If your idea of a great travel destination includes thrills and adventures, as well as exploring the less traveled corner of the world, you might consider visiting someplace haunted. Some are haunted due to the experiences of previous guests and the legends that grow with every telling. Some start out creepy-looking, and therefore breed terror which then breeds stories of ghosts and mysterious happenings. And there are some are places where documented horrific events occurred, which leads to consideration of the restless spirits of the victims who met their end at that spot. The Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town, South Africa, is exactly such a place.
Originally a ship replenishment station built by the Dutch East India Company, this castle also served as a military fortress and prison during the Second Boer War from 1899 to 1902. The castle's official website lays out its gruesome past, which involved men being hanged. One of them put a curse on governor Pieter van Noodt who condemned them to death, and the governor died of a heart attack the next day. If you're up for it, you can tour the many rooms of the castle—including the torture chamber.
This is just one of 14 haunted places with dark pasts that you can visit. See the entire list at House Beautiful.
(Image credit: Martinvl)
