What Strange landmarks made you curious the most? And most importantly, would you dare to visit one of them? 

Who said only Halloween was made for spooky things? You’re free to do whatever you want all year! In today’s article, the Mind-Bending Team is up for something, let’s say, unusual because we’re going to tell you some things about dark tourism, and if you’re not familiar with the term, you’ll definitely be after reading this piece. This burst into popularity a couple of months after the Netflix series “Dark Tourism,” in which a ton of strange landmarks were presented that were not exactly everybody’s go-to places. For a reason!

From a haunted graveyard to an unusual poison garden, check out these strange places that will give you goosebumps throughout the entire reading. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

 1. Pompeii, Italy

Pompeii—such a tragedy! Even after so many years, we can’t get over how many unfortunate lives were cut short because of a volcano. That’s a warning sign that we can’t mess with Mother Nature because, no matter what we do, we can’t run from it. This coastal city in Italy was destroyed in 79 AD, and it was covered in ash in less than a couple of seconds.

Mostly out of curiosity, there are a lot of tourists who visit this area every season. Can you imagine how it feels to see dead bodies in crouching positions, covering their faces? Only thinking of it makes us tremble. However, if you’re interested in seeing this landmark, we suggest you find a guiding tour that will also explain everything step by step and exactly how it happened.

2. Island of the Dolls, Mexico

One of the most captivating but strange landmarks on the list is the Island of the Dolls, located in Mexico. This particular attraction is considered the creepiest in the entire country. And apparently, the story is also a tragedy. The body of a girl who drowned in the river was discovered by Mr. Julian Santana, the lone resident of the island.

He started buying dolls for this young girl’s soul so she could play with them since he was being tormented by her spirit. His efforts were in vain, though, as he was discovered deceased in the same location where the little girl’s body had been discovered a few months before. Numerous people still venture to this island nowadays, but they are frightened by the dolls that are dangling from the ropes. Can you imagine seeing them at night?

3. The Poison Garden, England

“Would you like some biscuits with that tea?” This is what you often hear if you go to England at one of their tea houses around 5 o’clock. But did you know that England is famous for some strange landmarks? Now, we will talk about the Poison Garden, a place located in Alnwick. For many tourists who visit this area, especially this place, this is the best thing you could do.

Since it’s too dangerous to visit it alone, you’re allowed to see it only if you’re with a guide. Cannabis, coca, and deadly nightshade are just three of the most important plants this garden has behind its gates. This sounds like the perfect date place for a goth!

4. Sucre Cemetery, Bolivia

If none of these strange landmarks we’ve mentioned above scared you, wait and see how you feel about this one! Now you’re probably thinking, What sane person would visit a cemetery just for fun? You’d be surprised, honestly! However, because there was a huge demand for this type of tourism, a lot of cemeteries were open to the public, mostly because of their intriguing stories. The same applies to the Sucre Cemetery, located in Bolivia.

Compared to other cemeteries, this one is special. All the graves are arranged in a block system above ground. And most of them were very well preserved and regularly stocked with gifts, photos, and other stuff people symbolically gave to their loved ones who passed away.

Bolivians view death as an inevitable part of existence. Although graveyards eventually serve as a place for burial, in Bolivian culture they have a far greater symbolic function. Death is typically thought of as a separating factor, but Sucre Cemetery shows that even after someone has passed away, death can still bring people together.  So, if one day you dare to visit this place, don’t be surprised if you encounter a dead spirit. Maybe they just want to say hi…

5. Pripyat, Ukraine

On top of the list of strange landmarks is, of course, Chernobyl. This is by far the most well-known place, not only because of the tragedy but also because of the abundance of pictures taken there by various brave tourists. The biggest nuclear accident in recorded history occurred in 1986 when a nuclear reactor at the Chernobyl power plant detonated. The impacts were severe, forcing some to leave their houses with the expectation of returning later. They had no idea that the region would always be off-limits.

However, in the past few years, a lot of people have started showing interest in visiting this area. Wild creatures are back and are prospering, despite the hazards associated with staying for an extended amount of time in the exclusion zone.

They say the place is so quiet that if you struggle, you might even hear the children’s laughter around the abandoned playgrounds.

6. Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland

There is no doubt that Auschwitz is a vivid history lesson for all of humanity. And it’s visited by so many tourists, being one of the most visited strange landmarks in Europe. Auschwitz-Birkenau is distributed across two locations. Brick structures and the Death Block, where individuals were gassed, may be found at Auschwitz I. They opened Auschwitz II, now known as Birkenau, because they were unable to handle the number of dead at Auschwitz I.

Now, the horror of what happened hits you hard when you see the pile of shoes and suitcases that once were the personal belongings of people. Only thinking of this will definitely give you shivers down the spine!

…psst! Hey, reader! Yes, you, who’s been with us since the beginning of the article (or at least we hope!) If the term “dark tourism” is new to you but you’re interested in finding out more interesting things about it, we recommend you check out this book. It’s highly entertaining and affordable, and it also has a pretty good rank on Goodreads. You better hurry up because the “Atlas of Dark Destinations: Explore the World of Dark Tourism,” available in hardcover, won’t be up for too long at the price of $27.89!

7. Aokigahara Forest, Japan

Still curious about strange landmarks? Well, our next stop is Japan, in a location that is more…eerie and creepy than others. Aokigahara Forest, also known as Suicide Forest, is a 4-square-mile area that’s located at the base of Mount Fuji. It sounds like a nice place to be, but in reality, this forest is so dense that even the wind stops blowing here, making it a super scary, quiet place.

Besides all the warning signs to avoid entering this forest, this place is famous for its suicide rates. And from the statistics, it appears that 100 suicides occur there every year. It’s rumored that this is a haunted forest, and a dark force makes people want to end their lives… Still, there are a lot of tourists who want to see this place with their own eyes. Would you dare to be one of them?

8. Bran Castle, Romania

…Booh! The land of Dracula, sheesh! Would you dare to put your foot in this marvelous place? Besides Bran Castle, Romania has a lot of other places that are a must-see for everyone at least once in their lives. But for now, let’s stick to this particular destination.

Located in the middle of the country, this is one of the most mysterious castles Romania has. This is the place in which the former ruler Vlad the Impaler (also known as Dracula) lived a part of his life. He was so cruel in his torturing methods that everybody was afraid of him.

Because of this and many other interesting legends that you must read more about, tourists from around the world visit Bran Castle every year. They say that if you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of Vlad’s shadow.

9. Stull Cemetery, Kansas

And we got to the latest of the strange landmarks on the list, which is located in Kansas, United States of America. This cemetery gained a weird reputation after various people told me that they’d seen ghosts around it, especially during the night. If you’re a fan of the super-popular TV series Supernatural,” then you know that some scenes of it were filmed in this location.

However, because of vandalism, this cemetery is locked during the night, and trespassing might bring you a fine of $1,000.

Not many people dare visit these strange landmarks; will you be one of them? We hope you enjoyed reading this chilly article because if you did, we have another brilliant recommendation for you: 7 Chilling Facts About Alcatraz, the Most Infamous Prison in America.