Prison - The Creative Adventurer https://thecreativeadventurer.com A Travel Guide for Exploring the World Thu, 09 Feb 2023 15:23:56 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://i0.wp.com/thecreativeadventurer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/cropped-NewCreativeAdventurerLogo_250x250_v1.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Prison - The Creative Adventurer https://thecreativeadventurer.com 32 32 171399271 An Exciting & Haunting Self-Guided Tour of Port Arthur’s Ghosts https://thecreativeadventurer.com/an-exciting-haunting-self-guided-tour-of-port-arthurs-ghosts/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=an-exciting-haunting-self-guided-tour-of-port-arthurs-ghosts https://thecreativeadventurer.com/an-exciting-haunting-self-guided-tour-of-port-arthurs-ghosts/#respond Wed, 07 Apr 2021 17:09:37 +0000 https://thecreativeadventurer.com/?p=23190 Port Arthur is the definition of Tasmania Gothic. Walking into the site, during the day or...

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]]> Port Arthur is the definition of Tasmania Gothic. Walking into the site, during the day or at night, you are almost overcome with the atmosphere of foreboding as the echoes of the site’s dark past creep over the hillside. Professional Ghost tours at Port Arthur are available by guided tour only. The site is open at night only for these pre-booked tours. I would highly recommend booking this tour as the storytellers that guide you through the area at night really make history come alive. And there is nothing that compares to touring the prison at night time.

Self-Guided Ghost Tour

But these tours book up SUPER fast, and if you haven’t planned this in advance, you might miss out on being able to explore the site at night. At the time of writing this, tours are fully booked at least 4 months in advance! So I wanted to provide a bit of history and go into all those ghost stories to those who are still interested in learning more about the paranormal activities that take place here. You can read this self-guided tour during your daytime visit, and trust me, this site is so spooky that even in the light of day, these stories will send a chill down your spine.

Port Arthur Motor Inn & Restaurant

Another idea if you can’t make it onto the prison’s grounds at night is to head over to the Port Arthur Motor Inn & Restaurant. If you dine inside the restaurant, you’ll get a great view of the prison at night, and if you’re brave enough to stay the night, you will even have a clear picture of the complex from your veranda. Sitting out on the balcony, you can look out at the site and read over these stories and imagine being there yourself! Whether or not you believe in ghosts, the stories that go along with the tales recounted here provide insight into the prison’s history and the beliefs that the earliest settlers here clung to.

Tasmanian Gothic

Tasmanian Gothic is a literary genre that merges Gothic fiction traditions with the history and natural features of the Tasman landscape. The stories deal with the themes of horror, mystery and the uncanny. Many people think that the dark convict history and subsequent ghost stories were the most significant influence on the development of the genre.

The strong belief the Tasman people had in ghosts was influenced by the Irish and Celtic immigrants. These criminals and settlers were the first Europeans to populate the island. They brought a strong tradition of believing in the supernatural. They even brought with them their own ghost stories from their home country that were adapted to their new Australian landscape over time.

Another unlikely influence on Tasmania gothic was Chinese immigrants, who also had a strong connection to the supernatural. Chinese immigrants were brought to Tasmania, mainly in the North East, to help mine tin in those communities. The European workers had little skill in mining, whereas the Chinese immigrants were experienced workers. Although there were only 1000 immigrants who came over from China, their influence was tremendous. They would often outnumber their European counterparts 10 to 1 in those regions. Chinese folklore features many ghosts, monsters, and other mythological creatures derived from the supernatural nature of Buddhism.

History of Port Arthur

In 1830, Governor Sir George Arthur was sent to Van Diemen’s Land to build a penal settlement for convicts from Britain and Ireland. Van Diemen’s Land was the name given to Tasmania when Dutch explorers claimed the land and named it to honour Anthony van Diemen, the current Dutch Governor-General. At the site, the most hardened criminals came to stay. The worst of the worst as being sent to the other side of the world was seen as the most severe punishment, save for execution. For this reason, Port Arthur had some of the strictest security measures and most brutal punishments.

But Port Arthur was also a working prison. Authorities wanted to see these convicts reformed through a combination of religions, education and training in a variety of trades. This meant that the prison was known as an “industrial prison”. Port Arthur began as a timber camp; the location was rich with forests and close enough to Hobart’s main port to ship out the timber. After 15 years, the prison built a shipyard and began constructing shops. The prisoners also produced flour from the mill and made nails, bricks and boots all for sale to ensure the prison was profitable.

Life in the Prison

Port Arthur was reputed to be an inescapable prison. It was located on this peninsula that is surrounded on all sides by supposedly shark-infested waters. The only way to the mainland is across a 30-meter wide isthmus guarded by both soldiers, half-starved dogs and man-made traps. Only two prisoners were known to have escaped. One failed escape took place when a prisoner disguised himself using a kangaroo hide.

The prisoners’ conditions were so dire that they would even murder another inmate just to escape their situation. Murder was punishable by death and some would prefer this to staying any longer at Port Arthur. Savage floggings and brutal chain gangs were reported by the prisons when they returned back to England. It had a genuine reputation of being “hell on earth.” Any prisoner who attempted to escape would suffer 100 lashes. The prisoners would get horrible infections in their squalid living conditions. Often, these infections got so bad, that they lead to the death of the inmates.

But it wasn’t the corporal punishments that were the worst part of life at the prison. No, Port Arthur was one of the first Australian prisons to implement the “silent system”. This meant placing prisoners into individual cells where they were kept quiet for 23 hours a day. They got to leave their cell for one hour a day but were made to wear a hood anytime they were outside to ensure they never saw another human face. Although it wasn’t their intended outcome, this sent many prisoners mad. Eventually, an asylum was built to deal with the mental illness created by these inhumane conditions.

The Old Church

The old stone Church at Port Arthur was cursed almost from the moment the stones were laid. The stones were hewn from rocks by the young boys on Point Puer. Those poor boys were subjected to such horrible conditions, living on this isolated island away from the rest of the settlement. This was done to ensure these young criminals weren’t influenced by the older inmates. And that they wouldn’t disturb their path towards righteousness.

Curse of the Point Puer Prison Boys

But as they were almost forgotten about, away from the mainland, their living conditions were dire and no one took any notice. Many young children died due to diseases that ran rampant and terrible malnutrition. These sick and starving boys were forced to perform hard labour. They were made to hew, carve and haul stones for the church’s construction. No doubt this work was exhausting especially when they were barely being fed a proper diet. One can only imagine how many boys died trying to prepare the materials for the church. The haunted souls of these young men cursed the construction for the start.

Murder at the Church

To built the church, Port Arthur used prisoners as their free labourers. One day, a violent prisoner got into an argument with another labourer. Without another thought, the prisoner picked up a pickaxe and struck the other man in the head three times. When he was done, he placed the pickax down and whispered, “I am satisfied.” Blood was splattered all over the stone walls. Although the blood was washed from the walls the ivy which grows over the rest of the church would never grow where the man’s blood had been spilled.

Church Bell Tower

Residents at Port Arthur have reported seeing strange figures in the bell tower at night. This is despite the fact that there are no stairs or even a floor up the bell tower. The bells (that are now stationary on the ground) have been known to ring out randomly, despite no ringer being present. Perhaps this is a spirit from the prison, pleading for help, unknowing of the fact that he is already dead.

Parsonage Building

The Parsonage, easily spotted by its brightly painted terracotta exterior, was built in 1842 for Reverend Durham and his family. Today, this building is one of the most active paranormal spots on the site. After Reverend Durham left, another family moved in in 1857. Reverend George Eastman arrived with his wife, Louise and their 10 children. The children were poorly behaved and were notorious for destroying the gardens and surrounding prison farming land. The inmates worked so hard to kee in proper running order, and the children seemed to take pleasure in wrecking it. Their carefree and rude attitude angered the inmates greatly. The children, perhaps influenced by their father, had little regard for the prisoners.

Reverend George Eastman died in 1870 in this very house. After his death, people began to see ghostly apparitions appear in the Parsonage almost right after. A strong sulphuric odour would fill the home, yet a source for it never could be located. Moaning and other strange noises would be heard at night. Lights would even flash on and off, even when no one was home. Although Eastman was a good man, he died very young. After his death, he left his wife and 10 children to fend for themselves, as they were not cared for by the ministry or the government. The widow and her children lived a difficult life of poverty until their ultimate end. Eastman’s ghost perhaps returns to morn for his tortured family.

Junior Medical Officer’s Home

Across from the church, there is a street with a series of houses called Officer’s Row. This was where several of the most senior officers lived. The houses were separated from the prison area to ensure the workers felt like they weren’t living with the inmates. The first house on this row is the Junior Medical Officer’s home. It was here that the medical Officer would tend to prisoners.

The basement of the Medical Officer’s Home was where the Senior Surgeon’s dissection room was located. It was here that former inmates’ dead bodies were opened up and examined. But their bodies weren’t simply dissected for routine autopsies. Sometimes, medical experiments were taken out on the dead bodies, even though the prisoners hadn’t given their consent to have this done. Many religious men believed that this was a desecration of their soul, but the illegal experiments continued despite this.

Walking into the old dissection room, the temperature seems to drop drastically, more than it should fall in an underground basement. People have reported seeing eyes on the walls and bloody faces appearing on the stones, only to disappear instantly. Perhaps these are the wronged prisoners’ spirits, still waiting to get their revenge on the surgeon.

The Lady in Blue

The most famous ghost of Officer’s row is that of a melancholy woman who lost her baby. She has been called the ‘Lady in Blue‘ after her iconic blue dress she wears. One of the Officer’s wives suffered a horrific miscarriage while living here. It’s said that she still searches the grounds for her unborn child. It is rumoured that the baby could not be buried with the mother on the Isle of the Dead. This was because the child had not been baptized and back then, you could not bury an unbaptized child on consecrated land. Because she could not rest for eternity with her beloved lost child, she still wanders the grounds aimlessly. Searching endlessly in the hopes of being reunited.

Asylum

The Asylum was home to prisoners who were too mentally ill to serve inside the central prison. They were left here to souls still reside in these walls. People hear footsteps at night, and lights turn on and off on their own. But the two most famous ghosts of the Asylum aren’t of prisoners at all, but of a young girl and an older woman who roam the halls. After the prison closed in 1877, the asylum building was refurbished and turned into a school. Although we don’t know why this school teacher and her pupil haunt these halls one can imagine they themselves might have been tortured by the ghost of old inmates.

Separate Prison

Besides the Asylum, we find the Separate Prison. The Separate Prison was where prisoners would come to suffer under the torments of solitary confinement. The Commandants of Port Arthur believed in psychological punishment over corporal punishments (although that was prevalent as well). In these silent cells, prisoners would spend 23 hours alone. Whenever they left their cells, they were forced to wear a hood and made to stay quiet at any cost. The guards even learned sign language to ensure the inmates never heard the sound of human voices.

This kind of “treatment” was thought to give the prisoners time to reflect on their misdoings. This kind of penitence was presumed to guide them into a life of reform. But it usually did no such thing, and many prisoners were driven mad by the treatment. Once the inmates went mad, they were simply moved from the Separate Prison over the Asylum. There, they would eventually die from maltreatment or malnutrition or simply neglect. They never even had a chance to leave Port Arthur.

Famous Prisoner Ghosts

One famous prisoner, William Carter, hung himself from his cell in 1867. He felt this was his only escape from the “silent system.” When people think death is their only escape, you know how dark things must have been inside Port Arthur’s walls. You can still visit Carter’s cell today. Many people report the feeling of overwhelming sadness when inside, as if the spirit was still lingering. People who come to the Separate Prison have been known to feel like someone is touching them when no one is there. People have even been scratched by phantom hands.

In the C Wing is where they held the most dangerous, violent and criminally insane individuals. People have reported they saw the ghost of John Gould, a criminal sent here after the attempted rape of a child. He appears in the small window of his cell, peering out hauntingly at the guests.

One of the saddest stories from the separate prison is that a young boy who was sentenced to death. It was very rare, even back then, that such a young child could have done anything serious enough to warrant a death sentence. Today, people report hearing the cries of a young boy at night time, just like the cries he was said to have made before his execution.

Penitentiary

It’s worth mentioning that not many ghosts are known to be seen inside the old Penitentiary. While many inmates suffered horrible fates, the prisoner who stayed inside the main Penitentiary were generally very well behaved. This part of the prison was truly for social reform. The prisoner slept in large dormitories where they could socialize with each other. They were given a chance to reform themselves while attending church and even learned many trades like shipbuilding, carpentry, and blacksmithing.

The Guard Tower

Standing at the Guard Tower, looking out over the rest of Port Arthur, there have been accountants of moans echoing throughout the tower. Apparitions of soldiers in their uniforms have appeared to guests. One guest even reported having their arm grabbed as they passed by.

Commandant’s House

The large, white-bricked building on the end of the peninsula belongs to the Commandant. Located on a slight incline, the house looks out over the bay and the entire prison complex. This was the first house built in Port Arthur and was made for the prison director, also called the Commandant. No doubt the Commandant was one of the most careless individuals, constantly putting prisoners, even the goodly ones, into such abominable environments. Inside, one of his rocking chairs is still there and is seen rocking back and forth without anyone sitting upon it. This is thought to be the spirit of the old Commandant. Still, obsessively watching over the colony all these years later. People have reported that if they try to take a picture of the chair their cameras being to malfunction or the images are extremely blurry despite the photographer remaining still.

Jetty

Near the Jetty Dock to Point Puer, keep your eyes open around the cottage for a young soldier. In 1840, Private Robert Young fell into the black waters in the middle of the night. He was on his way to deliver a doctor to the young boy’s prison. Despite all efforts to pull him from the water, he perished. Young is still seen on the cottage’s stoop, looking out over the dark waters. Some people report they saw the dark spirits pulling him into the waters when he died. Perhaps the spirit of Young keeps watch around the Jetty to ensure no one else suffers the same fate he did.

Isle of the Dead

Located off the mainland, we find the most haunting part of Port Arthur, the Isle of the Dead. This island is a scary place to be during the day and at night, especially when it gets quiet. It was here that the dead from the prison settlement were buried. Over 1,600 prisoners were buried here, along with workers from the prison. Only the workers were initially given marked graves, whereas the prisoners were just placed into unmarked mass burial sites. It is well known among spiritual beliver that someone who doesn’t receive a proper burial without a marked tombstone, will roam the earth. Endlessly searching for revenge and unable to take their eternal rest.

The Gravedigger of Port Arthur

It was customary for one of the prisoners to become the resident gravedigger. They was forced to live alone on the Isle of the Dead in a small wooden hut. Mark Jeffrey is the most infamous of all Port Arthur’s gravediggers. He was accused of manslaughter and sent to Port Arthur from Ireland. One day, there was a signal fire spotted on the mainland. Soldier’s went to see what was happening and the hut destroyed and Jeffrey in great distress. The gravedigger begged the soldiers to take him back with them to the mainland. He claimed to have seen the Devil. Jeffrey reported that the devil appeared to him, destroyed his hut and left Jeffrey shaken in pure terror. The gravedigger never recovered from the supposed attack and spent the rest of his days in the Asylum.

Point Puer Prison

Point Puer Prison was a separate island prison that held only the young offenders. It was thought that by keeping them far away from the mainland, the children wouldn’t be subject to the negative influences of the adult inmates. 3,000 boys were sent to the island, and while it was meant to house boys aged 14-17, there are records of boys as young as nine being sent here. Nothing remains of the prison today, except for the spirits of the young boys who perished on the island. People constantly report the sounds of children’s voices on the island, crying out in pain and screaming for help. But when people make their way to the island, they isn’t anyone there.

Hopefully, after reading through these stories, you can see why Port Arthur is one of the most haunted places in Tasmania, if not all of Australia. Even if you don’t believe in ghosts, there is no doubt that the treatment of the prisoners sent here was inhumane and that their tortured souls are more than likely still searching for peace. If you have the chance to visit Port Arthur, either during the day or attending one of their fantastic ghost tours, take some time to remember the spirits of all those who perished here and perhaps you might be lucky enough to spot one for yourself!

Happy Travels, Adventurers

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]]> https://thecreativeadventurer.com/an-exciting-haunting-self-guided-tour-of-port-arthurs-ghosts/feed/ 0 23190 The Most Haunted and Spooky Places to Visit in Stockholm https://thecreativeadventurer.com/the-most-haunted-and-spooky-places-in-stockholm/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-most-haunted-and-spooky-places-in-stockholm https://thecreativeadventurer.com/the-most-haunted-and-spooky-places-in-stockholm/#respond Mon, 17 Aug 2020 18:11:57 +0000 https://thecreativeadventurer.com/?p=17133 Stockholm, especially in the middle of their dark winters, is genuinely one of the most hauntingly...

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]]> Stockholm, especially in the middle of their dark winters, is genuinely one of the most hauntingly beautiful places to explore. The lamplit alleys cast an ominous golden glow down on the cobblestone below. The echos of your footsteps causing you for a moment to suspect you might be followed. But when you turn around, there is nothing but darkness behind you. This kind of atmosphere is ideal for ghost hunting and exploring the darker side of Stockholm’s history.

Table Of Contents
  1. Mårten Trotzigs Gränd
  2. Black Friar Tombstone
  3. #23 Baggensgatan
  4. #14 Kindstugatan
  5. Stockholm Bloodbath
  6. #20 Stortorget
  7. Tjuvakällaren
  8. Siskeburen 
  9. #24 Västerlånggatan
  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
  19. The Käpplinge Murders
  20. Brunkebergstorg
  21. van der Nootska Palace
  22. Stockholm's Bysättningshäkte
  23. Kolerakyrkogården
  24. Galgbacken
  25. Skogskyrkogården
  26. Happy Travels Adventures!

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. 

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. 

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.

#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.

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.

#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. 

Sourced from wikimedia.org

#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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

Famous theif, Jacob Guntlack who was held inside the Rosenkammaren.

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. 

Sourced from wikimedia.org

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.

Sourced from wikimedia.org

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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