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The White Lady of Rouelbeau Castle Ruins Appearing for Christmas

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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. 

In the marshlands and forests of western Switzerland, the crumbling ruins of Rouelbeau Castle stand as a lonely reminder of medieval ambition and restless spirits. The name Rouelbeau, which is commonly used today, may consist partly of the French verb roiller , which means “to rain heavily” and is translated as “to strike” in the old local dialect. And partly of bot, which means “frog”. One explanation for the meaning of Rouelbeau built on the marchy plain near the Seymaz river, is that the lords of the castle could not sleep at night because of the loud croaking of frogs and therefore had their servants strike the water.

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While few stones of the fortress remain, it is not the broken walls that draw uneasy glances from passersby, but the enduring legend of La Dame Blanche, or in German called Weiße Frau, the White Lady — a sorrowful ghost whose presence is still feared along the winding path known as the Chemin de la Dame Blanche and around the ruins of the castle.

Rouelbeau Castle Ruins: Oil painting of the ruins of Rouelbeau Castle in Meinier in what is now the Swiss Canton of Geneva, by an unknown artist. An inscription on the backside uses the alternative spelling “Roilbot” and feature a number which may be read as the year “1808” From a private collection.

The Tragic Tale of Rouelbeau’s White Lady

Stories about the spirits of the Lady in White have been told in Europe since pre-christian times, and has been a part of folklore for ages. There are now hundreds of so-called Ladies in White, haunting decaying European castles, ancient forests and deep waters. 

The origins of this particular legend of the Lady in White of Château de Rouelbeau, trace back to 1318, when Knight Humbert de Choulex ordered the construction of Rouelbeau Castle in what is now the municipality of Meinier, in the canton of Geneva. He was a vassal of the Faucigny-Baron. While intended as a defensive stronghold against rival factions and the restless borders of medieval Switzerland, the castle’s history quickly turned dark.

According to oral tradition, Humbert’s first wife was cast aside, cruelly divorced after failing to provide him a male heir. Her name is now lost and what became of the discarded woman remains a mystery. Some say she died of grief, others that she was locked away, or met a violent, unrecorded end. It is her anguished spirit, so the legend tells, that took the form of La Dame Blanche, forever bound to the castle grounds.

For generations, travelers and villagers alike have reported sightings of a pale woman dressed in flowing white, a shimmering diadem crowning her head, gliding silently through the misty fields surrounding the castle ruins. Most eerily, her appearances are said to coincide with tragic or unexplained deaths in the area.

The Haunted Castle Ruins: The south-western tower and the southern wall of the Rouelbeau Castle. // Source

A Haunting Presence in the Christmas Night

Local accounts vary as to when the White Lady is most active. Some say she emerges under the cover of a new moon’s darkness, while others claim she walks under the ethereal glow of a full moon. But one certainty endures: Christmas Eve remains the most sacred and sinister night in the legend of La Dame Blanche.

It is on this night, according to stories passed down since the 19th century, that the entire castle is said to rise again from its ruins, bathed in ghostly light, with spectral inhabitants returning to reenact scenes from long-forgotten feasts and torments. The Lady herself appears resplendent, her otherworldly beauty made all the more chilling by her silent, sorrowful gaze.

There is even a curious twist to the tale. In one solitary account from the early 1800s, a destitute orphan, lost and starving in the winter woods, encountered La Dame Blanche on Christmas Eve. Instead of vanishing in terror, the child accepted the ghost’s beckoning hand and was led to a hidden cache of gold and silver, a reward for his pure heart and desperate plight. The treasure, it is said, lifted the boy from poverty — but he was forbidden from ever revealing the source, save to the dying.

The following year punished one of his greedy relatives by locking him in the castle vault to his death.

The Chemin de la Dame Blanche: Path of Shadows

Even today, the path running alongside the ruins bears the ominous name Chemin de la Dame Blanche, and locals approach it with quiet caution, especially during the cold months. Strange lights have reportedly flickered in the trees, and unexplained cold drafts creep through the marsh even on still summer nights.

Christmas Haunting: Oil painting by Alfred Dumont from a private collection: «Ice skating at Pallanterie in front of the ruins of Rouelbeau Castle» from around 1870.

Hikers and amateur ghost hunters claim to have heard faint weeping near the site, or seen a pale figure moving just beyond reach in the gloom. Some modern investigators suggest the damp, misty conditions of the marshland might explain these apparitions — but those familiar with Rouelbeau’s legend know better than to tempt the unseen.

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The Legend of the Black Cat

A second legend surrounding the castle ruins is about a black cat, le chat noir, with glowing eyes. It is said to roam the grounds, especially on foggy days at nightfall, suddenly attacking its victims with razor-sharp claws, tearing them to pieces. It is said to be the devil himself, who can only be repelled with a firm blow from a club. If the cat successfully defends itself, it should not be given a coup de grâce, as otherwise it would regain all its strength and abduct its victim into the underworld .

The story is partly linked to an incident in 1567: At that time, the brothers Claude and Jenon Dexert, who lived on the edge of the swamp, were accused of witchcraft and executed after a confession extracted under torture. According to tradition, the cat is their avenging angel.

Whether a cautionary fable or a true haunting, those who tread the path beside Rouelbeau’s ruins on a winter’s night would do well to keep their distance should a lady in white appear from the mist — for her intentions, like the history of the castle itself, remain forever shadowed in sorrow and mystery.

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References:

Weiße Frau – Wikipedia

Ruine Rouelbeau – Wikipedia

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The Ghost Soldiers of Rapperswil Ringing the Bell of St. John

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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.

“Before this evil news reached the city,
that our brave heart had fallen in loyalty,
the great bell in Rapperswil rang sixty-two times.”
– JH. Fornaro

Along the northern shores of Lake Zurich, the medieval town of Rapperswil-Jona is known for its charming alleys in the old town, historic castle, and rose gardens which is why it’s known as Rosenstadt, or the City of Roses. 

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But beneath this picturesque veneer lies a chilling legend, one that speaks of loyalty beyond death and spectral gatherings in the dead of night. The tale of the headless ghost soldiers of Rapperswil has unnerved locals for centuries and remains one of Switzerland’s most eerie supernatural legends.

A Bell That Rings for the Dead

Stadtpfarrkirche St. Johann (Saint John’s parish church) is a Roman Catholic parish church in the city of Rapperswil, right next to Rapperswil Castle on Herrenberg hill in the old town. Rapperswil Castle, the town walls of the former locus Endingen and the parish church were built by Count Rudolf II and his son Rudolf III of Rapperswil around 1220/29.

It is also on this hill on the southern walls that the first roses in Rapperswil blooms because their medieval sandstone walls are exposed to the sun all through the year. It is also where the old and dark ghost legends hang around the ancient halls.

The legend begins on a cold, silent night at the start of the 20th century, when the church bell at St. John’s Church began to toll by itself. This story was told by the Rapperswil politician and publicist Theodor Curti, who died in 1914, although it’s not certain exactly when this was supposed to have happened.

The mournful clang shattered the stillness of the sleeping town. According to the story, the churchwarden — believing someone had broken into the sacred place — made his way to the tower, expecting to find a prankster or a thief. Instead, he found the bell swaying on its own, untouched by human hands.

What he witnessed next would haunt the town’s memory for generations.

The Headless Procession

As the churchwarden descended into the nave, the flicker of ghostly figures appeared around the ancient altar. Dozens of soldiers, clad in bloodstained medieval armor, stood in silent formation. Their most horrifying feature: every one of them was headless. Despite this gruesome deformity, the soldiers appeared solemn and composed, as though celebrating mass in front of the altar.

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The churchwarden watched in petrified awe as the ghostly warriors held a midnight mass for their fallen brethren. No words were spoken, no sound but the bell’s final echoes remained. When the ceremony ended, the soldiers faded back into the shadows, leaving behind an eerie chill in the air.

The Battle of Näfels and the Origins of the Legend

Local lore links these restless spirits to the Battle of Näfels, fought in 1388 between the Old Swiss Confederacy and the Habsburg forces that led to the independence from Habsburg rule. Rapperswil was then under Habsburg rule. It was a brutal clash in which 62 men from Rapperswil perished. It was said that the other soldiers all fled, only the brave Rosenstadters remained steadfast. When their bodies were found, they were all lying together, slain in a small orchard.

In his notes, Curti suggests that this is a variant of the legend that originated in the Battle of Näfels in 1388 that the death bell rang as well, exactly 62 times for the fallen ones. Although there really was 62 locals dead in the battle, there has been no historical proof that the bells actually rang back then but the legends.

Many believe the headless soldiers are the souls of these men, returning on certain nights to mourn their fate and honor those who died alongside them.

The Battle of Näfels: The battle was the last of the Swiss-Austrian conflicts that stretched through most of the 14th century. The Swiss had 54 men killed, who were buried at the parish church of Mollis. Habsburg losses are less well known, but are estimated to be between several hundred and 1,700 killed. In 1339, the first Näfelser Fahrt, a pilgrimage to the site of the battle, was held. This pilgrimage, which still occurs, happens on the first Thursday in April and is in memory of the battle.

Over the centuries, reports of the ghostly procession have persisted. Townsfolk whisper that the spirits are most likely to appear during violent storms, misty autumn nights, or on the anniversary of the battle. The legend has become so entwined with the town’s history that a path leading to the old battlefield is still marked by aged stones, and some locals claim to hear phantom footsteps or distant, mournful bells when passing by after dusk.

Symbol or Specter?

While skeptics dismiss the tale as folklore — a metaphor for the horrors of war and the sacrifices of the past — others remain convinced that something lingers within Rapperswil’s ancient walls. The church where the soldiers supposedly gather has undergone restorations, yet strange incidents occasionally occur: inexplicable drafts, flickering candle flames, and, once in recorded memory, the death bell tolling on a windless night.

Whether a symbolic remembrance or a true haunting, the story of the Ghost Soldiers of Rapperswil continues to captivate, reminding visitors and locals alike that the past is never truly buried — and that sometimes, the dead march on in silence, seeking the honor denied to them in life.

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References:

Hier spukt es: Unheimliche Orte in der Schweiz | WEB.DE

Stadtpfarrkirche Rapperswil – Wikipedia

Battle of Näfels – Wikipedia

Die kopflosen Geistersoldaten und ihr Spuk in Rapperswil | Südostschweiz

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Ghosts of the Holy Season: The Christmas Hauntings of Bern

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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.

As twinkling lights line the ancient streets and snow dusts the rooftops of Bern during Advent season, the scent of mulled wine, gingerbread and candied almonds wafts through the town. The Old City seems like a winter postcard brought to life with its church spires and lit up windows in the cold winter nights. 

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But behind its festive charm and glowing Christmas markets, December brings with it more than warmth and wonder as it invites the return of Bern’s holiday phantoms, whose stories swirl like mist around the Aare River. 

These ghost stories were collected by Hedwig Correvon in the book Ghost Stories from Bern in 1919 and are all set in the haunted darkness of Christmas times. 

The Dancing Beguines

On quiet, moonlit nights near the Nydeggbrücke, those with the rare gift of second sight may glimpse something truly otherworldly. Seven small lights rise from the river’s dark waters and begin to swirl and twirl, chasing one another in joyful abandon above the gentle current. These are no ordinary flames; they are the spirits of the Beguines, young women once cloistered in the monastery at Klösterlistutz against their will. 

Beguines: Although they are called Beguines, were they really this? The Beguines were Christian lay religious orders that were active in Western Europe, particularly in the Low Countries, in the 13th–16th centuries. Their members lived in semi-monastic communities but did not take formal religious vows. Although they promised not to marry “as long as they lived as Beguines”, to quote an early Rule of Life, they were free to leave at any time. Beguines were part of a larger spiritual revival movement of the 13th century that stressed imitation of Jesus’ life through voluntary poverty, care of the poor and sick, and religious devotion.

According to legend, their restless souls are granted a fleeting moment of freedom each Christmas to dance above the river they were once forbidden to cross. As the clock at Nydegg Church strikes midnight, their ghostly game ends in a soft sigh before they vanish, leaving only ripples on the water and a chill in the air.

The Lonely Walk Near the Studerstein

In the deep silence between Christmas and New Year’s, when the moon glows brightest, a solitary figure can be seen walking along the banks near the Studerstein, a park in the old town. Dressed in a long wig, knee breeches, and polished buckled shoes, the ghost of a man emerges from an old pavilion, tapping his silver-capped cane along his familiar path. He never speaks. One worker who once dared to call after him was met not with a reply, but with an inexplicable downpour from a clear sky and a deafening crash behind him. Like echoes of the phantom’s grief, or a warning not to disturb his solemn procession.

The Homesick Ghost

In a narrow house deep within Bern’s Old Town, Christmas brings a soft creak of old doors and the hush of unseen footsteps. The apparition is of a young peasant woman, dressed in centuries-old garb with a sulfur-yellow hat tucked under her arm. She is the homesick ghost, returning each holy season to the childhood home she once knew, although the story doesn’t mention what house it was. . 

She drifts from room to room, pausing before mirrors to arrange her hair as if preparing for a celebration that will never come. Residents have learned not to interrupt. When her quiet journey is complete, the doors close behind her, and she vanishes until the next Christmas, drawn again by memories of warmth long gone.

The Aare Crossing

This ghost story takes the haunted christmas all the way to hell and the Aare River, lush with ghost stories. 

The Christmas tree lights in the ferryman’s room at Ramseyerloch had already burned out. Ramseyerloch was an old mooring place to the 18th century court prison, but has been used for much longer. Then the ferryman’s wife noticed a dark shadow on the other side of the Aare, waving its arms as if calling the boatman across. At this time? At this hour? Immediately afterward, a shout was heard, three or four times. 

With a heavy heart, the ferryman untied his boat and sailed across. He saw that a thick black cloth wrapped his head. He explained that he certainly wouldn’t ferry him across like that. The journeyman jumped into the boat and pressed the oars into the ferryman’s hand. The tide began to surge as the boat passed over them. House-high waves seemed about to tear down the houses. And the boat danced as if it were about to capsize at any moment and sink into the abyss. The ferryman’s hair stood on end. He had never made such a journey before. The cloaked man stood motionless at the bow. Then the ferryman threw his stick at him: “You are to blame for all this!”

A flame hissed. The smell of sulfur began to fill the air. The ferryman’s wife watched the events from the window in horror. She saw a tiny light dance above a high wave for a while. Suddenly, it disappeared in the spray.

The Ghosts from the Cathedral

Shortly before Christmas a long time ago, a young parish assistant arrived in Bern after a day’s hike. Since it was evening and he could not continue his journey to the Oberland until the next day, he was quartered in a small room in the cathedral, whose window faced the platform. The full white light of the moon shone through the window bars. 

Around midnight, the sleeper felt as if something were happening outside. He rose and pressed his face to the window bars. There he saw four clergymen in their vestments walking with a serious, measured step beneath the trees on the platform. Four nuns followed them at a distance. Serious questions must have been occupying the clergy, for from time to time they paused, some gesticulating vigorously, others with their hands clasped behind their backs in thought. Not a leaf on the tree stirred, and not a stone stirred beneath the feet of the walkers. Not a sound was heard either. 

As they passed the cathedral window, one of the clergymen turned his head and saw the young man watching them. Suddenly, eight tiny flames hissed up. A bluish cloud moved in front of the moon. But when it disappeared, the platform lay as it had been before. The moon covered the turrets and spires of the cathedral with silver; silver wove itself over the leaves of the trees. But there was not the slightest trace of those who had just walked here.

A Merry Haunted Christmas In Bern

In Bern, where ancient cobblestones remember every footstep and every whisper lingers in the cold air, Christmas is not only a season of light but of shadows as well. Long before Christmas became the season of the merry, something darker brewed. 

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References:

Einsamer Spaziergang | Märchenstiftung

https://www.maerchenstiftung.ch/maerchendatenbank/11831/heimweh

Aareüberfahrt | Märchenstiftung

https://www.maerchenstiftung.ch/maerchendatenbank/11841/auf-der-plattform

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The Cursed Butcher Apprentice Haunting Rathausgasse in Bern

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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.

The medieval streets of Bern’s Old Town have always held their share of mysteries, but few places are said to be as restless after dark as Rathausgasse, the street leading to the city’s historic town hall. As the sun sets behind the sandstone facades, something unseen seems to stir in the narrow alleys.

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At night, residents and late-night wanderers report hearing the clatter of hooves on cobblestones, and the sharp crash of objects falling in empty rooms. Yet when they investigate, there are no horses, no wagons, and nothing disturbed. The streets remain eerily quiet. Perhaps it was the cursed butcher apprentice said to haunt the streets of Bern?

Rathausgasse: Die Berner Rathausgasse im Regen, 1992, Hotel Glocke. //Source: Christian Boss 1965/Wikimedia

Ghostly Encounters at Rathausgasse and the old Butcher’s Alley

From 1619 the upper section (now Rathausgasse) was known as Metzgergasse (Butcher’s Lane), while the lower section was first called Postgasse in 1798. The area was also a well known red light district. Throughout the 19th century, residents complained about the waste, smell and noise associated with the Schaal, an open hall of butcher’s stalls vis-à-vis the Simsonbrunnen in Kramgasse. The former slaughterhouse (No. 22) is a cultural asset of regional importance.

They claim the restless spirit of a cruel butcher’s apprentice roams these alleys in the dead of night known as the ghost of Rathausgasse or the Schaal Ghost. 

Centuries ago, this heartless apprentice is said to have brutally slaughtered a calf, not out of necessity, but for his own amusement.

As punishment for his senseless cruelty, his spirit was cursed to live on as a ghostly calf, forever roaming the alleys of the old town. It is said that the clatter of hooves heard in Rathausgasse belongs to him — a spectral animal seeking peace he can never find.

Hauntings at the Schlachthaus-Theater

The eerie activity in Bern isn’t confined to the streets, but also at the old slaughterhouse in Rathausgasse, now used as a theater and called the Schlachthaus-Theater. The theater is reportedly no stranger to the paranormal and staff and spectators claim to have heard the unmistakable sound of hooves clattering. 

But it is certainly not the only ghost said to haunt the halls of the theater. Actors and stagehands alike have whispered of unexplained noises, mysterious cold drafts, and fleeting shadows moving behind the curtains. Props fall for no reason, doors creak open, and some claim to hear faint, mournful voices when the house is empty.

One actress claims to have heard the sound of pearls clattering, like a pearl necklace ripping and falling to the floor. This went on all night, but she was unable to find any of them. 

Though no single spirit has been identified, many believe these hauntings are tied to the rich and often tumultuous history of the building and its past performers, some of whom perhaps never quite left the stage.

A City of Stories and Ghosts

In Bern, where every corner seems to guard a story from the past, such legends aren’t easily dismissed. Whether it’s the ghostly calf of Rathausgasse or the spirits lingering in the theater, these stories continue to be woven into the living fabric of the old city, kept alive by the ghost tours around the city and those looking for something haunted

Source: Nikolai Karaneschev/Wikimedia

And so, when the night falls and the streets of Bern grow quiet, some say it’s wise to listen for the faint sound of hooves… and remember that in this ancient city, the past never truly rests.

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References:

Hier spukt es: Unheimliche Orte in der Schweiz | WEB.DE

Die Geister, die sie riefen | Berner Zeitung

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Mayor Rudolf Brun’s Ghost Under St Peter’s Church Tower in Zurich

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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?

Zurich, a city renowned for its stunning landscapes and rich culture, also harbors a darker side woven into its history. Tales of ghostly encounters and restless spirits have permeated its ancient streets, attracting those intrigued by the supernatural. St. Peter’s Church in Zurich is the only baroque church in the city. The clock on the tower is the largest in Europe and the dial has a diameter of 8.7 metres. St. Peter’s parish church is the oldest church in Zurich and dates to before the year 900.

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Buried just below the clock tower is Rudolf Brun, the first independent city mayor in the 14th century and leader of the Zürich guilds’ revolution of 1336. He died a terrible and mysterious death, that some attributed to poisoning.

Rudolf Brun as Zurich’s first Independent Mayor

Rudolf was the son of Jakob Brun, a member of the city council, and of Mechthild. Brun overthrew the former city council with the help of the city’s craftsmen in June 1336 to balance the power between them and the aristocracy. 

In 1349, Brun led a massacre of the Jewish community of Zurich, seizing many of the spoils for himself. The incident was caused by antisemitism in the city due to the alleged murder of the son of a Zurich man, and fueled by the subsequent accusations of well poisoning. The son of Zurich man Zur Wyden from a family of shoemakers, about four years old, was murdered, and the Jews were accused of the murder. The Zurich Jewish community numbered around 400, and most of them were killed.

Mayor Rudolf Brun for example took possession of the house of a certain Moses. This event took place in the frame of the widespread persecution of Jews during the Black Death, in which the Jews were accused of spreading the bubonic plague.

On 17 of September in 1360 he died and was buried in St. Peter’s Church together with his cook. It was believed that the cook had poisoned him, but it remained a mystery for years. 

Exhuming his Bone to get to the Bottom of the Murder Mystery

In  1972, Brun’s remains were examined and tested positive for arsenic according to the ghost walk tours that used to be in the city. But as the substance was often used in earlier times for medicinal and recreational purposes, the result was inconclusive. The bone and hair analysis gave no other signs for poisoning. 

So what really happened, and how did Bruno, who lived through a violent time in Zurich’s history, die?

None the wiser for the truth, Brun’s bones were reburied at the clock tower. If we are to believe the rumors, it was without his skull, which had mysteriously disappeared. Could this have been the incident that caused him to rise up as a ghost?

The Haunting of Rudolf Brun

Just a few weeks after the reburial of Rudolf Brun, two boys were playing football near the gravesite when they experienced something that would give the historic man a ghostly reputation. When the ball they were kicking stopped in front of  the feet of a dark figure. According to the boys, this mysterious figure before them was wearing old-fashioned clothes.

One of the boys went to get the ball, not really taking too much notice of the strange man standing at a short distance. When approaching, the figure of the man turned around and walked towards the tower wall. When reaching the wall, the figure walked right through it and disappeared. 

According to the rumors, more than one person had seen this figure around the tower. 

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References:

Ghosts haunt Zurich streets – SWI swissinfo.ch 

Rudolf Brun – Wikipedia

Zurich massacre – Wikipedia

Rudolf Brun – Wikipedia

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The Legend of the Rollibock: Guardian of the Aletsch Glacier

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Coming down as an avalanche through the Swiss Alps, the Rollibock monster is the avenger on man when they take too much from nature. 

Deep in the Swiss Alps, where eternal ice clings to jagged peaks and ancient glaciers wind their way through forgotten valleys, a chilling legend endures — the tale of the Rollibock. 

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Among the locals of Valais and villages like Naters and Fieschertal, and the scattered alpine villages near the Great Aletsch Glacier, this supernatural creature is spoken of in hushed voices, especially when the wind howls through the mountain passes and the ice groans beneath the weight of unseen forces.

The Aletsch Glacier: is the largest glacier in Switzerland and the Alps. It is 15 miles long and up to 800 metres deep. Since the late 19th century Aletsch has lost almost two miles of its length, and by 2100 it is predicted to shrink by eight miles more, reducing it to a tenth of the mass it is today and nine in 10 glaciers in the Alps will disappear by the end of this century.

The Rollibock of the Alps

The Rollibock is no ordinary beast. Descriptions passed down through generations tell of a massive goat-like creature, its eyes glowing an unnatural, eerie light in the darkness. Its twisted, towering horns resemble gnarled branches coated in frost, and its entire body is encrusted with jagged shards of ice that clatter together as it moves. It is said to have torn open land, stones, and fir trees with its horns and hurled them high into the air. Some say when it breathes, the air turns brittle and the snow itself recoils in terror.

According to legend, the Rollibock is the ancient guardian of the Aletsch Glacier, protector of the frozen world from the greed and carelessness of men. According to legend, the RolliBock is a terrifying creature that takes revenge on everyone and everything that tramples on nature.

Fieschertal Village: Between the year 1300 and 1850/1860 the Aletsch Glacier grew rapidly in size and regularly pushed through the natural dam of the Märjelensee, causing flooding in large parts of the canton of Valais. In the 17th century, during the little ice age, German-speaking Catholics from the village of Fiesch began an annual pilgrimage to beg God to turn the glacier back.

The Rollibock and the Hunter

Woe to those who trespass on his domain with disrespect. One of the most enduring tales involves a reckless hunter who, driven by greed, ventured onto the glacier to harvest rare ice crystals believed to hold magical properties. As he smashed them from the ice, a sudden storm engulfed the glacier, and a lone ferryman appeared to offer him passage to safety.

The desperate hunter accepted, only to realize too late that the ferryman’s eyes gleamed like twin embers in the gloom. Midway across a frozen expanse, the ferryman’s form shifted and swelled, his cloak of furs transforming into shards of clinking ice, his visage twisting into the monstrous form of the Rollibock. With a bellow that echoed across the mountains, the beast dragged the screaming man into the depths of the glacier, his cries swallowed by the ice.

To this day, sudden storms and avalanches on the Great Aletsch Glacier are blamed on the Rollibock, a grim reminder that nature’s ancient powers still watch over the high places of the world. They also fear the mysterious Märjelen Lake they thought to be the place where the hunter disappeared. 

The Revenge of the Rollibock.

Locals swear that if you hear the distant clatter of ice when the wind is still, you’d best turn back — for the Rollibock is near, and he does not forgive trespassers. And when the people of the Upper Valais experienced flooding, it was said the Rollibock was angered. Only those who fled to a chapel or a house where blessed objects were kept could save themselves. Those who didn’t make it was crushed to like dust in the sun, swallowed by the ice and snow. 

It remains one of Switzerland’s most unnerving alpine legends, a chilling testament to the dangers of arrogance in the face of nature’s dominion.

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References:

Der Rollibock – Forgotten Creatures 

Rollibock – Wikipedia

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The Tatzelwurm of the Aare Gorge: Switzerland’s Elusive Alpine Monster

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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. 

In 1935, a Russian and Berlin-born photographer called Balkin walked into the restaurant at Hotel Baer in Meiringen. On a hike to the Aare Gorge nearby he had encountered something strange as he was visiting. A narrow, towering chasm carved by millennia of rushing glacial water, where mist lingers between sheer limestone walls and the roar of the river drowns out the outside world. 

After a few schnapps he told his story. He had seen a strange animal, perhaps 80 cm long and 25 cm broad. It looked like a scaly big snake, but had legs.

The innkeeper knew very well what he was talking about when mentioning the row of sharp teeth and a sharp whistling sound. It had to be the Tatzelwurm, or Stollenwurm as they called it in the Swiss. A well known legend, but not much hard evidence for it. Until now it was according to Balkin who had taken a photo of the creature. 

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The disturbing and mysterious image was published in the German newspaper: Berlin Illustrierte Zeitung in April that year together with a cash price for those managing to bring them a physical version.  

Switzerland’s landscapes are famous for serene lakes, quaint villages, and the snow-draped majesty of the Alps. Until the beginning of the 19th century, the waters of the Aare Gorge, or Aareschlucht Gorge, could only be crossed by boat and was sometimes associated with Acheron, the underground river of death where Charon rows across.

One of the most chilling of these is the tale of the Tatzelwurm, a fearsome creature said to haunt the dense forests and deep ravines of the Bernese Oberland.

The picture of the Tatzelwurm published in Berlin Illustrierte Zeitung

A Monstrous Alpine Mystery

Descriptions of the Tatzelwurm vary by region, but the creature is typically depicted as a stubby, serpentine beast between 2 and 6 feet long, with a scaled body, short clawed legs — usually two front limbs, sometimes four — and a grotesque, feline-like or reptilian face. Some accounts claim it has poisonous breath or can emit a shrill, unsettling hiss.

They live in tunnels and caves that they dig themselves into the rock. Although generally described as relatively shy, Tatzelwurms are also considered dangerous and aggressive and have reportedly attacked humans and animals. It is said that when a Tatzelwurm crawls through sand, the sand turns to glass, which suggests that this mythical creature is said to generate intense heat.

Tatzelwurms supposedly do not reproduce biologically, but develop in a similar way to a basilisk : A rooster lays a black egg in a lake, where it is incubated by the sun’s warmth. From the egg hatches a Tatzelwurm, which may eventually grow into a lindworm.

It’s certainly not only one place it is said to be and stories of it are found in the Austrian, Bavarian, French and Italian alps as well. It goes under the name of both Tatzelwurm, Bergstutz, Arassas, Praatzelwurm and Stollenwurm, the most commonly used name in Switzerland. As this story first became famous in a German newspaper, it is by the German name it is known by in this case. 

For centuries, Alpine farmers, shepherds, and travelers have spoken in hushed tones about the creature. Particularly in remote areas like the Aare Gorge, stories persist of strange sightings: a shadowy, writhing figure slithering through the mist, disembodied hisses in the darkness, and livestock found with inexplicable wounds.

The Aare Gorge Encounters

The Aare Gorge itself has always felt like a place caught between worlds. Hemmed in by 50-meter-high cliffs, the gorge narrows in places to a mere meter wide, and walking the narrow pathways above the rushing water feels unnervingly claustrophobic. This eerie atmosphere has made it the perfect setting for stories of strange creatures — none more famous than the Tatzelwurm.

The sighting of the creature was far from the first time someone claimed to have encountered something strange in the Aaron Gorge. 

One of the earliest recorded encounters dates back to the 18th century and also the year 1814 has been mentioned. Other sightings followed in the 19th and early 20th centuries, often by woodcutters or herdsmen, who swore to see the beast in the heavy mist rising from the water or basking on rocks deep in the gorge where no man could easily reach.

Modern Legends and Mysterious Evidence

After the publication in the papers, the Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung offered a reward of 1000 Reichsmarks for a captured worm. Some have claimed that the photo was developed in the offices in Berlin, not by the photographer himself and that should give credit to the story. 

Though no conclusive evidence has ever surfaced, tantalizing pieces of supposed remains and blurry photographs occasionally make their way into local folklore. 

The Alpine Monster Endures

Today, while the Aare Gorge remains a popular tourist destination, its atmospheric depths retain a reputation for eerie happenings. Visitors report feeling watched, hearing unexplained rustling sounds in the undergrowth, or catching glimpses of something large slipping between the rocks just out of sight.

While skeptics dismiss the Tatzelwurm as folklore born of isolation, fear, and overactive imaginations, the legend continues to cast its shadow over the Bernese Oberland and the Aare Gorge. In an age where ancient glaciers recede and secrets buried in ice begin to surface, one might wonder what else lies hidden in those deep, water-carved canyons — watching from the mist, waiting for nightfall.

In modern times there are over 80 eyewitness reports about the Tatzelwurm across the alpine landscape and to this day, the Tatzelwurm is the official mascot of Aare Gorge to this day. . 

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References:

Tatzelwurm > Aareschlucht | Aare Gorge, Meiringen, Haslital

The Loch Ness wonder in Haslital.

Aareschlucht – Wikipedia

Tatzelwurm (Fabeltier) – Wikipedia

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The Teufelsbrücke of Andermatt and the Schöllenen Gorge Made by the Devil

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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. 

Hidden deep in the heart of the Swiss Alps lies a horrid legend of desperation, dark deals, and restless spirits. At first glance, the Teufelsbrücke, or Devil’s Bridge, near the village of Andermatt appears like a scenic marvel, gracefully arching over the roaring Schöllenen Gorge. 

Read More: Check out all haunted legends from Switzerland

It was here the French fought the Russians in 1799, and the Suvorov Monument is built to remember the Russian soldiers fallen in battle. 

Yet beneath its weathered stones and the mist rising from the tumultuous Reuss River, centuries-old whispers speak of a sinister pact forged with the Devil himself — and of strange, eerie occurrences that continue to haunt this stretch of mountain pass.

A Bridge Built in Desperation

In medieval times, the treacherous Schöllenen Gorge posed a deadly obstacle for travelers and merchants navigating the Gotthard Pass, one of the most crucial alpine routes linking northern and southern Europe. The gorge’s jagged cliffs and raging waters made crossing perilous, and many lives were claimed by the unforgiving terrain.

The Uri People: The Gotthard Pass was opened in 1230, and Uri was granted imperial immediacy by Henry VII in the following year. Trade across the Gotthard brought ever increasing wealth to Uri, and the towns and villages along the Gotthard route became increasing independent.

Desperate for a solution, the local villagers attempted to build a bridge, but every effort failed. Stone and timber constructions were swept away by floods or crumbled under the sheer force of nature. The Uri people wanted to build a mule track through the Gorge. 

The legend goes that they got help from something sinister some 800 years ago. In their despair, the townsfolk uttered a reckless challenge — they wished the Devil himself would build the bridge for them.

To their horror, the Devil accepted.

The Sinister Bargain

According to legend, the Devil promised to complete a sturdy bridge by the next three days, on one chilling condition: he would claim the soul of the first being to cross it. The villagers, caught between superstition and necessity, agreed to the deal, believing they could outwit the infernal builder.

Devil Bridges: Devil’s Bridge is a term applied to dozens of ancient bridges, found primarily in Europe. The bridges that fall into the Devil’s Bridge category are so numerous that the legends about them form a special category.

True to his word, the Devil built a magnificent stone bridge, its dark, moss-covered stones arching over the abyss. But the villagers had devised a cunning plan. Instead of sending a man or woman across, they drove a goat onto the bridge at dawn.

Enraged by the trickery when he realized the deceit, the Devil seized a massive boulder, intending to smash the bridge and doom the villagers. But before he could hurl it, a clever old woman confronted him, carving a Christian cross into the rock and reciting a holy prayer. The sacred symbol drained the Devil of his power, forcing him to abandon the stone and flee back into the shadows of the mountains.

The Devil’s Stone by the Gorge

That boulder, known as the Teufelsstein or “Devil’s Stone,” still stands near Göschenen as a silent reminder of the villagers’ narrow escape. But though the bridge remained, dark tales persisted. For centuries afterward, travelers spoke of ghostly figures on the bridge at night — a lone goat, eyes glowing in the darkness, or a shadowy figure believed to be the furious Devil returning to claim a soul.

When the legend became told however is uncertain, but it has been told as far back as the 16th century and retold by Johann Jakob Scheuchzer who heard it from the Uri people. There are some variations to the legend as some say it was a dog that was sent over the bridge, some say it was an old woman who held the devil back. 

Source

A Place Where Legend and Landscape Collide

Even in more modern times, the area has held an uncanny reputation. The Schöllenen Gorge itself remains a place of ominous atmosphere. Its steep, enclosing cliffs blot out the sky in places, while the roar of the Reuss River below drowns out even your own heartbeat. Mist curls in ghostly tendrils along the bridge’s ancient stones, making it easy to believe that spirits of old still linger there.

Source

Today, a newer bridge stands alongside the original, yet the legend endures in Swiss folklore. The first wood bridge was replaced by stones in 1595 that collapsed in 1888. The stone bridge has been replaced and extended several times over the years. The newest bridge dates back to 1956. 

Visitors to Andermatt can still walk the path of ancient travelers, crossing the restored stone bridge and standing beside the Teufelsstein, imagining the echo of distant hooves and the furious howl of a betrayed Devil.

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References:

The Schöllenen gorge and the Teufelsbrücke (the Devil’s Bridge) | Switzerland Tourism

Devil’s bridge • Famous building/monument » outdooractive.com

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The Haunted Sanatorium of the Gotthard Abandoned in the Swizz Mountains

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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?

In the shadow of Switzerland’s Gotthard Massif, with mountains looming over the misty dense pine forests, stands a decaying relic of the nation’s darker past. The Sanatorium of the Gotthard, near the village of Piotta, also called The Sanatorio Popolare Cantonale di Piotta, is more than a run, a place where history, death, and whispered legends have blurred into one lingering, malevolent presence.

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Switzerland

Today, its broken windows gape like hollow eyes, and ivy-strangled walls crumble beneath the weight of decades of silence. But those who have braved its abandoned corridors claim the building is anything but empty. According to legend, there is said to be a mountain of corpses in the basement of the sanatorium, and some of them are said to still be haunting the place. 

Sanatorio Popolare Cantonale di Piotta (1919)

A Sanatorium Built for the Afflicted

Constructed in the early 20th century, the sanatorium was originally designed to house tuberculosis patients, a common affliction in the Alpine regions due to the damp mountain air and close living conditions and opened in 1905. It was initiated by Fabrizio Maffi, who later became an Italian senator and fled to Switzerland. Just a year after its opening, the sanatorium went bankrupt for the first time.

Sanatorium of the Gotthards remote location, isolated in the hills, made it an ideal quarantine facility, but also the perfect setting for stories to ferment.

During World War I, the sanatorium’s role expanded. It began treating wounded and shell-shocked soldiers, men maimed not only in body but broken in spirit. It was here, according to local folklore, that the line between medicine and malevolence began to blur.

Among the most enduring and unsettling rumors is the tale of a nameless doctor who allegedly conducted experimental procedures on both TB sufferers and injured soldiers alike. Surgeries without anesthetic, grotesque experiments with electricity and cold therapy, and cruel psychological trials are said to have taken place within those bleak rooms. Though no official records confirm these claims, the sanatorium’s very architecture hints at secrets, a discreetly hidden morgue, unmarked underground tunnels, and sealed wings where sunlight no longer dares to enter.

Decades of Decay and Unease at the Gotthard Sanatorium

The Sanatorium of the Gotthard was quietly shuttered in 1961 as modern medicine outpaced its usefulness and the place faced economic hardships they would not overcome. Over the following 60 years, the building fell into disrepair, succumbing to the encroaching forest and harsh mountain winters. Yet even in its decay, it never quite fell silent.

Urban explorers and thrill-seekers drawn to its crumbling halls speak of disembodied voices, the sound of shuffling footsteps in empty rooms, and a lingering, oppressive chill that clings to the air like mist. Some claim to have seen pale figures watching from broken windows or glimpsed fleeting shadows in the peripheral dark. The sensation of being followed is nearly constant, and many leave with an inexplicable sense of dread.

Urban Explorers: The abandoned building has become a popular place for urban exploring and ghost hunters. // Source: Wendelin Jacober/Wiki

One widely retold account describes a man attempting to drive up the narrow road to the Sanatorium of the Gotthard, only to feel his car begin to roll backward on its own, as if some unseen force was physically repelling him from the site. Despite firming his grip on the steering wheel and applying the brakes, the car continued its slow, deliberate retreat down the road, stopping only when he gave up the attempt.

The Haunting Legacy of the Morgue

Perhaps the sanatorium’s most notorious feature is its basement morgue, where rows of rusting gurneys and shattered cabinets still linger, untouched for decades. Visitors report a sudden drop in temperature upon entering, and the unmistakable, sour scent of old antiseptic and decay — though the building has been abandoned for generations.

Read More: Check out Ghostly Encounters at the Sanatorium of Santo Angel de la Guarda, The Ghosts of the White Plague Haunting the Alfaguara Sanatorium and The Haunted Preventorio de Aigües in Alicante also.

Some locals insist that the spirits of those who perished in agony within these walls — from soldiers torn apart by war to TB patients abandoned by hope, remain trapped, their suffering bound to the place of their torment. There are also said that a doctor carried out demonic experiments on patients, said to be associated with the fictional character, Dr. Mabuse. Lights flicker in its hollow shell, and faint, mournful cries sometimes rise above the wind that rattles its ancient eaves.

A Warning Carried by the Wind

Even today, few locals will approach the sanatorium after nightfall. Hikers claim to hear whispers in the trees, and it’s said that animals avoid the path leading up to the ruined building. Storms seem to gather with unsettling speed over its roof, and the once-healing Alpine air turns cold and heavy as one nears its gates.

The Sanatorium of the Gotthard was sold from Canton Ticino to a Kazakh group of investors in 2016, wanting to turn it into a winter sports training center, although nothing has happened. 

In 2021, the “Corriere del Ticino” reported a strange ritual filmed in the ruins. The video shows a man who claims to be Swiss, dressed in black with a hood featuring a skull. He waves a (likely fake) skull in one hand and holds a notebook in the other, with a fire in front and small candles around it. What is happening in the old sanatorium today?

The Sanatorium of the Gotthard endures as one of Switzerland’s most chilling forgotten places, a decaying testament to human suffering, medical ambition, and the spirits that refuse to be forgotten. To wander its halls is to court the past — and perhaps meet whatever lingers in the shadows.

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References:

Sanatorio Popolare Cantonale di Piotta – Wikipedia

https://www.satyrography.com/panoramas/sanatorium-gotthard/Sanatorium-Gotthard.html

Piotta TI: Verlassenes Sanatorium zieht Geisterjäger und Neugierige an

Dr. Mabuse – Wikipedia

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The Architect’s Ghost: Hauntings at Grand Hotel Giessbach

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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. 

Above the glacial waters of Lake Brienz, the Grand Hotel Giessbach is a Swiss landmark of timeless elegance. Built in 1874, the hotel’s grand façade and sweeping views of cascading waterfalls have drawn royalty, artists, and weary travelers alike. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Switzerland

Horace Edouard Davinet, the renowned 19th-century architect, poured his soul into creating the Giessbach after being commissioned by the Hauser family of hoteliers, from Wädenswil in the Canton of Zurich who wanted to expand on the guesthouse they had there. The Grand Hotel Giessbach was said to be one of his crowning achievement, a luxurious Belle Epoque retreat with stucco-decorated ballrooms and salons meant to harmonize with the surrounding Alpine wilderness. Yet behind its Belle Époque charm lies a spectral secret — the restless spirit of the man who designed it.

The Ghost of the Architect

Horace Edouard Davinet was a Franco-Swiss architect. He was born in 1839 and studied, worked and lived in Bern where he designed buildings for the Swiss elite. Before he died in 1922, he designed several hotels, including the original Rigi Kulm Hotel at the summit of Rigi mountain in Switzerland. Although there is nothing but designing the hotel that connects him to this Grand Hotel Giessbach, this is where they say he haunts.

Read More: Check out all haunted hotels from around the world

Two World Wars plus economic crises with their devastating consequences for the Swiss hotel industry combined with a different understanding of tourism led to the fading of the lustre and glory of the Giessbach. After many years of decline, the Grand Hotel Giessbach closed its doors in 1979 before opening up again with a haunted rumor.

Edouard Davinet: architect and inspector of the Museum of Fine Arts in Bern, 1919, by Wilhelm Paul Friedrich Balmer, Museum of Fine Arts in Bern.

And though Davinet passed away long ago, it seems his devotion to the building has tethered him to its halls. And as the hotel director, Mark von Weissenfluh says: “We firmly believe that our hotel is primarily home to good spirits,”

The Haunting of the Grand Hotel Giessbach

For decades, staff and guests alike have whispered of eerie happenings within the Grand Hotel Giessbach, particularly during the quiet, snow-draped winter months when the rooms sit empty and the wind howls through the valley. Footsteps echo along deserted corridors, doors creak open without cause, and the air turns inexplicably cold in certain parts of the hotel — especially near the grand staircase, said to be Davinet’s favorite feature.

He is said to have gently touched two employees on the shoulder during their nightly rounds, but there are no malicious or negative stories coming from guests and staff about encounters with the house spirit. 

The most unsettling encounters, however, involve the large, formal portrait of Davinet that hangs prominently in the hotel’s main hall. Many claim to have seen the eyes in the painting follow them as they pass, while others report a faint, spectral figure resembling the architect himself, standing motionless at the top of the staircase, vanishing the moment one’s gaze meets his.

Though skeptics brush it off as old hotel creaks and overactive imaginations, many believe Horace Edouard Davinet’s spirit continues to walk the halls of Grand Hotel Giessbach, ever watchful, ensuring that his masterpiece stands proud against the passage of time and that no one forgets the man who dreamed it into being.

For those brave enough to stay during a quiet winter’s night, keep an ear open for those ghostly footsteps — and if you pass the portrait in the main hall, you might just catch a flicker of movement in the architect’s unblinking eyes.

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References:

https://www.beobachter.ch/konsum/reisen/grandhotel-giessbach-fliegende-geranien-und-spukgeschichten?srsltid=AfmBOoqKeErPZ9YGbiVNyikuifpNuxSU0AEi9kTriL4aqcaPFlPWTK_M

Horace Edouard Davinet – Wikipedia