7 Best Places to Spend Halloween in Europe

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So, the spooky season is upon us! It’s time for trick-or-treating, fancy dress, scary movies, pumpkin carvings and all those wonderful traditions of Halloween in Europe and around the world.

I remember when I was younger knocking on my neighbour’s doors and collecting a huge bucket of sweets! This is literally the only time of year that you’re okay to take sweets from strangers – which, back then, was the only reason I liked Halloween!

Nowadays, however, I love it for so many other reasons.

So, what are your Halloween plans this year? Some super great Halloween traditions all across Europe are totally worth investigating.

where to spend Halloween in Europe?

Did you know that Halloween originated with the Celtic Festival of Samhain, where people would dress up and light bonfires to ward off ghosts and evil spirits? These days, of course, it’s much more for fun than anything else and there are heaps of great things to do. Here are the best places to go for Halloween in Europe.

1. Dublin

The city that introduced Halloween itself, along with the famous Jack O’Lantern, Dublin is a hive of activity on October 31st! Their Halloween traditions last for a lot longer than a day, with festivals going on for up to 9 days in some parts of Ireland!

They also celebrate with traditional foods like barmbrack, a fruit cake that contains coins and rings for fortune-telling. In tradition, the ring predicts, marriage and the coin predicts wealth in the following year.

Of course, there are plenty of fun activities in Dublin such as costume parties and pub crawls but if you’re after something a little creepier check these out!

The Dublin Ghost Bus Tour explores some of the most haunted places in Ireland.

Or try the Gravedigger Tour which starts as a haunted college and takes you all the way to an ancient plague site whilst you learn about the creepier and more gruesome side of Dublin. Not recommended for the faint-hearted!

2. London

London is definitely one of the best places to spend Halloween in Europe.

With graveyards and murder sites, the famous London Dungeons for some of the goriest history and, of course, the infamous Jack the Ripper, London has some of the best Halloween traditions in the world. This makes it one of the spookiest cities on October 31st!

Why not pair horror with a bit of comedy or walk in the footsteps of the world’s most famous serial killer? Or, if you’re looking for a slightly more light-hearted Halloween, why not try a ghost tour with a cruise on the Thames afterwards?

3. Transylvania

Fancy celebrating Halloween at Dracula’s birthplace?

Transylvania is one of the creepiest places to spend Halloween in Europe. Explore the history, legend and myth of Bran Castle, more commonly known as Dracula’s Castle. This is because it’s the only castle in all of Transylvania that fits Bram Stoker’s description of the vampire’s birthplace.

Wandering the spooky corridors is a must for anyone who truly loves Halloween traditions. Plus, you can also stay the night…but only if you dare!

4. Prague

The Czech celebrate the departed on Halloween and Prague’s Halloween celebrations are one of the best things to do in the Czech Capital. They are also quite dark and peculiar.

Although the city is known for being romantic and mysterious, be prepared to jump out of your skin on the scariest night of the year.

Go on a ghost walk to explore some of Prague’s most haunted spots, visit a mental asylum graveyard or meet the legendary headless horseman.

5. Amsterdam

There is a much darker side to Amsterdam than the coffee shops, canals and bicycles that we all know and love.

All you have to do is go on a ghost tour and you’ll visit some of the most haunted spots. Walk in the footsteps of Anne Frank, visit the Amsterdam Dungeons and maybe even meet Helena, the city’s famous phantom (and no, she’s not from Harry Potter).

In fact, Amsterdam loves Halloween so much that they actually celebrate it for 3 days straight at the Halloween Festival Amsterdam. Definitely not one to miss if you’re a fan of spooky Halloween traditions.

6. Edinburgh

Celebrating Halloween in Scotland is sure to give you a bit of a fright.

Wander the underground vaults in the old town and learn about the eerie and unsettling history of Scotland that isn’t often spoken about…

Visit Edinburgh Castle or Edinburgh Dungeons for an even creepier experience. Or go on a paranormal activity tour. You’ll learn all the Halloween traditions of Scotland and about the vampires and zombies that haunt this medieval city.

7. Venice

The beautiful city of Venice may not be your first thought for Halloween celebrations. But when everyone has left St Mark’s Square, you’ll see a whole other side of the city.

As one of the most romantic destinations in Europe, you may not know about Venice’s eerie past, shadowy secrets and legendary monsters.

It remains classy, however, so why not attend a masked masquerade ball? Or visit Doge’s Palace for its Secret Itineraries tour. Here you’ll learn about the darker history of Venice, and visit the interrogation rooms, secret passageways, prisons and torture chambers.

It’s a perfect place to spend Halloween in Europe if you’re after class, with a spookier touch.

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