Switzerland
A collection of the haunted ghost stories, urban legends, folktales and the paranormal of Switzerland.
A collection of the haunted ghost stories, urban legends, folktales and the paranormal of Switzerland.
The Haunted Underground of Bern
Have you ever noticed the underground world of the old town in Bern? Now fancy cafes and shops, there are also tales of secret passageways, hideouts and ghosts beneath the cobbled stoned city.
Kindlifresserbrunnen and the Ghosts of the Discarded Children Beneath Bern
Around the terrifying statue of the Kindlifressenbrunnen devouring children, young ghosts are said to haunt like a misty night. Said to be the unwanted babies taken out of the city through the underground tunnels, they return to the scene of the crime.
The Haunting of the Frick Stairs: Bern’s Processions of Death and Ghosts of Murderesses
There is not a single ghost story about the Frick Stairs in Bern, there is a plethora. Tales of women murdering their children and horrible funeral processions that left the spectators in shock is said to have walked up and down the steps for centuries.
The Restless Spirit of Hans Franz Nägeli: The Ghost of the Fricktreppe
Hans Franz Nägeli: (c. 1497 – 9 January 1579) was a Swiss politician, military leader and diplomat who was a prominent force in Bern for four decades. He was the Schultheiß, or the chief magistrate, of Bern from 1540 to 1568.
Most Haunted Places in Basel, Switzerland and its Ghostly Legends
From poltergeists, ghostly monks, nuns and knights as well as a procession of skeletons, some of the most haunted places in Basel, Switzerland are said to be centuries old. Let’s have a closer look on some of them.
The Tschäggättä: Switzerland’s Masked Monsters of Winter
Deep in the heart of the Swiss Alps, the enchanting yet eerie Lötschental Valley harbors a chilling tradition that has captivated and terrified generations. Known as the Tschäggättä, these fearsome, fur-clad figures emerge from the shadows of snow-laden forests during the dark, cold months of winter. Combining ancient folklore with theatrical spectacle, the Tschäggättä embody…
The Sinful Monk Haunting the Former Monastery House on Junkerngasse
Could Junkerngasse be the most haunted street in Bern? From a former monastery that used to be here, locals complained for a long time about the haunting of a monk who committed a sin so grave that neither his body, nor his soul ever left.
The Dream of the Basel Rhine Bridge about the Buried Treasure
A legend goes that a simple farmer from the Emmental in the Swizz alps had a dream about finding gold at the bridge in Basel. Visited by a ghostly shadow, he was guided around the country to find it.
The Haunting of the Antoniterkirche: Where the Monks Never Left
The transition from Catholicism to Protestantism sometimes got bloody. This was also the case in Bern where the Antonite monks of Antoniterkirche had been residing for centuries. Cast out, their former churches and chapels were left desecrated, but did they truly leave the city?
The Restless Gatekeeper of the Rhine Gate in Basel
After the gatekeeper’s young daughter died in the Rhine, his only wish was to be buried next to her in the cemetery. As they all believed his own death was a suicide he was denied a burial in a consecrated ground. Now, he is forced to linger in the shadows, his only way to visit…
The Slave Trader of Ebenrain: A Tormented Spirit in the Shadows of Sissach
Meant to be a peaceful summer residence in Sissach, outside of Basel in Switzerland, the Ebenrain Castle turned into a haunted one after one of its former inhabitants is still haunting it.
The Ghostly Monk of Spittelsprung (Münsterberg) in Basel
Back at a time when the hills of Münsterberg were called Spittelsprung in the really old parts of Basel in Switzerland, it was also said a monk was haunting the streets. Gliding in and out of the houses frightening the children, he took no notice of the world of the living, always deep in his…
Knightly Ghosts Haunting St. Johanns-Vorstadt by the Rhine River
Before a modern apartment complex was built in its place, the area around St Johann district used to belong to the crusader order of St. John. Tales of knights prancing in armor, the anguished screams of children cries coming from the wells as well as ghostly apparitions in the old Ritterhaus have haunted the place…
The Dragons of Mount Pilatus: Serpents and Ghosts in the Mist of Lucerne
Is there a dragon nesting in Mount Pilatus by Lake Lucerne in Switzerland? For centuries the mountain has brought fear and fantastical tales from the locals living at the foot of the raging mountain. It was even forbidden to visit, as they believed disturbing the spirits would cause storms and flooding.
The Ghosts Haunting the Mattentreppe, Ringing the New Year In
The old stairs around the old town in Bern are most definitely haunted. Ascending from the Cathedral on Münsterplattform towards the Aare River, ghosts of the past are said to be the ones behind the creaks on the stairs.
The Bailiff of Brunegg: A Ghostly Hunt Through Swiss Snow and Sin
After taking his regime of terror too far on a stormy winter night, the Bailiff of Brunegg committed a sin so huge on a hunt that would send him into a haunted afterlife.
The White Lady of Rouelbeau Castle Ruins Appearing for Christmas
In the ruins of the former castle of Rouelbeau in Switzerland, the ghost of a Lady in White is said to appear during Christmas times. As one of the Weiße Frau from Germanic folklore, she is believed to have been the mistress of the castle until she was cast away for not bearing a son.
The Ghost Soldiers of Rapperswil Ringing the Bell of St. John
In the middle of the night, it was said that the bells of St. John Church in Rapperswil, Switzerland started to toll. When the churchwarden went to investigate, it was said that he saw the headless ghosts of the fallen soldiers from the Battle of Näfels holding midnight mass.
Ghosts of the Holy Season: The Christmas Hauntings of Bern
Each December, when the nights grow long and the spirit of Christmas fills the air, Bern’s holiday phantoms awaken. These tales from lore and legends, remind us that even amidst celebration, the spirits of bygone eras linger.
The Cursed Butcher Apprentice Haunting Rathausgasse in Bern
Said to be cursed after torturing a calf, the butcher apprentice is now cursed to haunt the old butcher street for eternity. For centuries now, people claim to have heard the horrid sound of hooves clattering on the ground as he was transformed into the very thing he tortured for fun.
Mayor Rudolf Brun’s Ghost Under St Peter’s Church Tower in Zurich
After the exhumation of the graves of one of Zurich’s mayors who died under mysterious circumstances people started talking about seeing his ghost wandering around the church tower and wall of St. Peter. Could the ghost of Rudolf Brun, who ruled during volatile times in the city have returned?
The Legend of the Rollibock: Guardian of the Aletsch Glacier
Coming down as an avalanche through the Swiss Alps, the Rollibock monster is the avenger on man when they take too much from nature.
The Tatzelwurm of the Aare Gorge: Switzerland’s Elusive Alpine Monster
Can the Aare Gorge in Switzerland be the home of an ancient creature? The Tatzelwurm is an old legend in the alps and even in modern times, people have claimed to have seen this elusive and mysterious serpent-like creature.
The Teufelsbrücke of Andermatt and the Schöllenen Gorge Made by the Devil
Thought to be made by the Devil himself, the Teufelsbrücke Bridge stretching across the Scllenen Gorge in the Swiss Alps continues to be a marvel and a mystery. So much so that a legend telling it was so hard to build they had to make a deal with the devil to make it happen.
The Haunted Sanatorium of the Gotthard Abandoned in the Swizz Mountains
Now long abandoned and left to decay in the Swizz forests, The Sanatorium of the Gotthard is said to still have some patients that never checked out. Is it really someone haunting the old hospital in the mountains?
The Architect’s Ghost: Hauntings at Grand Hotel Giessbach
The Grand Hotel Giessbach has housed the Swiss elite for over a century and is said to be haunting the ghost of Horace Edouard Davinet, the architect behind it all.
The Night Horse Zawudschawu: Phantom of the Gruyère Moors
Luring weary travelers to get on their back, the dark night horse Zawudschawu, is said to prowl the swampy moors of Gruyère Moors.
The Joller House Haunting: Switzerland’s Poltergeist Mystery in Stans
For years, the old Joller House that used to be in Stans was plagued by a poltergeist-like haunting that drove an entire family out of the city? What really happened within the walls where the knocking and scratching of the walls seemed to come from the other side?
The Ghost of Maules: Unmasking the Chilling Legend of Le Loyon
For decades, sightings of a strange humanoid were seen wandering the Swiss forests in Maules. Clad in camouflage and masked by an antique gas mask, the figure now known as Le Loyon or the Ghost of Maule turned into an urban legend.
The Poltergeist of The Grossmünster Rectory in Zurich
The Zurich Poltergeist was a well known haunting happening to the Pastor of Grossmünster Church in his home at Zwingliplatz in the early 1700s. For years, the family experienced torment at the hands of what they believed had to be the devil.
The Ghosts of Château de Chillon: Echoes from the Dungeons of Lake Geneva
From the Swiss Riviera, the Ghosts of Château de Chillon is said to haunt the place. Deep in the dungeons, jewish prisoners accused of spreading the plague, those accused of witchcraft and the political enemies of The House of Savoy are still lingering.
The Curse of the Robber Knight Junker Kuoni: Neu-Bechburg’s Restless Spirit
Hidden in the valleys of Switzerland, the Neu-Bechburg Castle is said to be haunted by the Robber Knight, Junker Kuoni who was walled up inside a secret chamber in the castle.
Ghosts of the New Moon: The White Death and the Restless Shadows of Basel
Roaming around Basel a ghost called Weisse Tod, or The White Death was said to terrorize the neighborhood around the Baroque Markgräflerhof building. Who was this terrifying ghost peering into people’s windows with its empty and dark eye sockets?
Lenzburg Castle: The Haunting Legends of a Swiss Hilltop Fortress
One of the oldest castles in Switzerland is the hilltop fortress Lenzburg Castle. Said to be built on top of an old dragon lair from ancient times, it is also said to be haunting with a bell ringing for no one and the ghost of a maid by the well in the midst of the…
The Headless Heretic of Basel: The Haunting of the Spießhof Building
Persecuted for his beliefs, the ghost of David Joris, the famous heretic is said to haunt his old home Spießhof in Basel. According to mediums, he won’t leave before clearing his name.
The Evil Eye of Rebgasse: Curses, Shadows, and an Exorcism in Basel
Kleinbasel neighborhood is perhaps one of the most haunted places in Basel, Switzerland. In an unassuming house at Rebgasse 38, the well known exorcist Johann Jakob von Brunn visited twice to banish the ghosts lingering in it.
The Ghosts of the Patron Saints of Zurich: Felix, Regula and Exuperantis, Carrying their Heads under their Arms
There is a ghost legend from Roman times in Zurich. The story of the martyrs and saints Felix, Regula and Exuperantis who rose from their deaths and walked with their heads under their arms, is still an important story for the city.
The Gray Ghost of Claraplatz: Kleinbasel’s Neighborhood Spirit
Said to haunt several houses around Kleinbasel district in Basel, Switzerland, the terrifying ghost known as The Gray One was roaming the street. Especially in a now demolished house on Claraplatz, two little girls had to endure his persistent haunting.
Ghosts of Uetliberg Hill and The Three Beeches by the Manegg Castle Ruins
A woman scorned by the Manesse family from the ruins of the old Manegg Castle on the hills of Uetliberg in Zurich, she is said to haunt the place she was seduced and ended her life, appearing to passersby on stormy nights.
The Restless Spirits of Kleines Klingental: Basel’s Haunted Nunnery
A house of God turned into the sinful playground of the rich and powerful nuns, the former Dominican Cloister, Kleines Klingental in Basel is said to be haunted by the ghostly nuns, still to this day praying to be released from their sins.
The Knocking Ghost of Utengasse 47: Basel’s Poltergeist Case
In a small apartment at Utengasse 47 in Basel, a poltergeist was said to torment the family living there. It got so bad and they found no solution that the family had to vacate the place instead.
The Ghostly Clergyman of Bubendorf: A Restless Spirit at the Rectory
The spirit of a former priest was said to haunt his rectory in Bubendorf, outside of Basel in Switzerland. Question remaining, is his spirit still lingering inside of the centuries old walls?
The Headless Ghost Woman of Bern
Number 54 in Junkerngaasse, Bern might be hiding more than just old history and dust. The legends of this long abandoned house just won’t let go.
