The Darkest Dark Tourism In The World
For some, vacation isn't always about relaxing, especially when visiting a historic site reeking of death and horror. From historic war zones to torture chambers, here's a list of destinations where dark tourism is its gloomiest.
1. Gravensteen Castle, Belgium
It may look like a castle from a fairytale, but Gravensteen is more suited to a horror story. No wonder there are rumors this place is haunted, behind its ancient stone walls are torture rooms from the Middle Ages. Visitors can get a close-up look at the gruesome chambers and tools used to punish criminals who died a painful death.
2. The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine
After the world's largest nuclear catastrophe took place here in 1986, many lives were ruined forever. Towns and villages around the power plant were evacuated and abandoned for years after due to deadly radiation and toxic air. The zone is now deemed safe to explore with an official Chernobyl Tour run by professionals.
3. Alcatraz Prison, USA
Alcatraz is renown as one of the most gloomy and fascinating jails on the planet. Tours held at the island prison are a prime example of dark tourism, with tickets that sell out months in advance. If you're able to snag a ticket, prepare for chilling tales told from former prisoners and guards as you stroll through the haunted grounds and jail cells.
4. Jallianwala Bagh Memorial Park, India
In the holy city of Amritsar is a monument dedicated to a very dark time in India's history. The memorial park honors the injured and lost lives of the peaceful protestors who were shot on April 13, 1919. Under British rule, General Dyer opened fire in a crowd of thousands of citizens wanting independence. You can learn all about the tragic day with a self-guided tour of the site.
5. Port Arthur, Australia
Port Arthur in Tasmania was arguably one of the most horrific prisons on Earth. The asylum was designed to break down its prisoners mentally and physically with unimaginable torture treatments that lead many to insanity. Port Arthur is also the location of Australia's largest mass shooting in history. You can visit the deadly landmark with an in-depth tour to learn of its disturbing past.
6. Tham Piew Cave, Laos
Laos has a devastating history of bombings and the Tham Piew Cave marks one of the country's most fatal sites. Almost 400 villagers seeking refuge in the cave were killed by a US fighter jet missile in 1968. It's a somber tourist destination off the beaten path that commemorates the innocent lives lost.
7. Catacombs, France
One of the spookiest tours in Paris takes you underground through tunnels of human skulls and bones. Overflowing graveyards in the 17th century led to the creation of the eerie tunnels, housing the bones of over 6 million dead people.
8. Lenin Mausoleum, Russia
This dark pyramid structure is a popular attraction in Moscow. Inside holds the embalmed body of the vicious Vladimir Lenin. With strict rules and military security, you can see the former Soviet leader up close in his tomb. The grave of Joseph Stalin is tucked behind the site as well.
9. Bodie State Historic Park, USA
The notorious ghost town in California was once a gold mining haven. It's become a destination for dark tourism due to the grim lives of the miners who lived and died there in the 1800s. Rusting cars are overgrown with plants and saloon walls are crumbling.
10. Choeung Ek Killing Fields, Cambodia
With "killing fields" in its name, you know its a destination with a disturbing past. Between 1975 and 1979, the communist party captured and executed anyone they considered a threat and trained children as soldiers. You can visit the Geocidal Centre to learn more about the horrific history of the site.
Dr. Hubertus Knabe on Wikimedia
11. House Of Terror, Hungary
Despite that "House of Terror" is a popular name for haunted houses at Halloween, this museum is truly terrifying. It showcases artifacts and stories from Europe's cruelest past with a look into Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia.
12. Auschwitz Concentration Camp, Poland
Auschwitz is arguably the saddest and most tragic tourist sites in the world where over a million innocent people were killed in the WWII Holocaust. Much of the site is preserved and visitors can feel the terror as they walk around the horrific grounds of concentration camp.
MARCIN CZERNIAWSKI on Unsplash
13. Soi Sai Bus Cemetery, Thailand
This unusual graveyard is full of demolished vehicles that represent stories of fatal accidents. The automobiles were collected from road accidents that left its passengers behind. It's a grim cemetery that hopefully teaches dark tourists to drive safely.
14. Hiroshima Peace Memorial, Japan
The memorial stands as a marker for the atomic bombings that killed over 200, 000 civilians and ended WWII. The devastating blast destroyed the lives of survivors with loss, wounds, and radiation poisoning. The memorial park pays homage to the victims of the horrifying event.
15. Murambi Genocide Memorial, Rwanda
This painfully sad memorial was built to honor the 50, 000+ victims of the Tutsi community who were slaughtered during the Rwandan Civil War in 1994. The memorial has preserved some the bodies so visitors can understand how gruesome the massacre was.
Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada on Wikimedia
16. 9/11 Memorial & Museum, USA
Through artifacts, stories, and a massive memorial, visitors can learn about the tragic day the Twin Towers came down. It's a tour that can end in tears, with witness to the thousands of lives destroyed and the trauma it sparked.
17. Pompeii, Italy
Pompeii is a rediscovered ancient city that was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 79AD. Skeletons were found beneath the ash and debris. Today, visitors can walk around the city with glimpses into its tragic past with casts of bodies showing the terror of natural disaster.
18. The Museum Of Death, USA
A museum can't get more dark than this. The Museum of Death in Los Angeles and New Orleans displays a collection of artifacts from history's gruesome side. From crime scene photos to execution devices, the disturbing collection includes pieces from notorious murders and deaths.
Arienne McCracken on Wikimedia
19. Belchite Ruins, Spain
The horrors of war are prevalent at the site of Belchite. The ruins remain untouched since the Spanish Civil War and the ghost town is an example of the destruction war brings. You can go on a guided tour that dives deep into the devastating bombing during the Battle of Belchite that left the town to rot.
20. Hell's Museum, Singapore
Har Par Villa is home to Hell's Museum that showcases traditional Chinese spiritual morality. Inside you'll find depictions and statues of a court of judgement, where sinners' souls are sent to one of the eighteen levels of hell. From impaled bodies roasting in flames to butchered bodies surrounded by demons, you're in for a hellish display.
