoax. It does make for good fiction, though.

Seweryn Antonowicz Kłosowski

Seeing as we are drinking inside the White Hart pub, we should first talk about Seweryn Antonowicz Kłosowski, aka George Chapman. Seweryn Antonowicz Kłosowski was a Polish immigrant who came to London between 1887 and 1888. He changed his name to George Chapman to assimilate into the antisemitic neighbourhood of East London. He moved into the Whitechapel area and worked as a barber under Ludwig Schloski at this very spot on Whitechapel Road in 1888. Unlike some of the other suspects on this list, Kłosowski was undoubtedly a killer. Although his suspicion as Jack the Ripper is just that, suspicion. 

Kłosowski had multiple “wives” over the years, although he never married any of them legally. When his last “wife,” Maud Marsh, died in 1902, people suspected foul play. When her body was examined, they determined she had been poisoned to death. Police immediately began questioning Kłosowski, and they found that his previous two wives had also died under questionable circumstances. They were all exhumed, and their bodies examined. Each one of them had been poisoned with the same compound tartar-emetic as Maud Marsh. Kłosowski was hanged for his crimes in 1903. 

Frederick Abberline Top Suspect

But after this discovery, Ripper investigator Frederick Abberline began looking into Kłosowski as his serial killer. Famously, Abberline’s favourite suspect was indeed Seweryn Kłosowski. Abberline interview Chapman’s last wife (who somehow survived), who told Abberline some horrifying details about his now main suspect. Chapman married Lucie Badewski in 1889, and they had two children. Lucie told Abberline that while she was pregnant, Klosowski had attacked her and told her that he planned to kill her and cover up the crime. Lucie recalled that during the Autumn of Terror of 1888, her husband would frequently go out during the night for hours and come back just before dawn.

Klosowski’s Knife

Abberline also found out that Klosowski had lived in the United States in 1891. While he was there, he “married” another woman Lucy Klosowska. Klosowska recalled that one day Klosowski forced her down on the bed and began to strangle her, only stopping when he heard a customer enter their shop. When he got up to leave, Klosowska found a long knife under his pillow. He reportedly later told her that he had planned to behead her, even pointing out where he would have buried her and reciting what he would have said to their neighbours.

All of this seems poignant, yet many professionals have pointed out the biggest issue with Seweryn Kłosowski as the killer is that most serial killers do not change the modus operandi so easily. From brutal mutilation of random prostitutes to poisoning his wives. This, in addition to the lack of any hard evidence, leaves us only to wonder.

Aaron Kosminski 

Aaron Kosminski was another Polish-born Jew who proved to be one of the most popular Jack the Ripper case subjects. And in recent years, the complications around his involvement have only become more convoluted. Kosminski moved to Whitechapel in 1880. It is important to note that his father did not come with the rest of the family when they immigrated. 

Barber-surgeons in Victorian England

When Kosminski arrived, he started working as an apprentice barber. It’s important to remember that barbers in Victorian London did more than just cut hair. Barber-surgeons, as they were called, provided grooming services as well as performed dental extractions, bloodletting, cupping therapy, minor surgeries and occasional amputations. Meaning any barber would have some basic anatomical knowledge.

In 1888, Kosminski lived either on Providence Street or Greenfield Street, both of which addresses are close to the sites of the murders. Aaron Kosminski was a troubled man with paranoid schizophrenia. His insanity took the form of auditory hallucinations, a refusal to wash or bathe, and “self-abuse.” In 1890, Kosminski was placed in a workhouse due to his worsening mental illness. The deterioration of his mental state does also coincides with the end of the Jack the Ripper Murders. In 1891, Kosminski was institutionalized after he threatened a woman with a knife. He was held at Leavesden Asylum until he died in 1919.

Sir Melville Macnaghten’s Memo

Years later, in 1959, a memo from Sir Melville Macnaghten, the Assistant Chief Constable of the London Metropolitan Police, was discovered. The memo dated in 1894 named a few of Macnaghten’s top suspects, including a Polish Jew called “Kosminski.” Macnaghten noted that his Kosminski matched the description of the Ripper and was even identified as the Ripper by a witness. But the witness refused to testify against a fellow Jew.

The DNA Connection

In 2019, the Journal of Forensic Sciences published a study that claimed DNA from Kosminski and Catherine Eddowes was found on the shawl. This immediately sounds like a huge break in the case, but many people have dismissed these claims as unreliable. The shawl was bought at auction by an amateur Riiperologist who aimed to solve the case for himself. But the provenance of the shaw is very sketchy, to say the least. And the apparent DNA analysis is only tenuously linked to Kosminski and Catherine Eddowes.

In addition to the flimsy DNA analysis, Kosminski’s behaviour in the asylum is also at odds with a typical serial kill. He was described as harmless, and many psychological experts state that a killer like this would brag about his crimes. There is not a single piece of evidence to suggest he even knew about the crimes based on a discussion he had during his almost 30 years in the asylum.

Joseph Barnett

If you remember when we spoke about the final victim Mary Jane Kelly, you might recall the name Joseph Barnett. Joseph Barnett was the ex-lover of Kelly’s and is one of the more interesting suspects in the case. The theory goes that Barnett was obsessed with Mary Kelly and hated that she was prostituting herself to other men. When he read about the murder of Matha Tabram, he saw how visibly shaken up Mary Kelly was after the fact. Even giving up going out at night for a few weeks. But when Barnett lost his job as a fish porter and Mary returned to work, Barnett felt he needed to do something drastic.

Murder For the Love of a Woman

In an attempt to “scare” Kelly off the streets, Barnett went about his own murder press. My murdering not only prostitute but also people which Mary Kelly was proved to have known he felt this would entice he even further to give up the job for good. But on that fabled night in November 1888, when Barnett and Kelly fought in her apartment, it was perhaps made clear to Barnett for the first time that Kelly would never love Barnett the way Barnett loved Kelly.

In a jealous rage, he waited until the man she was with on the night of November 9th left and slipped inside, through the broken window he no doubt had smashed earlier and killed Kelly in a lover frenzy. The extent of her wounds suggested to many detectives of fury only a scorned lover or close contact could possess towards the victim. In addition to this, it was with the death of Mary Kelly that the ceased.

Barnett Fits the Profile 

Barnett fit the physical description of the Ripper very well. Joseph’s father died when he was six, leaving him without a strong father figure. Barnett was 30-years old, with a moustache, fair complexion, medium build and was about 5′ 7″. He also lived within a mile of Whitechapel his entire life. He would have had very detailed knowledge of the area. Barnett worked as a fish porter and undoubtedly was experienced in deboning and gutting fish, so the sight of butchering a woman wouldn’t be too much of a stretch. Barnett was also speculated to have had echolalia, a psychiatric disorder resulting in a speech impediment.

Despite all these glaring similarities to the FBI profile of the killer, Barnett was interviewed by police for only four hours after Mary Kelly’s murder. For one reason or another, they seemed uninterested in pursuing him as a prime suspect. I certainly can’t understand why the police wouldn’t have followed this lead further. In my opinion, he is my top choice for who I think was indeed Jack the Ripper.

But who do you think he was? Let me know in the comments!

I hope you enjoyed this tour and learned more about life in London in 1888, in addition to these dark tales of Jack the Ripper. 

Happy Travels, Adventurers!

Resources: Jack the Ripper.org | Casebook.org | WikiCommons

The post The Ultimate Self-Guided Jack the Ripper Walking Tour with Map first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

This self-guided walking tour will take you through the legends of Prague’s Mala Strana, or ‘Little Quarter.‘ Whether you believe in ghosts or not, these stories are a fun way to learn about the spirits that may still haunt Prague today!

Table Of Contents

1. Map of Walking Tour
2. The Ghosts of Charles Bridge
3. The “Good” Friday Turkey
4. Ghost of the Millers Daughter
5. Karbourek the Water Sprite
6. The Old Chapel of Mary Magdelene
7. The Nailed Woman
8. Petrin Hill
9. The Ghosts of Pohořelec
10. The Evil Countess of Černín Palace
11. The Bells of Loreto Sanctuary
12. Werewolf of Stag Moat
13. The Ghost of the Potion Seller
14. Vitus Spirit
15. Spirits of Golden Lane
16. Ghost Lady of White Tower
17. Knight of Daliborka Tower
18. Three Unhappy Ghosts
19. Ghost of the Obese Merchant
20. The Ghost with a Nail
21. Naked Cecilie

Map of Walking Tour

The Ghosts of Charles Bridge

John of Nepomuk

The Charles Bridge is undoubtedly the most famous location in Prague. Thousands of tourists walk across the cobblestone pathway every day. But upon the stones, they tread on some of the city’s darkest history. The Charles Bridge is perhaps most infamous for being the place where St. John of Nepomuk was martyred. John of Nepomuk had been the confessor of the queen of Bohemia. When the king demanded John divulge her secrets, he denied the king. Nepomuk could not break the sacred nature of holy confession, even for the king. The king was furious and condemned Nepomuk to death for his audacity.

Nepomuk was thrown from Charles Bridge into the Vlatava River, where he drowned. Ever since that moment, the bridge was thought to be cursed by the king’s evil doings. The bridge would continually collapse into the river. Even with the most modern construction technology, any attempt to prevent destruction ended badly.

The Cursed Bridge

The Kings of Bohemia didn’t know what to do. The bridge connected the two sides of the city together. It was a crucial access point for travellers. They couldn’t simply ignore this problem. One day, an ambitious young stonemason came forward, saying he could remedy the issue. But with all of his best efforts, the bridge continued to collapse. At his wit’s end, the stonemason was worried his failure would prove fatal. He had promised the king he would be the only one to finally solve this problem.

One night while at the construction site, the devil appeared in front of the stonemason and offered him an exchange. He would ensure the bridge would never collapse if the stonemason would sacrifice the first soul who crossed the devil’s bridge. The stonemason carefully agreed.

Once the bridge was complete, the stonemason wanted to ensure no unsuspecting soul was lost. And he certainly didn’t like the soul to be his own. So, thinking he could trick the devil, he went to the market to buy an animal. He hoped to force the animal to cross the bridge, so the devil would instead take the animal’s soul.

Stonemasons Sacrifice

But the devil wasn’t so easily fooled, and he saw what the stonemason was plotting. The devil disguised himself as an old woman and went to the stonemason’s house where his pregnant wife lived. The devil, dressed as the old woman, told the stonemasons’ wife that the mason had been severely injured on the bridge. In terror for her husband’s life, the wife ran to the bridge. Seeing him on the other side, she crossed it. When the stonemason looked up to see her running across the completed bridge, he knew it was too late.

The wife went into labour early, but the child would never see the light of day. She died in childbirth, and both the mother and son’s souls would have been lost forever to the devil. In horror and riddled with guilt, the stonemason threw himself into the river and committed suicide. But after that day, the bridge never collapsed again. The contract with the devil having been fulfilled.

The Heads of Charles Bridge

Another dark story from the bridge’s past relates to the massive Bohemian revolt of 1612. During this period, the Bohemian people fought against the Habsburg rule, starting the Thirty Years War. During the uprising in Prague, 27 leaders organized a rebellion against the Habsburg Emperor. Once their plot was discovered, they were executed; twelve were beheaded, and fifteen were hanged.

This was a shocking event for the Czech people. These executed men were not just any old thief or murdered, but were highly important; professors, noblemen, scholars, and businessmen. Their heads were placed in iron baskets on the Old Town Bridge Tower. They supposedly remained there for over a decade. This scene would undoubtedly have been one of the grimmest sights to see over ten years. And souls seemed to latch themselves to the bridge itself. Today, when crossing at night, see if you can spot any brave men’s ghostly figures.

The “Good” Friday Turkey

To the left of Charles Bridge, you descend down along the water’s edge. This part of a town seems packed with evil spirits, and an otherwise charming waterway has a rather nefarious name. They call it ‘Čertovka,’ which in English means the “Devil’s Stream.” The name is supposedly derived from a nearby house, which was called ‘U semi čertů‘ or “At the Seven Devils.” Along Čertovka, you’ll find remnants of an old medieval mill. This mill used the water along the canal to power it’s waterwheel in the 12th century. 

Fiery Turkey

As you pass by the old mill, listen closely to see if you can hear the eternal squawking of the “Fiery Turkey.” On one Good Friday evening, when all the good Catholics were obligated to fast, the weak-willed miller was hungry. He loved to eat meat and, most of all, turkey. Unfortunately, he also kept a turkey as a pet. In a fit of hunger, he killed and ate his friend. 

Shortly after finishing his sinful dinner, the miller had a gall bladder attack and died right there on the spot inside the mill. When the townspeople came to see what the racket was about, they found the miller dead, with his pet turkey standing upon his belly, cackling loudly into the night. Almost as a warning to those who would think of also breaking their fast.

Ghost of the Millers Daughter

It seems as though the mill itself is a powerful dark force as a myriad of other evil tales pop up in its history. Another miller who once lived here had a beautiful but vain daughter. Despite being born into relative poverty, all she dreamed of was becoming rich and powerful. She had an idea to get an invitation to the Gentlewomen’s Ball held every year at Lichtenštejn Palace. There, the young daughter imagined she would meet a rich man and marry him, ensuring her nobility. But despite all her father’s best efforts, he could not find a way to get her an invitation to the ball as a commoner.

At her wit’s end, the daughter made a deal with the devil. He agreed to give her an invitation to the ball in exchange for her soul. But even with this supernatural intervention, no one inside would dance or pay her any mind. She was still a miller’s daughter. This flagrant disregard and knowing what she had done to her soul for naught caused the daughter to fall into a fit of rage, and she was expelled from the palace by the guards. 

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Lichtenštejn Palace

The miller’s daughter never got over the ordeal and died inside the nearby mill in a state of madness. But the devil doesn’t forget, and her ghost is said to return to the Lichtenštejn Palace to do the devil’s bidding. People claim that they have seen her rude ghost chasing after young men during festive events, wailing as she goes. While she might simply pursue the men, she is outwardly violent towards young, beautiful, and mostly wealthy women. They represent everything she had been so desperate to have and sold her soul to achieve. She has been known to attack women, bite and scatch them until they can get away. She haunts the palace around midnight so keep your wits about you if you pass by around that time.

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Karbourek the Water Sprite

If you see a strange creature with his feet resting in the water asking for a beer, near the Devil’s Stream, you might have run into Karbourek, the Water Sprite. The sprite visited Prague hundreds of years ago. It was once a cheerful creature, indulging in drinks with other drunkards in Mala Strana. He was peaceful and kindhearted, and bartenders would leave him a glass of beer whenever they saw him. 

But as time has gone on and bars have closed or have forgotten the legend, the sprite has turned tasty. Karbourek lurks around in the river but will surface every so often when he gets thirsty for beer. Unless you have a drink to offer the creature, it’s best to stay away. If you spot the sprite and offer him a beer, he is known to reward those good samaritans with a pike or eel from the river. Karbourek has become so famous in this area that there is even a wooden statue created in his likeness on the mill’s edge.

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The Old Chapel of Mary Magdelene

Along Karmelitska Street, you’ll find the Czech Museum of Music, which is now home to more than one of Prague’s infamous ghosts. In the 17th-century, the building was originally the convent of St. Mary Magdalene. But this convent was home to some truly cruel nuns and one in particular. In life, this nun was in charge of taking children from their mothers. This started innocently enough. The nuns aimed to help unwed mothers give up their babies to find good, “proper” homes. 

Perhaps influenced by the darkness that lurked in the nearby Devils stream, the nuns were soon corrupted by greed. They began selling the children of these unwed mothers off into indentured servitude or workhouses and kept the money from themselves. They were known to host ostentatious and lavish parties with their earning. Their greed seemed unquenchable. Eventually, one of the cruellest of the nuns began tricking mothers into giving up their babies. If she was there during the birth, she would claim the baby was stillborn, even if it was not and then quickly sell the newborn off for coin. If that didn’t work, she would even resort to kidnapping children. 

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The Nun’s Ghost

When the nun finally died, her soul was damned forever, and her ghost still lurks these streets, unable to ever find peace. They say only children can see her, so if you spot a child speaking to no one, be sure to rush them away as her ghost is still known to spirit away children, never to be seen again.

In the 18th century, the convent was deconsecrated, and the building was used as housing for the poor. Many actors and actresses moved into the apartments as the rent was cheap and close to nearby theatres. One of these actresses is known better known as the “headless ghost of Mala Strana.” In life, she was one of the most beautiful women in Prague. Her husband was a jealous man and hated watching her performances filled with dozens of love-struck admirers. His jealousy reached a peak point when the actress courted a rich count after her show. When she came home, her husband promptly cut off her head in a resentful fit of rage. Now her ghost haunts the building, looking endlessness for her lost head, the source of all her beauty.

The Nailed Woman

Further along, Karmelitská Street is a wicked looking ghost known to stick her tongue out at affluent visitors. The story goes that the woman, Mrs. Kuliček, was once the wife of a great city. The two lived together on Karmelitská Street. Mr. Kuliček had made a good living as an official of public health while he was alive. But when he died suddenly, he left his wife with little money, save for their home. Mrs. Kuliček had no practical skills to speak of, as most women were just housekeepers. She was too old to remarry and quickly running out of money to keep the lifestyle she had become used to. 

Seeing no other option, Mrs. Kuliček turned their large apartments into a giant brothel. Since the house was located in a reasonably well to do part of town, it would garner higher-end clientele. But Mrs. Kuliček, now the establishment’s madam, wasn’t too decerning about who she let service the men inside the brothel. As the wife of a public health official, you would have thought she would have been more aware of women who carried disease, but Mrs. Kuliček cared only for money!

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Prague’s Brothels

One very wealthy man came and asked him to be greeted by a “pure” woman. Most brothel workers were plagued with “social diseases,” such as syphilis and gonorrhea. The madam took the man’s money anyway, tricking one of her employees into lying to the nobleman about her purity.

When the wealthy nobleman came down with syphilis a few weeks later, he was furious. Syphilis was incurable, and he knew he would die in a short matter of time. He broke into the apartments and tied the woman’s hands behind her back and nailed her tongue to the bedroom door to punish her “sinful tongue.” When he left, he hung a “quarantine” sign above the door so no one would enter and find the poor woman. She died inside of her wounds, a slow horrible death. If you see Mrs. Kuliček pass you by and stick out her tongue, look closely. You might be horrified to see that nail is still stuck right through her tongue!

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Petrin Hill

Head up Hellichova street, towards Petrin Hill and proceed up hillside pathway. This peaceful park is truly haunting at night when the sun goes down, and only a few lamps and the moonlight are there to guide your way. Petrin Hill, hundreds of years ago, was home to a pagan altar. Here, pagans would sacrifice young, beautiful virgins to their gods, burning them alive atop the altar. When Prince Boleslav came to power in Bohemia, his aim was to eradicate any of the remaining pagans who refused to convert to Christianity, despite being raised by a pagan mother himself. 

The Petrin Hill altar was destroyed, and a great Christian cathedral was even built nearby to further rub salt in the wound. But the ghosts of the pagans and those women burned alive still haunt the hill to mock Prince Boleslav. Self-contained fires are known to break out along the hill and burn mysteriously without any remains being found afterwards. Faces have been seen in the fires, laughing maniacally at the viewer. The fires last about 20 minutes, and then they disappear, so keep your eyes peeled as you go!

The Ghosts of Pohořelec

Along Pohořelec street, near Strahov Monastery, keep your eyes peeled for a headless ghost followed by a hound with someone curious in its mouth… This duo’s legend is a classic tale of greed and betrayal. A beautiful, young woman married an old, ugly but wealthy man. Soon after their marriage was official, the woman began plotting to kill her husband and steal his riches. He came home one day, and she took an axe to his head. But the man had had suspicions about her from the start, and when he died, she had found that the man had hidden all his gold. The woman died in poverty but came back as a hound who drags the headless man’s head around, taunting him into finally revealing the secret treasure’s location.

The Evil Countess of Černín Palace

Černín Palace was once home to one of the cruellest countesses Prague has ever known. Although she might not have committed any murders, her truly selfish and abusive behaviour towards her fellow citizens was abominable. Černín Palace, now home to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was built in the 1660s by diplomat Humprecht Jan Černín z Chudenic, the Habsburg imperial ambassador to Venice and Rome. Chudenic was incredibly vain and saw himself as more important than even the emperor. He built his palace in a location that was just higher up than Prague Castle, making his palace almost more grand than the royal court itself.

Chudenic was also a stingy man and refused to sign any contract or agree to pay until the work was finished. This was perhaps more common back in the day before labours laws were put in place to protect the blue-collar workers. But when Chudenic died, suddenly, there was no one left who had had contact with the construction crew and knew that they were owed a large sum of money. So, left with no other choice, the workers contacted a local medium who performed a seance to bring the spirit of Chudenic back from the dead. He was raised up and forced to sign the contracts from the beyond, so work on the palace could be finished, and the workers were finally paid. Perhaps this seance opened the door to the other world, and many speculate this connection was never properly closed.

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The Countess

Chudenics’ daughter became the countess of the palace. She was known to dramatically flaunt her wealth. She would bath in litres and litres of milk when milk was considered one of the most expensive imports. When the great famine of 1770 broke out in Bohemia, she had shoes made of bread that she would wear out on the town, to mock the starving peasants. Even the devil was shocked by her outright cruelty and sent nine of his demons through the open gateway to punish her. 

One night, as she danced down the halls of her ostentatious palace in her bread shoes, the nine demons dragged her to hell for neglecting those in need. People claim you can still hear her blood-curdling screams down the palace’s halls as she is forced to dance for eternity in those uncomfortable bread shoes. Her ghost is known mainly to visit at midnight when the palace is closed to the public. But even so, be warned; never dance with her as she will drag you both back down to the underworld.

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The Bells of Loreto Sanctuary

Across the street from the Černín Palace is the Loreto Sanctuary. Built in 1626, the Loreta Sancturay is a holy place of pilgrimage most famous for its clock tower and carillon. But before the church was built, legend has it that this site was once a pagan altar where one of the greatest pagan priestesses of Prague, Princess Drahomíra of Stodor, was sucked down into the netherworld. Like Černín Palace, this marked this site as a place where spirits are known to cross over.

27 bells in total were installed in the tower in 1694. A woman who lived nearby the church thought it exceptionally lucky as she had exactly 27 children. She named each of the bells after one of her children, the largest corresponding to her eldest child and each subsequent smaller bell to her other children. Legend has it during the great plague of 1713, the women’s eldest daughter fell ill to the disease. The mother went to the church in distress and placed one silver coin in the prayer box and prayed for her daughter’s life. As she sat there, the largest of the bells rang out, and when the mother got home, her eldest daughter was dead.

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The Bell Tolls

The same pattern continued for each of her children, one would fall ill, and she would go to the church, place a silver coin in the prayer box, and the bell corresponding to that child would die. This happened until all her children were dead. The woman was racked with grief, and when she lay dying in her bed, moments before she closed her eyes forever, all the bells rang at once despite no one being in the tower to ring them. Many locals believe this was her children calling their mother to heaven. Although this ghost story isn’t as macabre as the others, every time the bells ring, you can sense something otherwordly in the air.

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Werewolf of Stag Moat

Just outside Prague castle is a great park called the ‘Stag Moat.’ It is a natural ravine, which was a famous breeding ground for deer during the 17th century. However, the urbanization of the city has dramatically reduced the deer’s population. Although the park is only open in the summer season, standing on the bridge on the ramparts of Prague Castle is a beautiful place to take the scenery.

One of the legends of the Stag Moat is that of the werewolf of Prague. When Rudolf II ruled, he turned the moat into a wild animal menagerie. He kept deer, elk, wild boar and many birds inside the park so that his court could hunt in the grounds just across from their castle. But his tastes for the exotic got the best of him. Inside the park, he also kept lions and bears in cages with viewing platforms surrounding them so the court could come and observe them in captivity. One day, a few mysterious grey wolves were added to the menagerie.

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The Wolves of the Moat

The gameskeeper and his mute assistant looked after the animals as well as the new additions, the wolves. Right away, it was noticeable that the assistant took extra special care of the wolves. Despite not being able to speak with humans, the apprentice started to howl at night with the wolves. He was even seen sleeping in their pens from time to time. The gameskeeper came to work one day and couldn’t find his assistant but curiously, there were now three wolves in the cell where there had only been two before. The gameskeeper was puzzled but thought the only answer was that a lone wolf had perhaps come to find two of his lost pack members.

Soon after the third wolf arrived, the wolves ban to escape their pen at night and began attacking some of the other royal pets. Despite the gamekeeper trying to recapture them, they always manage to get out, almost as if they had grown fingers to open their cage. One day the wolves managed to find their way out of the moat and were never seen again. Rumours of attacks throughout the countryside were rampant. People said they had seen two wolves and a man with wolves’ bodies attacking animals and people all across the country.

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The Ghost of the Potion Seller

Another famous legend of Stag Moat is that of the ghost of the travelling potion seller. The lion master who worked in the menagerie was a cruel and greedy man. Rudolf II loved his lions and considered them one of his most prized possessions, so she spared no expense in their care. But instead of feeding the lions, the high-quality meat they were sent by the palace, the lion master sold the meat and kept the money for himself. Instead, he would feed the lions whatever rotten scarps he could put together.

One day, a poor travelling potion seller walked by the lion’s cages and collapsed in front of the lion master, begging for his help. Just a scrap of food was all he needed to get his strength back. But the lion master refused, and the man was dead in minutes. Seeing an opportunity, the lion master threw the poor potion seller into the cage, where the ravenous lions devoured him.

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The Potion Masters Ghost

The lion master returned the next day and saw the potion seller’s ghost standing in front of the cages. The lion master was terrified at spotting the spirit returning from the grave to haunt the sinful man. Riddled with guilt, the man hung himself from bars of the lion’s cages. Today, around the time when the lions would have been fed, you can still see the ghost of the travelling potion seller wandering the moat. Warning others to be kind to those in need.

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Vitus Spirit

There have been sightings outside St. Vitus cathedral of a ghostly figure looming over the building. In the 18th century, a soldier patrolling the grounds saw the white figure and approached it, thinking it was an intruder. The figure threw a handful of wheat at his feet and disappeared. The next day, another solider saw the same figure, and this time had a coin tossed down before the figure disappeared. On the third night, warned by the other two, the next soldier was on guard, and when the figure appeared, he shot it on the spot. This time, the spirit tossed the bullet that had been fired straight at him back at the soldier’s feet. The three items were thought to be an omen of the future three years for the city.

In the next year, the crops were plentiful. The year after, the city was flush with wealth from the sale of all that grain. But, in the third year, the Seven Years Wars began, and many of its citizens lost their lives. Just as the spirit had predicted, wheat a symbol of agricultural abundance, coins the symbol for wealth and the bullet a symbol for death and war.

Spirits of Golden Lane

Many people claim that Golden Lane is home to some guardian spirits, which were once tied to this area of town during the pagan era. Emperor Charles IV wrote in his memories that he had seen one of these creatures throw a golden cup across his table in the middle of the night. When he asked his staff about this vision, they all told him various stories of small creatures they had also seen around Golden Lane.

If you spot a black cat along this street, be sure to give it a kind stroke. This is said to be the spirit of a young girl who once lived with her father along Golden Lane. The poor girl threw herself off a bridge after her father had murdered her lover. It’s a classic tale of a young girl wanting to marry someone their family disapproves of. But this father took it a little bit too far by murdering her beloved.

Cats of Golden Lane

After the young woman found out about her lover, she threw herself off the nearby bride but returns to her father’s house along Golden Lane every night like a cat. Cats are a symbol of rebirth and resurrection, and perhaps this girl was granted another one of her nine lives. She haunts the street in the hopes of getting revenge on her father and searches for him in all the houses along the lane.

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Ghost Lady of White Tower

The White Tower in Prague Castle, located at the west end of Golden Lane, was used as a prison for noblemen since 1584. One of the most famous prisoners was Katerina Bechynova, the wife of the count of Karlstejn. After finally being arrested and charged with the murder of 14 people, she was brought to the tower. Most of the victims were young female serfs, which had been under her employment. 

Some people say the number was probably more like 30 people. She admitted to the killings and even admitted to torturing her serfs by cutting them with knives and pouring salt into the wounds. She was placed in the bottom of the tower and forced to starve, a slow agonizing death. Her angry ghost is known to haunt this tower and was seen almost right after her death. Curiously, only a few days after she died, the judge who sentenced her also died mysteriously, perhaps killed by the ghost herself.

Knight of Daliborka Tower

The other prisoner Tower in Prague castle is Daliborka Tower. This tower is slightly older, dating back to 1496 and was used as a prison until 1781. The first inmate, and the future ghost, was Dalibor of Kozojedy. Dalibor of Kozojedy was a brave knight of the realm. Seeing the plight of some rebellious serfs who had been made homeless, he invited them into his palace, where he hid and cared for them. Despite the knight’s kindness, this was considered a crime against the realm, as these serfs were “traitors.” Dalibor was arrested and placed in the newly built tower. 

While awaiting his trial, he was allowed to bring a few items with him to his prison cell as he was a noble prisoner. He brought with him a violin and started to learn to play it. He became a very skilled violinist as he had nothing else to do. People would even come to the tower to listen to his beautiful music. The people of Prague came to love his music and also believed he should be freed for his valiant acts. The court knew they had to execute him but did so in secret to avoid a public outcry. The public only knew that he had been killed when the music finally stopped. On some cold, silent nights, people claim to still hear his music play across the wind as it whips through the tower.

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Three Unhappy Ghosts

At #20 Valdštejnská Street, marked by a golden sun symbol, you might see the “Three Unhappy Ghosts of Prague.” Although they are most known to frequent the streets at Chrismas time, there is always a chance you might see them out during other times of the year. The story goes that a loving couple named Lubomír and Klára lived in this apartment once upon a time. But in 1914, when war brought out, Lubomír was sent to the front lines. Soon after he left for Translyvania, Klára received a note saying that her husband had been killed in battle. She was devastated and mourned for a year but soon fell in love with a new man, Vojtěch. Vojtěch was a coward and of poor health and was not seen fit to go off to war. He moved into the house, and the two lived happily together once more.

Klara’s Ghost

But one day, Klára answered the door to find her husband standing there in front of her. Apparently, some wires had gotten crossed, and Lubomír wasn’t dead at all but had been severely injured and had been in hospital this entire time. His face was pale and white, and his body frail from being in bed for so long. He looked so ghastly Klára thought he was a ghost. She screamed and fled, but in her shock, crashed into a shelf in the kitchen, which fell on top of her, and she was crushed to death. Lubomír was appalled to see his wife flee but even more shocked to see Vojtěch inside the house in his pyjamas.

Vojtěch, seeing his new wife dead on the floor, lived up to his reputation and fled as well. But he also tripped running up the stairs and fell, breaking his neck. Lubomír, who had a reputation of having a bad temper, thought for sure he would be blamed for their deaths and shot himself there in the hallway. Today the three ghosts bicker as they walk the streets of Prague, arguing about who is Klára’s rightful husband and who is responsible for their deaths.

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Ghost of the Obese Merchant

Lookout along Valdštejnská street for a sad-looking obese man, who wanders these streets aimlessly. He is known as the “Ghost of the Obese Merchant.” In life, the wealthy merchant would gorge himself every night, even though hundreds of people were starving to death around him. He was known to come into the pub and order three or four meals all to himself. 

One night a poor young beggar went into the pub and asked if the merchant might think of sparing just a bit of his food to share with the beggar. The merchant laughed in his face, and the beggar left. Furious, the beggar cursed the man that he would eat until he exploded. Which is what they claim happened. That he blew up right there in the pub. However, I think its more plausible to imagine his stomach was what exploded, not himself entirely. Today his ghost haunts the streets, trapped in his uncomfortable, obese body. His soul will only be freed when a poor, homeless person will pity him and share some of their food with the ghost.

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The Ghost with a Nail

Along Tomášská Street, there was once an old locksmith’s workshop. The locksmith was old and well off but lonely. One day, a man came to the locksmith and offered up his young daughter for marriage. He was desperate to get rid of the girl and thought this would be a good match. The locksmith agreed, as did the girl. She wasn’t pleased about the match but was happy to get out of the house and move on with her life. She figured the old man wouldn’t live too long anyway, and soon she would inherit his wealth and would be able to remarry. 

The locksmith took on an apprentice, for whom the young wife took a liking to immediately. That winter, a flu epidemic struck the city of Prague. When people heard that the locksmith had died, they thought nothing of it as so many others had fallen ill to the disease. Nor did they make a fuss when the young woman remarried his apprentice; people merely thought of it as a good match as the two had spent so much time together and were most likely in communal morning. 

Burials in Prague

When people were buried in Prague hundreds of years ago, their families had to pay a yearly fee to keep them underground. If you didn’t pay up, the body was dug up, thrown in a mass grave, and someone new would take that grave spot. When the young wife was sick of paying for her dead husband’s grave, he was dug up, but upon seeing his body, the gravediggers noticed that he had a huge nail stuck right into his head! No doubt what had really killed him. In the clamour of collecting bodies during the epidemic, no one had thought to check if this old man had indeed died of natural causes. The young apprentice and his wife were arrested and hung for their crimes. The ghost of the locksmith still wanders Tomášská Street and is most notable for the giant nail, which still sticks out of his head.

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Naked Cecilie

The last ghost we will search out for tonight is Cecilie, who goes by the name “Naked Cecilie.” Cecilie married Mr. Vondřich, a well to do government clerk who lived on Sněmovní street. One night he came from work early to surprise his beloved wife with a bottle of wine and some delicious cheese. When he walked in the door, he found her naked in bed with a young dandy.  

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Mr. Vondřich flew into a blind rage and stabbed the dandy to death with his cheese knife. Cecilie was horrified and jumped out the window; she forgot to put on any clothes in such haste. She ran onto the streets of Sněmovní street, still stark naked. It was a brutally, cold and windy winter’s night, and everyone had their windows and doors shut tight. She ran around, knocking on doors to see if anyone would let her in and escape her rageful husband. But everyone who heard the knocks at the door simply thought it was the wind, and she was left out in the cold.

The next day, the city guards found her frozen to death in the centre of the road, clutching her naked form. Cecilie still walks the street, trying to cover her nude body, hoping that a kind husband will offer up his coat to hide her shame. Only then will hear soul be finally freed.

This brings us to the end of the tour. I hoped you enjoyed the stories you heard tonight. Whether you are a believer in this sort of stuff or not, I hope you found something exciting about walking the streets of the Little Quarter at night when this part of the city takes on an entirely different atmosphere and air of mystery.

Happy travels, Adventurers!

The post Free Ghost Tour Of Prague’s Famous Mala Strana District first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Table Of Contents

1. Map of the Ghost Tour
2. The Ghost of the Burgomaster
3. Headless Horseman
4. The Ghosts of Charles Bridge
5. The House of the Savages
6. The House of the Three Standard Bearers
7. House at the Golden Well
8. Mad Barber
9. Treasures of the Klementinum
10. Platnéřská's Iron Knight
11. The Three Roses of Rott's House
12. The House of the Two Golden Bears
13. Devil at the Kinský Palace
14. The Old Woman of Týn Church
15. The Odd Couple of Celetná Street
16. Begging Skeleton
17. One-Armed Thief of Basilica of St. James
18. House of Death

Map of the Ghost Tour

The Ghost of the Burgomaster

At the end of Národní street, on the edge of the old town, is the Church of St. Martin in the Wall. This site was the location of many medieval executions. One of the most famous stories is of the careless burgomaster. The burgomaster was the chief magistrate of Prague. One day, the burgomaster left Prague’s town seal on the floor where his young child picked it up. The child then dropped it into his bath. Once the child was done bathing, his wife unknowingly dumped the water into the gutter. The seal falling out the window.

A citizen walking home discovered the seal thrown away into the trash. People were outraged, as doing this was seen as an insult to their great city. Their anger was so fired up that the burgomaster was executed on this very spot. Today, his ghost can be seen scolding people who suffer from the same carelessness, which brought about his death. So be sure not to drop anything while walking on this site! Or you might just get a fright from the burgomaster himself.

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Headless Horseman

If you find yourself on Liliová Street around midnight, keep your eyes peeled for the Headless Horseman. Once a highly regarded templar knight, the man was executed for being a traitor to the realm. But somehow, his spirit latched itself to the labyrinth of streets around the old town. Specifically on Liliová Street, near the Monastery of St Lawrence, where he was beheaded.

The headless horseman rides a magnificent white steed and carries his head in his hands. Legend has it that the knight is doomed to roam the streets of Prague. He will wander until a brave soul can stab the knight through the heart and end his suffering for good. Keep an eye out for him as he has been known to kick drunken tourists as he rides by.

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The Ghosts of Charles Bridge

The Charles Bridge is undoubtedly the most famous location in Prague. Thousands of tourists walk across the cobblestone pathway every day. But upon the stones, they tread on some of the city’s darkest history. The Charles Bridge is perhaps most infamous for being the place where St. John of Nepomuk was martyred. John of Nepomuk had been the confessor of the queen of Bohemia. When the king demanded John divulge her secrets, he denied the king. Nepomuk could not break the sacred nature of holy confession, even for the king. The king was furious and condemned Nepomuk to death for his audacity.

Nepomuk was thrown from Charles Bridge into the Vlatava River, where he drowned. Ever since that moment, the bridge was thought to be cursed by the Kings evil doings. The bridge would continually collapse into the river. Even with the most modern construction technology, any attempt to prevent destruction ended badly.

Kings of Bohemia

The Kings of Bohemia didn’t know what to do. The bridge connected the two sides of the city together. It was a crucial access point for travellers, they couldn’t simply ignore this problem. One day, an ambitious young stonemason came forward, saying he could remedy the issue. But with all of his best efforts, the bridge continued to collapse. At his wit’s end, the stonemason was worried his failure would prove fatal. He had promised the King he would be the only one to finally solve this problem.

One night while at the construction site, the Devil appeared in front of the stonemason and offered him an exchange. He would ensure the bridge would never collapse if the stonemason would sacrifice the first soul who crossed the bridge to the devil. The stonemason carefully agreed.

The Devil and the Bridge

Once the bridge was complete, the stonemason wanted to ensure no unsuspecting soul was lost. And he certainly didn’t want the soul to be his own. So, thinking he could trick the devil, he went to the market to buy an animal. He hoped to force the animal to cross the bridge, so the devil would take the animal’s soul instead.

But the devil wasn’t so easily fooled, and he saw what the stonemason was plotting. The devil disguised himself as an old woman and went to the stonemason’s house where his pregnant wife lived. The devil, dressed as the old woman, told the stonemasons’ wife that the mason had been severely injured on the bridge. In terror for her husband’s life, the wife ran to the bridge. Seeing him on the other side, she crossed it. When the stonemason looked up to see her running across the completed bridge, he knew it was too late.

The Tales End…

The wife went into labour early, but the child would never see the light of day. She died in childbirth, and both the mother and son’s souls would have been lost forever to the devil. In horror and riddled with guilt, the stonemason threw himself into the river and committed suicide. But after that day, the bridge never collapsed again. The contract with the devil having been fullfilled.

Great Bohemian Revolt

Another dark story from the bridge’s past relates to the great Bohemian revolt of 1612. During this period, the Bohemian people fought against the Habsburg rule, which ended up starting the Thirty Years War. During the uprising in Prague, 27 leaders organized a rebellion against the Habsburg Emperor. Once their plot was discovered, they were executed; twelve were beheaded, and fifteen were hanged.

This was a shocking event for the Czech people. These executed men were not just any old thief or murdered, but were men of high importance; professors, noblemen, scholars, and businessmen. Their heads were placed in iron baskets on the Old Town Bridge Tower. They supposedly remained there for over a decade. This scene would undoubtedly have been one of the grimmest sights to see over ten years. And souls seemed to latch themselves to the bridge itself. Today, when crossing at night, see if you can spot any ghostly figures of these brave men.

The House of the Savages

At #7 Řetězová street, now the Café Montmartre, look at the middle of the building’s facade. Up there you can make out a significantly faded mural painted in the center. See if you can make out the image of two men dressed as “savages”. This mural gave the building its nickname, the “House of the Savages“.

In the late 18th century, the story goes that the building was a famous cabaret theatre. It was known for their obscure, sometimes macabre acts. The most notable performance at the time was the “two savages.” A famous Czech producer had found these men in the Americas and called them “savages.” He claimed they had been cannibals in their home country, and he would bring them onstage where, dressed in native feather headdresses and rags, where they ate live birds and animals on stage. As disgusting as the acts were, they were popular with the rowdy crowds.

Man and Animal

They were one of the most popular acts in town until one day, while the show was going on, a man in the audience stood up and shouted at the so-called “savages.” The man recognized the two, not as savages, but as two petty thieves who had been run out of his town for their crimes. The audience began to laugh at the two men, seeing how depraved they had to sink to get work with their low reputation. They ran out of the theatre, but they were cursed to be laughed at in humiliation for eternity for their crimes against man and animal. Some people say walking along this lane if you listen on a quiet night, you might still be able to hear the laughter.

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The House of the Three Standard Bearers

At #12 Husova Street, you’ll find a building with the image of three flag-carrying soldiers painted on the facade. This building goes by the name ‘The House of the Three Standard Bearers.’ The story of the three soldiers is a sad tale. The three men were best friends who all got assigned to a different regiment in the war of 1730. They all agreed to meet back here at this pub after the war was over.

Two of the men returned and waited for the third. But after the first day of waiting, they assumed the worst. They were good friends and continued to wait for the third man, until one day, they saw him walking down the street, but this time, he looked much different. He had returned to them indeed, but not as a living creature, but as a ghost, damned to walk eternally on the earth as he had wanted to keep his promise to his friends.

Our Lady of the Snows Church

But he came with a warning. He told the two men that they would follow him to the grave in less than a year. Thinking the ghost was warning the men of another war, they left the army and became monks at Our Lady of the Snows Church near Wenceslas Square. But, there is no running from death, and the two monks later died that year from causes unknown. They are immortalized here on The House of the Three Standard Bearers, reminding citizens there is no escaping your fate.

House at the Golden Well

On Karlova road where it forks into two diverging streets, stands the old Hotel Aurus. This was once better known as the ‘House at the Golden Well‘. It was called this because the well at the bottom of the building always seemed to have a strange golden glow to it. The golden hue seemed to suggest that there might be some treasure down just below the surface. But anytime someone went to check, they came up empty-handed.

Although no treasure was ever found, the glowing water brought to the surface humanity’s greed. One day, a housemaid was down in the basement, and the glow seemed to draw her in, and before she knew it, she had fallen into the water. Her cries drowned out by the stream, and there she died. The master of the house found her body and was forced by law to drain and clean the well as cholera and plague were rampant and dead bodies floating in well water was a great way to spread disease. While cleaning out the well, he found a few gold coins and rejoiced at his good fortune.

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Searching for the Coins

But little did he know, by keeping these coins he would be haunted by the ghosts spirit for eternity. The maid would haunt his hallways every night, dripping wet, wailing and the sound of her cold chattering teeth echoing through the halls. They say that until one of those original coins is placed back into the well, her ghost will remain here forever. People say you can still hear her cries on silent nights echoing across the street.

A book was written about this very house in 1891, called the “Witch of Prague,” and tells the tale of a witch whose search for immortality lead her to the city. The book claims she was the one who controlled that unnatural glow of the water and would seduce men to its brilliance, drowning them and claiming their souls for her own. Using their souls to feed her immortal life.

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Mad Barber

Continue down Karlova street to the building, which now houses Tourist Information. This was once the home of the Mad Barber. The barber lived here with his wife and two daughters. Being a barber on Karlova street meant lots of customers came through on their pilgrimage to Prague Castle.

But the barber was greedy, and his hunger for money was unsatiable. He turned to black magic and occult practices to achieve his final goal, of discovering the Philosopher’s Stone. This substance could turn any base metal into gold and therefore produce unending riches! The barber, who had previously been pretty well off, wasted all his savings into the study of black magic, only to be conned by charlatans. His daughters were forced into sex work to pay the rent. Their mother jumped from the roof of the house after seeing the dissolution of her family pride. The barber went mad from the loss of his family and, after his death, was said to have been damned to walk the streets of Karlova for eternity as punishment for his sins of greed.

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Treasures of the Klementinum

The Klementinum is a large complex of buildings with a Baroque library, observation tower, courtyards, churches and a Mirrored Chapel right beside the Charles Bridge. Initially, the building was a Jesuit college built in the 16th century. When Pope Clement XIV came to power, one of his first orders was to dissolve these orders and take the wealth they had amassed.

The Jesuits at the Klementinum had a considerable wealth of gold and treasure. They hoped that perhaps after the reign of Clement XIV passed, the Jesuits could come back to power. So they came up with a plot to hide their treasure behind a false wall in the Klementinum until their return. The Jesuits hired a bricklayer to get the work done as they were not skilled in construction.

The Bricklayer

In order to ensure the bricklayer didn’t steal the treasure for himself, the Jesuits blindfolded the man and put him in a carriage which drove him for miles are town to confuse him. He was blindfolded up until the point he reached the place where the walls were to be made. The Jesuits paid him more than handsomely for his work and told him that he would be cursed if he ever were to reveal where the treasure was hidden.

Many years went by, and soon rumours of the Jesuits’ treasure were floating through the city. A considerable reward was posted for anyone with knowledge of the hidden chamber. Seeing an opportunity to make more money, the bricklayer went out and told the city council about what he had done that night. The council rushed the man to the now-abandoned Klementinum, but they couldn’t find anything even with the bricklayer’s help. Soon after, the bricklayer went blind, and when he died, his soul was cursed, just as the Jesuits had warned him it would be. Today they say he still walked the halls of the Klementinum, blindly searching for the treasure.

Platnéřská’s Iron Knight

On the corner of Prague’s City Hall is a vast black statue, called the “Iron Knight.” In reality, his name was Jáchym Berka, who served King John of Luxembourg. He was known as the Iron Knight because of the black armour he always wore. The knight was a rageful man, which made him a great fighter, but not a great lover. After a long stint away at war, he came home to rumours that his fiance had been unfaithful to him. In a jealous rage, he tore through the streets of Prague to find her.

She lived here on Platnéřská street with her father, the blacksmith, who made the knight’ iconic black armour. When the knight found her, he stabbed her to death without a word. The woman, who had been entirely faithful and only subject to unproven gossip, cursed the knight as she lay dying in his arms. The knight turned to stone after she closed her eyes for the last time. For years, the stone statue stood in this square as a warning to anyone who would seek to murder someone based on rumour alone. Legend has it that the knight’s soul is still trapped within the stone, and once every hundred years, if a virgin pure of heart bestows a kiss upon the knight, he will finally be freed from his stone prison.

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The Three Roses of Rott’s House

Above the touristy Hard Rock Cafe is one of the most beautiful exteriors in the Old Town Square. The name “V. J. Rott” is painted on the facade surrounded in the most elaborate vegetal patterns. The building dates back to the second half of the 12th century when a wealthy merchant lived here with his three daughters, represented by the three white roses on the top of the building.

The three daughters were pure as white roses and goodly children. But they were sheltered from the world, as most girls were in medieval times when finding a man to marry was their only duty. But before the daughters could be married off, their parents died, leaving them with a large inheritance but no common sense as to how to spend it. They bought clothes and jewels and became arrogant and vain. No one in town had any interest in marrying them, for they had the awful personalities.

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The Mystery Man

One day a man from a far off land arrived and wooed the eldest daughter. He told her he was a prince of the far off country, where she could rule by his side in his mountain top castle. The eldest daughter agreed, and they were married. She left with the mysterious man and took her share of the inheritance with her. The other sisters didn’t hear anything from her again, but that was not that odd for the time as communication across long distances was difficult and unreliable.

Soon, another man from another foreign land arrived and promised a similar fate to the middle daughter. She followed her eldest sister’s fate, married him and took her money with her. Finally, it was the third daughter’s turn. When a third foreign prince came to greet her at the House of the Three Roses’, she jumped at the opportunity to not be alone inside this big mansion, having been abandoned by her other sisters. The youngest daughter sold the house and took the money from the sale with her as she left Prague with the mysterious prince.

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The Fool

No one ever heard from the girls again. But soon, local merchants began telling the tale of one trickster who had married three daughters from Prague. The same man returned to this house three times, fooling each simple sister into marrying him. But there was no castle or far away land. After they married him, he whisked them out to the forest, where he murdered the girls and kept their money. The girls are known to return to the house as ghostly figure. Wishing they had never left, coming back to repent their sins of vanity.

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The House of the Two Golden Bears

The House of the Two Golden Bears on Kožná Street dates back to 1403. Today, this house is filled with bricked up archways and walled up rooms. Where did they once lead? And what is hidden behind them? No one knows…

The two bears’ image on the building’s front entrance is thought to represent the big and little dipper, as this building was once a place where dark magic was practiced. The representation of the stars refers to the astrology practiced here, a popular practice for members of the occult. It was a commonly known rumour that there were underground passageways all over the city of Prague. But what dark accesses were so evil they needed to be locked away, behind brick walls? Or what were they trying to hide? In 1930 a journalist ventured down into one of the blocked tunnels and didn’t reappear for over a week. He had gotten lost in the labyrinth below. When he finally resurfaced, he wouldn’t speak of what he saw, but his dark hair had turned bright white from freight.

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Devil at the Kinský Palace

Kinský Palace stands in the Old Town Square and is one of the largest
and most ornate buildings in the area. But its construction came at a high price. The rich count building Kinsky Palace wanted to build a mansion as large as possible. But the site upon which he had decided on didn’t allow for the massive floorplan he had devised. The count went about bribing several city councillors to allow the house’s foundation to creep into the town square, which was unheard even for the time. The councillors agreed to the bribe and thought that would be the end of the story.

The size of the construction was hidden behind a scaffolding wall. Until one curious townsperson peaked through and noticed how close the building would be to the square. He went to the city hall to complain about the huge house which would encroach on the towns square, which belonged to the people and not the count!

The Three Councillors

The mayor and other angry councillors summoned the count to court. But the count simply provided the signed permits he had received from the councillors he had bribed. Furious at their misuse of their office, the three councillors were sentenced to death. The count, however, suffered no punishment.

One of the councillors’ daughter ran to the town hall to plead for her father’s life but found no one there. She ran to the construction site to perhaps talk to the count and see if he could save her father’s life. But, in her haste, as she entered the construction site, she fell into the pit dug for the foundation and died.

Conscutrion workers were terrified to find her dead body and ended up burying her in the basement to cover up the story. The construction job had been plagued with problems until the young women’s death. The workers recalled an old legend stating that if you sacrificed a soul to the devil, your building’s construction would be effortless and stand the test of time. Perhaps without knowing it, this girl had fallen into the hands of the devil. Still to this day, people have been known to see her ghost running through the Kinský Palace halls, begging for her father’s life.

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The Old Woman of Týn Church

If you visit Prague in the winter and see a snowfall being cleared away on the Týn Church’s steps, you might have spotted the Old Woman of Tyn‘s ghost! Years ago, an old sexton was in charge of the maintenance and care of the Týn Church and its priests. He was a dedicated sexton, who was beloved by all those in the city. To save an old spinster who had been caught up in a scandal from being cast out of the town, the sexton married her. But shortly after they were married, he realized she was worthy of many of those scandals and wasn’t the nicest woman. But he was so busy with his job he, for the most part, took no notice.

Years later, when the sexton grew old and feeble, he fell ill and could not care for the priest or maintain the church. He asked his wife to handle his duties, as she had up until then had a life of nothing but ease and for this once, could she simply help the sexton out? She agreed, but instead of doing her duty, she pocketed the money for the church maintenance and food for the priest. She fed the priest nothing but old dishwater and scraps. When it snowed, she would ignore her duties to sweep the front steps and let it ice over.

The Ghost of the Tyn Church

When the feeble priest was walking into the church one morning, he slipped on the ice, hit his head on the ground and died. Soon after this happened and knowing the excellent sexton was too ill to work, the public knew it was the old spinster who was responsible. She was thrown out of town and died years later, homeless yet repentant for what she had done. These days; her ghost is still seen sweeping the snow off the church steps in the winter, endlessly trying to repent for her sins.

The Odd Couple of Celetná Street

On the corner of Celetná, look for two ghostly figures, one an old monk, the other a sultry woman of the night. Years ago, Celetná Street was a popular spot to find sex workers. One such woman would stand on this corner and flash passers-by, hiding her naked form under a large coat, in the hopes of seducing them to take part in some fleshy delights.

One day, the woman saw an old monk walking down the street and thought it would be amusing to flash him as he went by. When she did so, the monk was so shocked at the sight, never having seen a naked woman before, and attacked her with his crucifix. He bludgeoned her so severely she died right there on the spot. Shocked at what he had done, the monk gave himself such a freight, his heart stopped, and he died alongside the very woman he had killed. This odd couple, somehow bound together in death, is still seen wandering the street together, hand in hand.

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Begging Skeleton

If you plan on seeing the next ghostly figure, you might need to stop into one of Prague’s famous beer halls before you do so as this ghost only appears to those who are drunk! Many years ago, a very tall young man worked near the Karolinum, which was a medical facility. The man was almost inhumanly tall. A professor of anatomy who worked in the medical hall became obsessed with the young man.

One day, the professor asked the young man, named Vincent, if he could purchase his skeleton – after his death, of course. He paid Vincent upfront a considerable sum for the rights to his skeleton after his death. Vincent, being a poor man, who hadn’t ever seen this amount of money before, set out right away for the pub and drank himself to death. The professor happily collected his body the next morning, surprised at how fast the deal had been done but happy to get the specimen he desired. The tall skeleton is now seen walking the street around the Karolinum, begging for money to repurchase his skeleton from the professor, which would perhaps release his soul from his eternal torment.

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One-Armed Thief of Basilica of St. James

While visiting the Basilica of St. James, be sure to walk inside and look up to the right upon entering. There, hanging from the ceiling is a petrified arm bone. The legend goes that one day, a thief snuck into the church and waited until the priests left for the night and locked up. Now, alone in the church, he went about stealing all the precious items inside—everything from the priest’s vestments and sacred relics were placed inside his bag.

Approaching the Virgin Mary statue, to steal a piece off her alter, the figure of Mary came to life and grabbed onto the thief’s hand. She would not let go. The thief tried and tried, but couldn’t pry the stone hand off of his own. With dawn approaching and knowing he would be caught once the priests returned, he cut off his hand and fled the scene. When the priests came in in the morning, they discovered the thief’s severed hand on the flood of the church, beside the statue of Mary. Who curiously had a drop of blood on her stone fingers. Ever since the arm bone has been put on display to dissuade any potential thieves. With his one missing arm, the thieves’ ghost still wanders the street outside, in the hopes of retrieving his lost arm.

House of Death

Dlouhá třída is an old street in Prague, which was once one of the city’s most high-class residential areas. It was established in the 10th century, and its curving path led right into the Old Town square. Although the place is now possessed by tacky tourist bars and souvenirs shops, there is a real haunting to be found at #923/5 Dlouha.

One day a wealthy couple moved into the house to start their family. They gave birth to a beautiful baby boy and were thrilled upon his delivery. One day, the maid had left the window in the boy’s nursery open, as it was an incredibly hot day and she wanted to get some fresh air for the child. When the mother came inside she saw that the baby was gone! They looked all over and had disappeared, stolen from the open window. The mother ran to the city guards, who had been alerted to a group of vagabonds who had been causing trouble in the marketplace nearby. A search group was sent out, even supported by the city’s army, but the child was never found.

Dying of a Broken Heart

The father of the child died young, perhaps of a broken heart. Years wore on, and one day, the mother, now a widow, was renting out the large house to help with expenses. A young man, new to Prague, moved into the house. Soon, a romance developed between the two, despite their considerable age difference. The boy had come to Prague in search of his family. He had found out he had been kidnapped as a young child and was in Prague searching for his kidnappers, in the hopes they would reveal to him the identity of his parents.

Well, you might see where this is going, but once he found the kidnappers, they revealed to him that his mother was, in fact, now his wife. At the time, incest was one of the most reviled sins, and even though they had married unknowingly, both of them were executed right in front of the house. For years, a painting of the event was etched above the door, no doubt making it hard to rent out. In 1680 a man moved into the haunted house. He soon became the first patient to die of the plague that ravaged Prague’s city, killing one-third of their population. Was it just random happenstance, or did the house itself, damned to hell by evil spirits, bring about the plague? You decide.

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This brings us to the end of the tour! Hopefully, you’re not too rattled by the stories we heard tonight and enjoy the rest of your evening exploring the incredible night-life Prague is known for. Nothing soothes the nerves like a glass of pivo!

Let me know what your favourite ghost story of the night was and if you were lucky enough to spot a spirit for yourself!

Happy Travels, Adventurers!

The post A Free Self-Guided Walking Tour of Prague’s Old Town Famous Ghosts and Scary Legends first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Table Of Contents

1. Mårten Trotzigs Gränd
2. Black Friar Tombstone
   • Svartbrödraklostret
3. #23 Baggensgatan
   • Magnus Ahlström
   • Underground Excavations
4. #14 Kindstugatan
   • Lieutenant Storm
5. Stockholm Bloodbath
6. #20 Stortorget
7. Tjuvakällaren
8. Siskeburen 
9. #24 Västerlånggatan
   • Ghost Cat
10. Stockholm Royal Palace
11. Storkyrkobrinken
12. Bonde Palace
13. Riddarholmen
14. Stockholm Cityterminalen
15. Nya smedjegården
16. Rosenkammaren
17. Stora Barnhuset 
18. Schefflerska Palace
    • The Death of Knigge
    • Gustaf Sandström
19. The Käpplinge Murders
20. Brunkebergstorg
21. van der Nootska Palace
    • Mermaid Melusina
    • Jean Jahnsson
22. Stockholm's Bysättningshäkte
23. Kolerakyrkogården
24. Galgbacken
25. Skogskyrkogården
    • Sculptures in the Park
26. Happy Travels Adventures!
    • References

This guide is laid in geographic order. You can easily explore each location in one long walking tour or split the visit up into the various neighbourhoods and/or districts around Stockholm.

Mårten Trotzigs Gränd

Stockholm’s old town, or Gamla Stan, is a great place to start your tour. This part of the city dates back to the 13th century and still contains many 17th and 18th century buildings. The streets are dense with history and ancient spirits. Make your way along Västerlånggatan to the iron gated entrance to Mårten Trotzigs Gränd. This narrow alley, thick with graffiti, looks from afar like nothing special. But entering the lane at night, you’ll notice how dangerous and eerie this cramped walkway really is. The path has 36 steep steps, which spread only 35 inches wall to wall, making it the narrowest alley in Stockholm.

The stairs were named after merchant Mårten Trotzig. Trotzig owned several properties around the area and he commisionned the staircase in order to be able to better access them. He was a copper and iron merchant and one of the richest men in Stockholm. But with such a large purse of gold, came those who would try to steal it. And in 1617, he was beaten to death in nearby Kopparberg. His untoward death perhaps cursed the staircase, and these stairs would become the scene of many deaths to come.

Famously people would be robbed at the top of the stairs after exiting nearby brothels. The stairs were a prime location for thieves as the drunkards would be struck on the head and then pushed down the stairs. This allowed the thieves to get away with murder as the fall looked like what killed the men and would disguise the killing blow. Therefore there would be no one to suspect foul play. After pushing the victim down the stairs, the thieves would run away into the darkness of the night.

Often the women at the brothels were accomplices to these murders, identifying particularly rich patrons to the criminals outside. After a rash of these deaths, the authorities finally started to catch on and patrolled the area around the stairs. Eventually, the jig was up. Although the stairs are no longer the location of robbery and muder, there is still a spooky atmosphere here, which seems to boil up with the spirits once killed on these stairs.

Black Friar Tombstone

At the top of the Mårten Trotzigs Gränd, head east along Prästgatan and turn north up Södra Benickebrinken until you reach Svartmangatan. Stockholm’s old Black Friars’ Monastery was once located on the west side of Svartmangatan. Look out for the black iron door along Benickebrinken street. This rather unassuming entrance leads to the ancient vaults of the old Black Friar Brotherhood Monastery. Visitors can still visit the catacombs by private guided tour with the Medieval Museum in Stockholm. 

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Svartbrödraklostret

The Black Friars’ Monastery or Svartbrödraklostret was built in 1336. They were named the “black friars” due to their attire, which featured black, hooded robes. Despite the order being funded by the previous King Magnus IV in 1337, the new Swedish King Gustav Vasa, who reigned in 1528, wanted them out. By order of the King, the monastery was demolished in 1547. 

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Hundreds of years later, in 1930, when the St. Nikolai school was being erected, construction workers unknowingly dug up the bones of the monks who had been buried here for over 500 years. The construction workers were so shocked when they uncovered this gruesome discovery that they hurriedly moved all the bones into one mass graves, without another thought. But shortly after doing so, the construction workers reported having terrible visions and hearing voices down in the vaults. When they would follow the cries, they found them to be echoing from the mass grave. Most workers were scared right off and didn’t return. Clearly, they wanted to be returned to their original resting place.

The one tombstone which marks the spot is engraved with the text, “Here are the remains of Swedish Dominican monks in the Old Town. They were found at the foundation excavation of the St. Nikolai school’s new building in 1932. Rest in peace.” But it doesn’t sound like they are at peace at all. Still to this day, people have been known to hear their sorrowful cries, echoing through the vaults.

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#23 Baggensgatan

Following in the footsteps of the Black Friars, make your way to Baggensgatan. The lower part of Baggensgatan leads to the Black Friars’ Monastery entrance, and many of the friars lived along this narrow street. Walk along Baggensgatan until you come to number 23. This house looks pretty unassuming, but the history behind these walls is rich with ghoulish tales. Building number 23 was located right about the vaults of the old Black Friars’ Monastery. After Gustav destroyed the monastery, legend had it that the friars had hidden all their earthly treasures inside the vaults. Before the destruction, they had hidden the entrance to these catacombs so no one except those in the brotherhood could find them. After hundreds of years, this was in the hopes that they could return to power and recover their riches.

Magnus Ahlström

In 1762 the building was bought by captain Magnus Ahlström. The house went by the name Ahlströms jungfrubur or “the Maiden Cage of Ahlström.” If the name didn’t give it away, it was indeed a brothel. He described the house as a “virtual temple of Venus with space for the priestesses on all three floors.” The brothel was such a popular spot on the street that the stone stairs leading into the house are more worn down from foot traffic than any others along the road.

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But Ahlström’s penchant for the darker side of the law didn’t stop here. He was obsessed with the rumours around the hidden treasure and brought this building for that very reason. Ahlström hired a group of miners to dig down and down into the foundations of his house to access the hidden friar tunnels. He placed armed guards at the entrances to tunnels to prevent the miners from escaping with the treasure for themselves.

Underground Excavations

After weeks of unsuccessful excavations, he came down to find the miners had disappeared even though the guards had never seen anyone leave the tunnels. They searched the tunnels for weeks, but no sign of the miner was found. Still, to this day, residences Baggensgatan say they can hear the sound of pick axes digging long into the night. Perhaps the Friars cursed the treasure. Any of those who weren’t worthy of retrieving it would be sentenced to forever searching for it, even in death.

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#14 Kindstugatan

In the medieval period in Stockholm, swordfights were among the most popular ways to resolve disagreements amongst the menfolk. Usually, these duels ended without too much bloodshed, but on the night of August 12th, 1674 poet Lasse Lucidor wasn’t that lucky. In fact, his nickname was “the unlucky one.” Lucidor had gotten into a fight with the bartender of the basement pub, which once resided here.

Lieutenant Storm

The bartender refused to serve the poet until he paid the rest of his tab, knowing all too well that he didn’t have the coin to afford even what he had already drunk. Hoping to break up the fighting, Lieutenant Storm approached the drunk poet in the hopes of simply asking him to leave without a skirmish. But thinking the Lieutenant meant to harm him, Lucidor drew his sword, not a smart move since he was a lover, not a fighter. Lucidor swung widely at the Lieutenant, but only managed to give him a scratch on the arm.

Now filled with rage at this seemingly mad writer, Storm stabbed him through the heart, a fitting end for a poet. He was buried in an unmarked grave in Maria Magdalena graveyard, a common practice for those too unfortunate to have a tombstone of their own. But those buried in unmarked graves are often unsatisfied with their existence being so poorly remembered. These unnamed spirits haunt the spots where they met their untimely end and walking along Kindstugatan see if you can hear the sorrowful poet’s death wails as he morns for his soul into eternity.

Stockholm Bloodbath

Walk west until you reach the main square in Gamla Stan, Stortorget. Stortorget in Swedish means “the Grand Square.” Surrounding the square are some of the most regal and colourful 17th and 18th-century buildings. In the middle ages, this intersection was the Times Square of the period. While the cobblestoned square is as charming as can be, this ancient part of town is also home to one of the most notorious bloody crimes of Stockholm’s history; the Stockholm Bloodbath of 1520. 

The Stockholm Bloodbath was the real-life inspiration for Game of Thrones “Red Wedding.” When Danish King Kristian II invaded Sweden and took the throne, he needed to cleanse the court of anyone who opposed him. 92 members of the nobility were brought to the main square in Gamla Stan. There, they were accused of treason and were beheaded and hanged one by one. Onlookers said there was so much blood it soaked the ground for months and flooded the entirety of Stortorget. The executions were such a long process, they occurred over three days from November 7th to November 9th, 1520. Now, in November, residences have reported seeing the blood still flowing in the square, lit by the moonlight, it disappears the second someone tries to touch it. 

#20 Stortorget

One of the buildings nearby, which is painted red, contains 92 white stones, surrounding the window panes. Each stone represents the soul of one of the Swedish nobles who perished during the Bloodbath. Legend says that if these stones are removed, that soul of that person will rise from the dead and haunts the streets of Stockholm.

Tjuvakällaren

Where the Nobel Musem now stands was once the spot where you’d find the old Rådstugan or Stockholm Town Hall. The town hall stood here from 1471 to 1772. Inside is where you would find the Siskeburen or detention centre and the Tjuvakällaren or thief’s cellar. The Tjuvakällaren was located in the depths of the medieval basement. The basement was a disgusting place, where the sewage from the rest of the city would collect and was never cleaned. Prisoners were chained to massive logs, beaten and tortured. Some would be pressed up against the walls, which were known to get so cold that the prisoners would freeze onto them.

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Siskeburen 

The Siskeburen was located on the first floor of the town hall and was a much less brutal place for prisoners who awaited their fate. The name comes from the Swedish word for “cage,” as the chambers used to keep the prisons looked like tiny cages. Often one of the more common people you’d find here were women waiting to receive their punishments for infidelity. The church at the time controlled who married who as a means for regulating their power, ensuring families were marrying “their own kind.” This resulted in many unhappy marriages, and therefore adultery was pretty common, but can you blame them? Women accused of cheating would be stripped naked and forced to walk with stones strapped to their backs to the gates of the city. There, they would be banished and could never return. 

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In front of the Siskeburen, you could find the Copper Matte or “pole of shame.” The pole was topped with a copper sculpture of a man wielding a large crop of rice. This statue was meant to warn citizens to follow the rules as disobeying would result in harsh punishments. It stood here from 1603 to 1776. The word “matte” comes from the name of the mayor at the time, Mathias Trost, who was a strict ruler and who the statue was also modelled after. You can now find the Copper Matte statue on display inside the Stockholm City Museum. 

#24 Västerlånggatan

Västerlånggatan, in the middle of the busy tourist neighbourhood of Gamla Stan, is home to the chic little shop Iris Hantverk located at #23 Västerlånggatan. But above the doorway into the store is an old stone frieze with a rather fascinating story behind it. The legend goes that one day a ship’s captain was lost at sea. The captain was tossed overboard when he was saved by a beautiful water sorceress. She brought the captain down to her castle under the waves where she nursed him back to health. In exchange for returning the captain to his ship and his safe return home, she gave the captain a letter to deliver immediately upon his return to Stockholm. The letter was addressed to Mr. Måns at #23 Västerlånggatan. 

Ghost Cat

But when the captain returned to Stockholm, he forgot all about the message. He spent the majority of his day focused selfishly on unloading his ship’s cargo. When he finally got around to posting the letter, the homeowners told him that the only person named Mr. Måns at that address was a cat. Puzzled but thinking he should still deliver the letter, he went to find the cat.

Once he placed the letter in front of Mr. Måns, the cat began to cry and then proceeded to scratch the captain to death. After attacking the man, the cat sorrowfully jumped out the window where onlookers saw him turn to stone. You can still see Mr. Måns on the frieze above the doorway at #23 Västerlånggatan. No one will ever know what was written in that letter since it was written in a language no one could understand, so we are only left to wonder what kind of sorcery cursed the poor cat.

Stockholm Royal Palace

Stockholm’s Royal Palace is home to more than one of the city’s famed ghosts. The first is the White Lady or Vita Frun. But unless you have some Swedish royal blood flowing through your veins, you probably won’t spot her. The White Lady is known to only appear to members of the royal family, warning them of a royal’s imminent death. She is said to wear a long white dress, a veil covering her face, wit dark gloves covering her ghoulish hands. In those hands, she clutches a large key ring which she uses to get into all 1,403 rooms inside the castle. She has appeared to both King Oscar II, Princess Eugenie, Princess Margaret and Queen Silvia. Even those not in the royal family have been known to hear that unforgettable ghostly clinking of keys as she glides throughout the hallways of the darkened castle.

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The other of the palace’s ghosts in the old Gray Man or Grå manner. The Grey man is reportedly the ghost of Stockholm’s founding father Birger Jarl. Birger Jarl is said to appear in front of the new rulers every time they take the throne. Birger Jarl originally built his fortress on the very same spot where the Palace is located today. One can only wonder if he haunts the castle, ensuring that the rulers of his kingdom are truly worthy.

Storkyrkobrinken

Storkyrkobrinken was once better known as Helvetesgränd or “Alley of Hell.” This area was located north of the main church and, therefore, “the northern side of the damned.” It was a street that frequently saw criminal activity and was rampant with suicides. The city’s executioners were known to live on this very street, ensuring it’s dark history for the ages. Swedish executioners were given their own apartments, but this luxury came at a high price. All executioners were men who were themselves condemned to death. In exchange for a period of freedom, they served as executioner, a job otherwise too gruesome to find willing applicants. The men were marked to guarantee everyone knew who they were. Both their ears were cut off, and they were branded with the city’s crest. 

Their employment would only end when another prisoner took their place. This new prisoner, also sentenced to death, would come to the executioner’s apartments and murder the previous executioner. But what a life to lead, knowing that your days were numbered and that death lurked in the very room you lived in. The apartment was destroyed in the 18th century, but the dark mark of their residence still resides in the area.

Bonde Palace

Just outside Bonde Palace is where Hans Axel von Fersen was beaten to death, in 1810. Hans Axel von Fersen had served both King Gustav III and his son King Gustav IV. But when Gustav III died, his son was exiled, and Christian August of Augustenburg was put on the throne. Fersen was frequently heard opposing this election as his support directly lay with Gustav IV. When Christian August died shortly after his coronation, Fersen was suspected of foul play. The 1800s weren’t a time for philosophical investigation, and Fersen was attacked by an angry mob and lynched outside Bond palace. Fersen was always loyal to the realm, and his ghost is still thought to haunt these streets in search of revenge.

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Riddarholmen

Riddarholmen Church is located on its own island just west of Gamla Stan. It was once a former medieval abbey built in the late-13th century for the Greyfriars. Since the church was always one the grandest in the city, it has long been the site for royal burials. One of these royal families was the Torstensson family, whose vault is known to be one of the most haunted spots in the city. 

At night, employees have been known to hear banging and knocking coming from inside the tombs. There also have been rumours of footsteps and heavy breathing coming from the other graves. Almost as if they are clamouring to get out.

Stockholm Cityterminalen

Head over to the Stockholm Cityterminalen, where you have access to a myriad of different train lines. Standing on these platforms, unusually late at night when there aren’t too many people on the platform, you might get the chance to spot the elusive “ghost train.” This silver-coloured train is known to stop at various stations along the track. But be warned, do not get on. This train isn’t headed anywhere the living wants to visit.

The train goes by the name the ‘Silver Arrow‘ or ‘Silverpilen’ due to the aluminum exterior. This ghost train is thought to carry the souls of the dead to an abandoned station in the middle of the forest. This station, known as Kymlinge, does, in fact, exist. It was built in the 70s to service rural parts of Stockholm, but construction was abandoned after it was deemed unnecessary. Today, residents warn visitors to be wary of getting on any train that looks like the silver arrow as the living will get stuck in an infinite loop as the train is meant only for those already dead.

Nya smedjegården

The Nya smedjegården, also known as the New Blacksmiths’ Yard, was one of Stockholms’ most notorious prisons. It operated between 1636 and 1896. The building once stood on the corner of Drottninggatan and Barnhusgatan, which is now a seemingly perfect residential area. But gaze into the past, behind every corner store and apartment building, and you’ll find a dark history.

The Nya smedjegården prison was built to contain the overflow from the dungeons of the old royal castle, Tre Kronor. Prisoners brought here were made to work in the smithy as part of their punishment. Back then, there was no distinction made between crimes, which meant that men, women, big thieves and first-time criminals were mixed. Making it an extraordinarily dangerous place to be for all those incarcerated.

Rosenkammaren

But the most shocking part of the Nya smedjegården was the Rosenkammaren or Rose Chamber. Despite the flowery name, this room was better known as the torture chamber. It was often filled knee-deep with freezing cold water. Prisoners were chained from the ceiling and suspended into the icy pools. It wasn’t until 1772 that torture was abolished by Gustav III, and the torture chamber was destroyed.

Stora Barnhuset 

But the dark nature of the building had been imprinted on the earth, and even after the prison changed hands, the wicked spirits which haunted location stayed on. In 1624 the prison also served as a children’s workhouse and orphanage called the Stora Barnhuset or “Great Children’s Home.” But it was anything but great for those poor souls trapped there. The workhouse was poorly run, and abuse was rampant. In 1770 there was a great scandal that revealed that staff kept the children half-starved and sold the food donated by the state. The mortality rate was extremely high, and hundreds of little children met their mournful end here. 

Gustav III was extremely sympathetic to the horrible conditions these children were living in. He decreed that children placed in the orphanage would only be there temporarily until a foster home could be found. From 1785 onward, children didn’t spend their entire lives within these haunted walls. Instead, they stayed there only for a couple of months before a permanent home could be found. The orphanage itself was finally closed in 1922, but the tormented spirits of both the prison and the orphanage remain.

Schefflerska Palace

Walking along Drottninggatan, you’ll reach Schefflerska Palace locked away from the public behind a set of tall, teal gates. Since the Palace is closed to visitors, this is the best way to get a look at this spooky manor. The palace has been so notorious haunted that it even goes by the name “Spökslottet,” which in Swedish means “haunted house.”

The Schefflerska Palace was built by a wealthy merchant in 1690. Almost as soon as it was made, it was proclaimed as being haunted. Guests who visited the house would report hearing strange music coming from unoccupied rooms. Windows and mirrors were also known to break no reason. People thought one of the reasons the house was so haunted was that owner Jacob von Balthasar Knigge, was reportedly a devil worshipper. Beneath the palace, they said he kept skeletons, buried treasure, and the victims of his devilish rituals. 

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The Death of Knigge

Although officially Knigge died in bed in 1796, legend has it that on that night neighbours saw him getting into a black carriage with flames which spurted forth when they took off. The carriage was being driven by a massive black creature with horns and a tail. It carried him into the night, never to be seen again. His body is said to be buried at the Adolf Fredrik cemetery, but until someone can dig it up to see if he’s really there, the legend lives on.

Gustaf Sandström

Long after his death, strange things continued to happen inside the palace. In 1879 Gustaf Sandström, a famous opera singer, was a guest in the home. That night, for reasons no one could comprehend, he committed suicide. Later a young couple was murdered in the same room and their bodies hidden behind a bricked-up wall. They were only discovered years later, too late to look for a suspect.

A priest was finally brought to the palace to investigate the strange occurrences. While trying to exorcist the demons, he felt an ominous, invisible presence enter the room. He was thrown out a glass window by the unseen entity. Although he survived, he never returned as the darkness which possessed the house was too strong. The area around the palace is known as Spökparken or ‘the Ghost Park.’ With the city seemingly getting on board with officially labelling the area as being “ghostly,” it’s hard to see this as just a legend.

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The Käpplinge Murders

In 1389 the tensions between the Germans (who supported Albert, King of Sweden) and the Swedes (who helped Margaret I of Denmark) were brought to a boiling point. On June 14th, 1389, German soldiers and merchants gathered in Gamla Stan and read a list of who they deemed traitors aloud in the square. Once the traitors were gathered up, they were put on a boat and sent over to Käpplingeholmen (now Blasieholmen). There, inside a large barn, they were burned alive. Walking along this street at night in the winter, you’ll often find fire barrels lit to keep the populace warm. However, the Käpplinge ghosts don’t take too kindly to this, and people have been known to still hear their angry screams on cold winter nights.

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Brunkebergstorg

Brunkebergstorg is a square in the Norrmalm district in Stockholm’s inner city. The square was once lined with fashionable shops in the 19th century, but early in the 20th century, it became Norrmalm’s commercial center. That being said, 500 years ago, this square served a much darker purpose. This was one of the central locations for public executions in Stockholm. One of the most gruesome ones was the murderer of King Eric XIV‘s secretary Martin Olai Helsingius. Martin Olai Helsingius had pleaded with the king to pardon his predecessor, Jöran Persson, who had been accused of the looting of Svartsjö Palace in 1597. Eric was appalled that his new secretary was trying to protect the acts of a known criminal and Martin was sentenced to death for treason.

But Martins’s punishment was more severe than even Persson’s (who had actually committed a crime). Martin’s ears were nailed to the gallows, and after he was hanged, he was taken down just in time to keep him alive. His body was then set upon the breaking wheel, where he was tortured. Finally, after hours of terrible suffering, he was beheaded. His body nailed to a stake in the square where the public could observe him as a horrendous warning for others who would oppose the king.

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van der Nootska Palace

In the middle of the hipster neighbourhood of Södermalm, you’ll find one of the most impressive event venues in the city, van der Nootska Palace. The palace was built in 1674 and is named after its builder, Dutchman Thomas van der Noot. The manor house served as a private residence for several wealthy families over the years and, throughout that time, gathered its fair share of ghosts. 

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Mermaid Melusina

The ghost of mermaid Melusina is known to take a bath here every single Sunday night. As the legend goes, Melusina was once the king’s daughter. When she was born, she was cursed by a wicked witch. The curse turned the beautiful princess into a mermaid once a week until she gave birth to eleven children. The princess married a noble duke and hid her transformation by hiding inside the bathroom every Sunday night. She gave birth to ten children before her husband discovered her terrible secret. 

Ashamed of her appearance and her husband’s disgust, she fled, threw the pipes under the bathtub, where she would remain a mermaid forever. Still, to this day, she emerges to the surface to bathe in the van der Nootska Palace. Evidence of this ghost can be found in the architecture of the house. On the exterior, you can see a series of carvings of mermaid’s faces. 

Jean Jahnsson

The other ghost who lives in the palace goes by the name “the jeweller’s wife.” Jean Jahnsson was a wealthy jeweller who owned the manor in the 20th century. But Jean Jahnsson was a torrid adulterer and kept several lovers on the side. It was only a matter of time until his wife discovered his immoral behaviour. When she died, she still carried that grief and anger with her into death, and her raging ghost latched itself to the palace. Her spirit is often spotted furiously, stomping around the castle in search of Jahnssonand with one of his dalliances.

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Stockholm’s Bysättningshäkte

One of the city’s most popular modern restaurants, Häktet, hides behind its slick bar and contemporary cuisine, a sinister secret. This building was once Stockholm’s Debtor’s Cottage, known as Stockholm’s Bysättningshäkte. The Bysättningshäkte operated from 1782-1872. Back in the 1700s, it was literally illegal to be unemployed. If you didn’t contribute to society, the authorities were allowed to throw you in jail. Orphans, anyone who was sick or disabled, were also thrown in these debtors cottages. Since they didn’t pay taxes, they were “in debt” to the city. 

These captives were forced into labour to repay their debt. Women were forced to spin thread from the moment they got up in the morning to the time they went to bed. Men were required to extract paint from the sap of trees, which was used to dye fabrics. There was little food to go around, and there was often violent misconduct, resulting in many inmates’ deaths. Still, since these people were seen as unfavourable by the city, their deaths were often overlooked. While you can dine on horse tartare and steamed cod here at Häktet, listen carefully to see if you can hear the shrieks of starving ghosts who are still heard rattling the bars of their cages.

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Kolerakyrkogården

We are now heading out of the city to explore remoter locations on the tour. If you’d prefer to end your walk inside the city center, you can do so now. But from Bysättningshäkte, its only a 21-minute train ride (on line 13,14,17 or 18) to the Kolerakyrkogården. The Kolerakyrkogården or the Cholera Cemetery is located in the southern part of Stockholm. This cemetery was the main burial ground for victims of the 19th-century cholera epidemic. Many residences of nearby Södermalm died of the easily transmittable disease. Horse-drawn carts piled high with corpses carried the dead from the inner city, up to the cemetery. Up to 16 coffins were then placed in each grave. In total 3,665 people died in the first outbreak from August 27th to October 17th, 1834. 

The city was hit again in 1853, which resulted in about 3,000 more deaths in just a few weeks. The Kolerakyrkogården was filled to bursting with these bodies, some of which weren’t even identified when placed into mass graves. Such a place of mass sorrow is bound to have its fair share of forlorn spirits. People who visit the graveyard today have been known to hear disembodied voices echoing across the otherwise quiet green fields.

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Galgbacken

Located just a 10-minute walk away from the Kolerakyrkogården, you can find the Galgbacken or Gallows hill. This spot, now marked by a historical sign, indicates the last public execution site in Stockholm was located. The gallows hill was used as early as 1689, and the last public hanging took place in 1818. After its destruction, the memories of the dark history were lost to the sands of time. It wasn’t until 1930 when new a block of houses was being built that construction workers uncovered a series of skeletal remains.

When it was in use, inmates from the nearby inner-city prisons would be brought here. What made this gallows different, was that the prisoners were brought here and allowed to enter the Källaren Hamburg cellar, for one last drink before they were hanged or beheaded. 

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Skogskyrkogården

The Skogskyrkogården or Woodland Cemetery is one of a few dozen cemeteries marked as UNESCO world heritage sites. Unlike some cemeteries created out of the need for mass burials, this cemetery was well planned, and some of the world’s best architects were employed to build an impressive design. An international competition was held in 1915 for the plan of the new cemetery in Enskede. The winning architects modelled the cemetery’s layout on German forest cemeteries. These ancient graveyards provided an extraordinary tranquil environment surrounded by the beauty of the natural world.

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Sculptures in the Park

Throughout the park, you’ll discover stunning sculptures by Carl Milles. These were created to be integrated into the rest cemetery’s layout of peaceful paths and gentle rolling hills. 

At one point, this old cemetery was a popular spot for those suffering from homelessness. They would come here to camp at night, but after some time, people noticed they had stopped camping here altogether. Many of them mentioned hearing voices at night, and seeing pale beings appear and then disappear as quickly as they could blink. See if you can spot one for yourself.

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Hopefully, you enjoyed the tour and aren’t took scared to go to bed tonight! Let me know the spookiest place you’ve ever been to while travelling or what you’re most looking forward to exploring in Stockholm!

Happy Travels Adventures!

References

Wikipedia | City of Stockholm Archives | Stockholm Gamla Stan

The post The Most Haunted and Spooky Places to Visit in Stockholm first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

A city as old and as raucous as Venice is bound to have its fair share of dark histories. Along with these ghoulish tales are bound to come stories of ghosts and haunting! I have laid out in the map below all the spots where you can go ghost hunting to see if you can spot a spectre! But even if you’re not lucky enough to see a ghost for yourself, these shadowy stories of Venice’s mysterious history are all the most enjoyable when walking through the real places late at night.

About the Walking Tour

All but one of these spots can be visited so you can touch the same stones the characters in our stories would have walked on themselves. While not all these stories are directly connected to ghosts, they all have a macabre theme and you never know when you might be the first to see a spectre from one of these famous tales.

Table Of Contents

1. Map of Walking Tour
2. Riva de Biasio
3. Death in Venice
4. Campo Dei Morti
5. Palazzo Mastelli
6. Casino degli Spiriti
7. Campo de l'Abazia
8. San Michele Cemetery
9. Campiello del Remer
10. Malibran Theater
11. Calle Bressan
12. Santa Maria Formosa
13. San Francesco della Vigna
14. Campo San Piero de Casteo
15. Viale Giuseppe garibaldi
16. Sottoportego dei Preti 
17. Calle della Morte
18. Chiesa di Sant'Antonin
19. Chiesa di San Zaccaria
20. Pillars of Piazzetta San Marco
21. St Mark's Campanile
22. Rio Terrà dei Assassini
23. Grassi Palace
24. Palazzo Dario
25. Punta della Dogana
26. Poveglia

Map of Walking Tour

Riva de Biasio

We start our tour at the northernmost point on the island, at the Riva de Biasio Vaporetto dock. This was the spot in the 15th were the butcher of Biasio plied his trade. The butcher was known for his delicious sausages, that he served in the inn he ran on the canal. He was known all over Venice for his superior tasting sausages. Until one day, a woman discovered a small piece of a human finger inside, including the fingernail!

When the police raided the butcher shop they found pieces and bones of various children he had killed, and we can assume, turned into food for his restaurant. Biasio was beheaded in St. Mark’s Square and his house was torn down because the memories of what he had done haunted the residents of the area. Residences have been known to hear the voices of crying children late into the night echoing along the canal.

Death in Venice

Before the construction of the San Michele Cemetery, rich aristocrats were buried inside churches in burial tombs. But the cost of being buried inside a church was high and only for the very upper crust of Venetian society. Middle-class people “rented” their final resting place. These people could not afford a single tomb of their own so instead, groups of people would be buried together in a private chapel for a certain period of time. Once their time was up, their living family members could either pay up for another few years or have the corpses removed. There was even a school dedicated to the management of burials in Venice called the Scuola della Buona Morte, or School of the Good Death.

Campo Dei Morti

The poorest of Venetian society were buried in open-air cemeteries or mass graves. The street Campo dei Morti translates into the Street of the Dead. This was where once you’d find one of the largest open-air grave sights in Venice. This graveyard would have been overflowing when the plague first came to the city. And you can only imagine the smell! But in addition to the smell, it was literally unsafe as diseases would spread from the dead bodies to anyone living close by. So in the 19th century, an edict was formed that these cemeteries would be moved off the island for sanity purposes. But walking on these streets today still feels like you’re walking over someone’s grave.

Palazzo Mastelli

The best place to see the Palazzo Mastelli is opposite the house on the other side of the canal (as marked on the map). The most curious part of this building is the carving on the lower right corner which depicts a man in a turban standing beside a large camel. The legend says that this man in the bas-relief is actually the petrified former owner of the palace. The owners were rich silk merchants who made their money by selling low-quality fabrics at high prices to unsuspecting Venetians. When they pulled this scam on an old widow, she was furious.

She cursed the money she used to buy the fabric so that whenever the merchants touched it they would turn to stone. Look closely on the faces of both the merchant and the camel and see if in the moonlight of the night, you can hear them screaming for help!

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Casino degli Spiriti

The Casino degli Spiriti (the House of the Spirits) is made up of a vast complex of buildings consisting also of the Palazzo Contarini Dal Zaffo. In the 16th century when this building was first constructed it began its life as an intellectual meeting place. Philosophers and artists would come from far and wide to meet here. People like Tintoretto, Veronese and Titian were popular attendees. But over the years the palace was abandoned although some locals say that it wasn’t really abandoned after all. They claimed that cults began using the large annex in the Palazzo for dark rituals late at night. After this point in history, it seemed like the spot was cursed.

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Pietro Luzzo da Feltre

Strange noises were heard at night, and voice carried across the canal. Pietro Luzzo da Feltre, a painter of little repute, bought the land since it was cheap. The painter was a romantic soul and was madly in love with one of his models. When she turned down his advances, the love stuck painter threw himself off the building and died in the water. A few days later the painter’s ghost appeared in one of the windows and is still frequently seen wandering the halls. The palazzo was later used as a hospital for plague patients where hundreds of people died. Their bodies were given autopsies here as well and only rowed out to the nearby San Michele Cemetery when they had been torn apart by doctors.

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In the 1920s new owners discovered four bodies inside the building, all of which were missing their heads and right hands. This quickly put them off the property. The last gruesome story from the building’s history comes in 1940 when a rich woman was killed, dismembered and placed in a trunk which was later submerged into the lagoon. The trunk was discovered nearby by some local fisherman who had already known about all the other mysterious events which had occurred near the palazzo. All these spooky incidents have meant that no fisherman will even fish near the Casin degli Spiriti for fear of being its next victim.

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Campo de l’Abazia

The Campo de L’Abazia is where you might find one of the most theatrical ghosts of the city. On May 13th, 1437 there was a terrible fire that spread across the neighbourhood. Families were trying to get these children out of the fire. When Bartolomeo Zenni was asked by his neighbours for help he refused them in order to instead save his jewels and gold. But this cruel action condemned his soul for life. Today, if you see an old man, with a large sack on his back, in the square begging for money – don’t speak to him. People have been known to approach the man, only to have him turn into a burning skeleton in front of their eyes!

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Fondamente Nove

Standing on the main island looking out at the San Michele opposite, see if you can spot a floating casket on the water, lit by four candles. This is thought to be the ghost of a little girl who died in the water in 1904. On a particularly foggy night, a Vaporetto captain and two gondolas set out from the main island to Burano and Murano respectively. Due to the thick fog, the Vaporetto crashed into the gondolas sending almost all the passengers into the water. Despite their best attempts, four women died that night but one little girl remained lost at sea. The floating casket with candles is said to be the ghost of the little girl who was never found and never given a proper burial.

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San Michele Cemetery

Most obviously haunted places in Venice is the San Michele Cemetery. The new cemetery was established in 1807, by filling the canals of the then two separate islands (San Michele and San Cristoforo), to create one larger one. Bodies were carried to the island on special funeral gondolas. The island was formerly used for prisoners, which in itself imbues the island with a storied past. The cemeteries are guarded by large cypress trees whose branches ache and moan with the wind. Thousands of people are now buried on the island, under some of the most lavish monuments you’ll find anywhere in the world. The cemetery is divided into different sections; Catholic, Greco/Orthodox, Protestant, Victims of War, and gondoliers. 

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Gravestones

Most of the graves here were only filled by one individual for 10-12 years, after which their bones were moves to mausoleums or dumped in the communal ossuary. Legend has it that one November 1st, the dead leave the island and make their way back to Venice to visit their old homes. Venetians think it’s bad luck to look out the window, for fear of seeing the dead, on this day. On November 2nd, all souls day, the living return to the island to pay respects to their loved ones and often are seeing bringing Fave dei Morte (“Beans of the Dead”) for their relatives. If you’d like to travel to the cemetery you can take the No. 4.1 or 4.2 motoscafo from the Fondamenta Nove. The ride across the water to the island onlu takes six minutes.

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Campiello del Remer

Here in Campiello del Remer square, you might catch sight of a tormented jealous lover. In the 16th century, a nobleman named Loredan fell in love and married the niece of the Doge. But wracked with jealously, accused her of adultery. She repeatedly denied it but unable to free himself from his jealous rage, beheaded her. Not wanting a nobleman’s blood on his hands, the Doge told the Loredan to go to the Pope and ask for forgiveness. But one caveat, he had to bring his wife’s beheaded head with him on the long journey. Loredan obeyed but the pope would not see him. He carried his dead wife’s decaying head back to Venice and, now wracked with madness, threw himself into the canal near the Campiello Remer. He is still seen today walking around the Campiello with his dead wife’s head in his hands.

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Malibran Theater

The Malibran Theater was once, the old home of Marco Polo. Marco Polo, when travelling in China, met the daughter of a great emperor and fall in love. He married her and brought her back to Venice with him. But she never felt at home in Venice. Marco Polo’s sisters didn’t like her either, and we thought to be very jealous of the affection that Marco paid on her. One day, Marco was captured in battle by the Genoese and instead of telling her that he had been captured, Marco’s sisters told his wife he had died. Feeling more alone than ever, she lit her clothes on fire and threw herself into the canal where she is thought to have died.

Today, people claimed that you can still see her white figure floating in the air and if you listen closely hear the faint sound of Eastern music playing in the wind. While there is seemingly little truth to this story, when the theatre was doing some excavations, they discovered the body of an Asian woman buried in the foundations of the building. Found along with her with a tiara and an imperial coat, so no doubt this was Marco’s princess.

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Calle Bressan

In front of the Basilica of S.S. Giovanni, there is said to be a ghost that haunts the court. The ghost is often seen begging for alms. This is “Bell Ringer” of St Marks Square. The bell ringer was just that, a bell ringer who was once in charge of the huge bells inside St. Mark’s Campanile. Bell ringers back then didn’t make much money, so when an old Venetian scientist approached the boy and offered him a large sum in exchange for his skeleton, the boy jumped at the offer.

The scientist wanted the boy’s skeleton to perform experiments on after his death. Not thinking anything of this, the boy accepted and was handed over the large sum of money. He immediately went about spending it, mostly on alcohol, and eventually drank himself into a very early grave. Perhaps the scientist knew a thing or two and crafted the entire scheme. The scientist took what he had paid for and the skeleton is still on display in Venice’s Natural History Museum to this day. But it is said that the skeletons leave the museum every night, and comes here to beg for money, in the hopes of being able to buy his skeleton back and escape the mortal world.

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Santa Maria Formosa

Belltowers across Europe in the Medieval era were the only way that people know what was going on in the city. The bells tolled for the start and end of the workday. They tolled to mark danger incoming into the city. Of even just to mark a celebration. But whatever they were used for, they had great influence over the people of the city. Therefore many of the belltowers in Venice have a carving sculpted on the door to the tower. These carvings were often grotesque as they were used to “ward off the Devil” to ensure he didn’t enter to ring the bells and cause chaos in the city.

The carving on the church of Santa Maria Formosa‘s belltower is one of the best examples of this. This carving is said to howl out at night when he senses the devil is near. Others say that the cries are something much darker. And that the carving above the door is actually a demon trapped in stone. See if the face’s eyes follow you as you pass.

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San Francesco della Vigna

The church of San Francesco della Vigna is thought to be haunted by not one but a group of ghosts. Years ago, a man was out late walking home, when darkness fell early than the man expected. This was long before the invention of street lamps. As he neared the church, he saw a few glimmers of light in the distance and thought he might ask if the group had a light to spare. When he got closer he saw there was a group of men, around the graveyard of the church, all holding candles. One of the men turned to face him and offered him his candle. The man took it enthusiastically and walked the rest of the way home.

In the morning he was horrified to see that the light he was using the night before wasn’t a candle but a shrivelled hand! He returned the next night, as he felt keeping the hand would have been grave robbery, and therefore a sun. He saw the group of men around the graveyard once more. They all carried candles in their hand. All but one. He passed the hand back to the ghost, who smiled. The man ran off into the night, never being able to forget what he saw. The graveyard is now gone but perhaps the ghosts still frequent the churchyard!

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Campo San Piero de Casteo

On the far edge of the island of Venice lies the Campo San Piero de Castro. Lurking in the shadows is said to be the ghost of a young bride. This is Tosca. Tosca was a poor young girl who was promised to a rich nobleman in order to further her family’s name. But she was already in love with someone else. A young hunter. Before she had to marry the nobleman, she escaped with the hunter. But before they could get away, the nobleman found them. He killed the hunter and cut of Tosca’s ring finger so should never marry anyone! Riddled with loss over her beloved she killed herself. Today her ghost searches endlessly for her wedding ring so she can marry her beloved – even in death.

Viale Giuseppe garibaldi

Standing in the Viale Giuseppe Garibaldi is a large statue of Garibaldi. Giuseppe Garibaldi was the hero of Italian Unification. But standing behind Garibaldi’s grande statue is another figure, Giuseppe Zolli. Giuseppe Zolli was a young red shirt soldier. The solider was such a fan of Garibaldi that he swore an oath to protect him, even after death. The original statue of Garibaldi was designed as a solo piece, and here he stood, alone. But after some time, people began to report seeing a young ghost in a red shirt wandering the gardens asking for Garibaldi. Seeing as this ghost was clearly Giuseppe Zolli and did not plan on leaving Garibaldi alone, designers made him his own statue behind Garibaldi. Since then no one has spotted the ghost but there is most definitely some spirited energy going on here.

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Sottoportego dei Preti 

If you walk under the archway of the Sottoportego dei Preti and look on the opposite side, you’ll find a red heart carved into the brick. Legend has it that once upon a time a poor Venetian fisherman named Orio, was out fishing one night when a Melusine appeared near his boat. A Melusine is a Venetian mermaid, one who has two tails. Orio feels in love with her. And she with him.

They got married and even had three children, but the Melusine died birthing their last child. But unlike humans, Melusine’s turn into snakes when they die. She would return to Orio and the children every day as a snake to clean the house and take care of the children. But Orio didn’t know about this, and when he finally saw the snake, he killed it. Only then did he realize the snake was his wife. Broken-hearted he carved away at the wall in madness to remind future people his sad love story. Today it is thought that if you touch the heart you will find luck in love in the next year.

Calle della Morte

The Calle della Morte translates in Italian literally into the Alley of Death. The alley was the most popular spot for people to be killed but in a rather strange way. When noblemen were condemned to death by the Venetian Council, the council avoided telling them right away. They feared they would escape before the sentence. So they would trick them to coming to this street where they would be killed. The Calle de Morte is extremely narrow and there would be no escape once someone was after you here. You’d think after the first few times someone would have caught on but I guess news didn’t travel as fast back in medieval times.

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Chiesa di Sant’Antonin

If you listen closely when you stand near the Church of Sant’Antonin, see if you can hear the stomping of huge footsteps. These are the ghostly footsteps of an elephant who once went rampaging through the city. In 1819, a travelling circus came to Venice. Animals in this circus where extremely abused and finally the elephant had had enough and escaped its shackles. It ran through the city, running through Riva Degli Schiavoni, destroying houses, staircases and doorways as it went.

It finally ended up here, where its foot got stuck in a tombstone allowing the Venetians chasing it to finally catch and shoot it. But killing it outright wasn’t enough for them. They brought it to St. Mark’s Square and executed the animal with a cannon! The poor elephant was no doubt just really scared and didn’t deserve this horrific end. So, its ghost still tries to take out its revenge on people today, even in death!

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Chiesa di San Zaccaria

The Church of San Zaccaria has a very haunting past. In 1105 there was a great fire in the church. All the nuns living in the convent tried to escape the fire and fled into the crypt for safety. Unfortunately, 100 nuns perished in the fire. They were buried beneath the church, quite haphazardly. Years late, in a horrific flood in the 15th century, the crypts were flooded with water. Suddenly thousands of bones floated to the surface, scaring the daylights out of the priests who hadn’t known they were there. When you visit the church, especially on a rainy night, see if you can hear the sounds of bones swaying in the water underneath. 

But this is not the end of the dark tales haunting his building. This church is where two Doge’s of Venice were murdered. The church was even once better as the La Chiesa Degli Omicidi – The Church of Murders. Pietro Tradonico was murdered on September 13th, 864. He was attacked by a group of malcontents as he was leaving after confession. After he died, they buried him in this very church. I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t want to be buried right where I was murdered.

Vitale II Michiel

But, looks like it was a Venetian trend! Because later in May 1172, Vitale II Michiel was also murdered here. Michiel was accused of both the destruction of the Venetian fleet at the hands of Byzantine rebels as well as bringing the plague back into the city. Not a great reputation. An angry mob gathered outside the palace and he tried to escape them by running to the convent here at Zaccaria. But stabbed to death by one of the mob before he arrived. Eight doges in total are buried here, all of whom met a violent end. Probably should have stopped burying them here…seems like the church is well, cursed. Probably by all those nuns who burned to death.

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Pillars of Piazzetta San Marco

Now we come into the Piazzetta San Marco. This time of night the square is so much quieter than when visitors flood it during the day. Standing tall in the square are the two pillars of San Marco and San Todaro. But before you take another step, be warned, it is said that if you stand in between the two columns you’ll be cursed.

The two columns were brought here from Constantinople, along with a third. But the ship carrying them sank to the bottom of the sea, and the third column was lost forever. The area between the two columns was used as the site for public executions for many years embuing the columns with dark memories and no doubt cursing the stones below with the blood of the fallen.

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St Mark’s Campanile

Another way people were punished and sometimes killed in Venice was to hang from the top of the St. Mark’s Campanile locked in a cage. This was called ‘supplizio Della cheba’, or the suspended cage. This method of torture was mainly used prior to the 15th century. The person convicted was almost always a member of the clergy. Often the crimes could be anything from sodomy, murder, forgery to blasphemy. The length of time you were in the cage, depending on the severity of the crime. When in the cage, the criminal could feed himself through a string with which he could drag bread and drinking water. Often this was almost impossible and the person would die. A haunting image of a less than beautiful St. Marks square.

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Rio Terrà dei Assassini

Rio Tera’ degli Assassini translates into the Assassins’ Street and the adjacent Assassins’ Bridge. This bridge connected the more upscale neighbourhood of San Marco to the red light district where you could find all the best brothels. The street is very narrow and often was extremely dark. The most famous story from this street was in 1507. A nobleman was murdered here and his body was discovered by a local baker named Piero Tasca. The baker saw the murder weapon on the ground nearby. Seeing its silver blade and gem-encrusted hilt he grabbed the dagger in the hope of trading it for some money to feed his family. But, as he went to grab it, the authorities arrived and arrested him for the murder.

They promptly sentenced him to death, despite his objections. A few weeks later, the real murderer confessed. From that day forward the saying recorded del polo fornareto (Remember the poor baker) was uttered in council meetings for the Republic of Venice to think twice before making a grave mistake in execution sentencing. Some people have been heard to smell freshly baked bread floating through the air here, even in the dead of night.

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Grassi Palace

The Palazzo Grassi is home to a billionaire and contemporary art collector Francois Pinault. When the Palazzo was being restored in the 80s, a night watchman was walking through the building when he heard a young girl’s voice. The voice screamed, “stop!“. The nightwatchman froze in place and turned on his light. He looked about but couldn’t see anything. He was moving more slowly now in order to keep an eye out for the person whose voice he heard when suddenly he noticed a huge hole in the floor! This voice had been warning him to stop, before falling to his death.

After asking around, the owners discovered that years ago a young girl had been thrown off the balcony into the courtyard below. She had been trapped in an abusive living situation and unfortunately died at the hands of her abuser. It seems that she now tries to protect others around the palace, from any kind of suffering.

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Palazzo Dario

This picturesque house looks like the most idyllic little spot in Venice but Palazzo Dario is a house of two faces. The intricate Istrian stone, richly decorated with marble and circular medallions communicates nothing but beauty. But it’s dark side is really pretty dark. The house also goes by the name the ‘house that kills’ and is thought to be the most haunted house in all of Venice. Almost anywho who has lived here or owned the building has been murdered, died by suicide, been in a terrible accident or went bankrupt, so…keep your distance!

In the 15th century, the house was built and the Dario family moved in. Almost immediately, their daughter committed suicide. Her husband went bankrupt and their son perished in a fight. Rumours are that the house was built on top of an old Templar cemetery who weren’t so happy with a big house being dumped on top of their graves. Outside the house is a plaque that is engraved with the name of the first owner, “Giovanni Dario to the Genius of the City“. But smart sleuths have discovered that in Italians, you can make an anagram out of these letters to make it spell, Sub ruina insidiosa genero (I bring treacherous ruins to those who live under this roof). Pretty spooky right?

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Punta della Dogana

The Punta Della Dogana is located at the end of the island of Dorsoduro and gives visitors a beautiful view of the Grand Canal. While enjoying the view, don’t blink twice if you happen to see something larger than life slithering around in the water. Legend has it that inside these dark waters lives a large sea serpent, like that loch ness monster. If it happens to be a moonless night you might be in luck since the monster favours nights when its darkest. Fishermen swear they have seen the creature although no evidence of its existence has been proven yet. Maybe you’ll be the first to get it on camera!

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Poveglia

We can’t talk about the hauntings of Venice without discussing Poveglia. But unfortunately, the island is pretty inaccessible to visitors. There are reports that you can hire a private boat which will take you there for about 180 euros, and I did manage to find a company which offers tours there for 350 euros! But since the island is officially off-limits to anyone, you are taking a risk by going there yourself. But standing on edge of Dorsoduro, look out into the black waters and imagine for yourself the island of death which is also known as Poveglia.

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Poveglia isn’t just one of the most haunted places in Venice, but one of the most haunted places in Europe! Poveglia was located at the edge of the lagoon and therefore a good spot to quarantine people coming into the lagoon by ship in the 16th century. During this time the plague was ravaging Europe and the Magistrato alla Sanità (Public Health Office) were trying their best to ensure it didn’t enter the cramped city of Venice, where it would spread like wildfire. In 1793 the first of two ships were placed into temporary confinement on the island when the plague was discovered on their ship. Unfortunately, they couldn’t keep it contained here and instead the island was turned into a giant burial ground.

Plague Graves

Over 160,000 plague victims were brought to the island during this period. Bodies were simply piled one on top of the other and even those who were sent here to bury the dead, often met their end here before they finished the job. Once the pile was too large for any new bodies, the whole pile would be burned to ash. It is said that there isn’t an inch of soil on Poveglia that isn’t mixed with the ashes of thousands of bodies.

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Psychiatric Hospital

After lying almost abandoned for years, in 1922 a psychiatric hospital was built on the island. The hospital was run by a cruel doctor who performed horrific experiments on his patients, who he deemed less than human. Located so far away from the prying eyes of the city, the doctor felt like he could do whatever he wanted here. It didn’t even take much to be sent to the asylum here in Poveglia. Understanding the treatment for mental illness was just in its infancy and it seemed like anyone who was even the slightest bit less than normal was sent here to the asylum.

The doctor was thought to have been driven mad, perhaps by the plague ghosts of the island, who were trying to protect the innocent souls he was abusing. The doctor attempted to commit suicide by jumping off the hospital belltower. But, almost in a twist of fate, he survives the jump. His injuries were traumatic and eventually, he would succumb to his wounds, but not without a tremendous amount of suffering. Karma. The hospital closed in 1968 and since then the island has been off-limits for anyone. The buildings have been left to the elements and are literally falling apart. People have heard noises coming from the abandoned island late at night. Is that the sound of the buildings falling down, or ghosts crying out in the night? I’ll let you decide.

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For those of you brave enough to have made it through the entire tour, kudos to you! You’re truly a superior ghost hunter! Let me know in the comment what your favourite story from the tour was or if you were lucky enough to spot a spectre!

Happy (spooky) Travels, Adventurers

The post A Free Self-Guided Walking Tour of the Haunted Canals of Venice first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.