France: which are the most famous haunted places to visit?

What are the most famous haunted castles in France?

Many castles are famous in France, and good news for thrill-seekers: most of them can be visited! Starting with the castle of Puymartin, in Dordogne, located near Sarlat, in the Périgord Noir region. According to legend, the building is home to a White Lady who appears at night. It is said to be the ghost of Thérèse de Saint-Clar, who was imprisoned by her husband in the 16th century after he discovered her infidelities. In addition to the interesting exterior architecture, you can visit the flats and reception rooms, or take part in an escape game.

Still in the Dordogne, the Château de Commarque, an ancient fortress dating back to the 12th century, is the subject of a particularly cruel legend. A former lord of the place is said to have imprisoned and beheaded his daughter's suitor, the son of an enemy family. Since then, it is said that the poor young man's horse has been roaming the ruins of the fortress in search of its master.

Another department, another Dame Blanche: in the Lot-et-Garonne, the castle of Bonaguil is said to be visited every year in November by the ghost of Marguerite de Fumel, who died shortly before the French Revolution. Known as the castle of the "Good Needle", the castle of Bonaguil also has the particularity of having strange representations on some of its walls, notably a drawing of a ghost, as well as graffiti in an unknown language.

Finally, the castle of Fougeret, located in Queaux, in the Vienne, is reputed to be the most haunted castle in France. According to the owners and some guests, paranormal phenomena such as moving objects, voices, noises and other apparitions have been observed in this 1,500 square metre feudal castle, which is listed as a Historic Monument. Visitors can eat and sleep on site, and take part in workshops on spiritualism, for example.

Haunted places to visit in France: a chapel and an abbey with scary stories

In the 8th arrondissement of Paris, the Notre-Dame de la Consolation chapel, inaugurated in 1900 to pay tribute to the dozens of victims who died in theBazar de la Charité fire, is one of the places known for the paranormal phenomena that are said to occur there. It is possible to visit it outside mass times.

In Normandy,Mortemer Abbey is said to be the most haunted abbey in France! It is said that four monks who were murdered during the Revolution still wander around the cellars of the abbey, located in the heart of the immense Lyons state forest in the Norman Vexin, drinking a wine that tastes like blood.

Matilda the Empress, the granddaughter of William the Conqueror and grandmother of Richard the Lionheart, is also said to rule the place, although she is buried in Rouen Cathedral. It is said that anyone who comes across this terrifying 'white lady' of Mortemer wearing black gloves dies within a year. It is possible to take a guided tour of the south wing of the Abbey, walk through the romantic ruins and the park, but also visit the museum of legends and ghosts.

The catacombs of Paris, a very popular haunted place

Under the streets of Paris, the labyrinth formed by the catacombs is already frightening enough, to learn that it is also haunted! Made up of the remains of several million Parisians, the capital's underground passages are said to be inhabited by the spectre of a green man, who haunts the galleries and brings misfortune to all those who cross his path. The legend goes back a long way, and other apparitions in this maze of galleries have also been reported. To find out for sure, go down the 131 or so steps that lead to the catacombs!

Are the gardens of the Petit Trianon at the Palace of Versailles haunted?

The rumour that the gardens of the Petit Trianon at the Château de Versailles are haunted dates back to the beginning of the 20th century: in the summer of 1901, two Englishwomen had an experience that they considered paranormal and which they recounted in a book published in 1911, "An adventure" - "Les fantômes de Trianon" in French.

During their walk, they came across men dressed in green who were in fact the ghosts of King Louis XV's gardeners. A woman they met drawing was said to be the ghost of Madame du Barry. The mystery remains!