Halloween city break 2026: Cities that are truly haunted
Horror fans, take note! Spooky ghosts, bloodthirsty vampires or festivals for the dead: these cities are sure to give you the creeps, and not just at Halloween.
Edinburgh: When the Winter King Comes
On Saturday 31 October 2026, the will parade through Edinburgh to mark Samhuinn, the Celtic New Year. There will be torches, drums and acrobatics, and the Winter King will take the crown from the Summer King. ScotRail has named Calton Hill as the venue. Entry is by ticket only; details will be provided exclusively to registered guests. Anyone wishing to attend should register early. The Edinburgh Horror Festival, usually a fixture in October, is taking a break in 2026. The organisers will decide at the end of the year whether it will continue in 2027. The ghost tours and pub crawls will go ahead as normal.
Edinburgh doesn’t need an excuse to give you the creeps anyway. Beneath the Old Town lie the and , and anyone who’s been down there sees the pretty city above with fresh eyes. In October, the weather plays its part: it gets dark early, it’s damp, and the medieval alleyways are shrouded in mist. The most comfortable way to get spooked is on the ’s ghost bus: a restored double-decker, a conductor with sinister intentions and stops at the city’s most haunted corners, all served up with a pinch of Scottish humour.
Prague: Fog, alchemy and a green drink
In October, morning mist hangs over the Vltava, and the Old Town looks as though someone had set up the set for a horror film and forgotten to take it down again. It’s fitting: around 1600, Prague was the court city of Emperor Rudolf II, who employed alchemists to work for him. The and the tell the story. Ghost tours abound in Prague, along with horror theatre and readings from the world of Gothic horror. Around 31 October, bars and clubs in the Old Town celebrate Halloween with themed drinks.
And then there’s absinthe. At the , right in the heart of the Old Town, it’s served under a poison-green light, boasting perhaps the darkest history of any drink. Things are a bit more civilised at : Victorian in style, with cocktails such as Black Sun and Alice in Wonderland. If someone is sitting next to you at the bar, looking conspicuously still, it might well be a ghost.
Dublin: The home of Dracula
The will take place in 2026 from Friday 23rd to Monday 26th October, over the bank holiday weekend. Bram Stoker, the author of *Dracula*, was born in Clontarf, Dublin, in 1847, and the city is keen to celebrate this. Halloween also has its roots here, as it dates back to the Celtic festival of Samhain. Every year, the festival turns the whole city into a spooky spectacle, with theatre and concerts, street performances, family-friendly events and plenty of free activities. Demand is high, and there are no waiting lists in 2026. If you want to be there, book early.
Outside the festival, the is well worth a visit. It recounts the city’s brutal history, from witches and murderers to cannibals. The crypt at St Michan’s Church near the Old Town is also macabre and well worth seeing: mummified corpses lie there.
London: Pumpkins at Hogwarts, puzzles on Baker Street
In October, London reveals its mystical side: the city’s mist-shrouded streets and gloomy corners take on an extra air of mystery in autumn, making it the perfect destination for fans of mystery, crime and magic.
Magical London for Harry Potter fans:
London served as a source of inspiration for J.K. Rowling’s many settings, and some of the filming locations are right here in London. In autumn in particular, you get the feeling that you’re strolling through the pages of the books, whether on your own or on a guided tour. Particularly impressive: The at Warner Bros. During the Halloween period, the set is transformed into a spooky, magical backdrop under the ‘Dark Arts’ theme – complete with flying pumpkins, Death Eater costumes and the Forbidden Forest by night.
In the city itself, the sleuths get to work. Jack the Ripper tours wind their way through the East End, the Sherlock Holmes Museum is located at 221B Baker Street, and the put your puzzle-solving skills to the test. Afterwards, an afternoon tea is just the thing. Many serve it at Halloween with terrifyingly delicious little cakes.
Copenhagen: When Tivoli reveals its other side
Since 1843, has been a place of carousels and good cheer. From 2 October to 1 November 2026, it will be transformed into a spooky theme park: Over 20,000 pumpkins will be scattered amongst the rides, two haunted houses await the brave, and in the evenings by the lake, the Halloween illuminations will feature lasers, fire, smoke, water and music. In the Pagoda Pavilion, the Belgian restaurant Zilte will be serving as a guest chef until 1 November.
If that’s not spooky enough for you, head down into the . The former water reservoir has not supplied drinking water since 1933 and now showcases art amongst the stalactites. Dark vaults and damp air come free of charge. The exhibits preserved organs and skeletons in subdued lighting, evoking memories of ‘Frankenstein’.
Paris: Disney villains and the Catacombs
The City of Love can be quite different. From 26 September to 1 November 2026, will be taken over by villains during the Disney Halloween Festival. The Halloween parade winds its way through the park, there’s an evening show at Sleeping Beauty Castle, and thrills await the brave in the Phantom Manor haunted house. The festival is included in the park admission price. Incidentally, since 29 March 2026, the second park has been called Disney Adventure World; it was previously known as Walt Disney Studios Park.
No Disney, but plenty of bones: the are open all year round. From 1786 onwards, bones were moved from the city’s overcrowded cemeteries to the old quarries. Today, around six million dead bodies, skulls and bones lie there, piled up in patterns. Not for the faint-hearted.
Barcelona: La Castanyada and a theme park full of ghosts
In Spain, 1 November is All Saints’ Day, the ‘Día de Todos los Santos’. In Catalonia, families get together the evening before for the Castanyada and eat roasted chestnuts, sweet potatoes and panellets – small almond cakes with pine nuts. In the past, bells would ring until the early hours of the morning in honour of the deceased. In 2026, 1 November falls on a Sunday. In autumn, these specialities are available at many street stalls around the city.
Those who prefer a livelier atmosphere can drive an hour south to . The Halloween season runs there from 19 September to 15 November 2026, featuring five haunted houses, a parade and, at night, the ‘Horror en el Lago’ show. New this year is ‘El Carnicero de Penitence’ in the Wild West section. The haunted houses can be booked individually or with the Halloween Passport.
Berlin and Hamburg: Thrills all year round
If you don’t want to wait until Halloween, you’re in luck in Berlin. Things are set to get really lively at near Potsdam: the Horror Nights will take place on ten dates in 2026, on Fridays and Saturdays (9th/10th, 16th/17th, 23rd/24th and 30th/31st October, as well as 6th/7th November), and at night the film set is transformed into a spooky attraction featuring mazes and monster zones. Tickets are available online, but popular dates sell out quickly. Open all year round is the Berlin Dungeon, which takes visitors on a journey through the sinister Peststraße with actors, special effects and rides. More of Berlin’s history can be found in the , in Second World War air-raid shelters and in escape tunnels beneath the Wall.
Hamburg also offers thrills all year round. The Hamburg Dungeon takes visitors on a journey through the Great Fire all year round, and at Halloween both often put on their own special shows. Those who prefer to get their thrills in the fresh air should head to the Eppendorfer Moor in the north of the city. A walk through the nature reserve is particularly worthwhile at dusk, when a ghostly mist hangs over the moor.
Book your Halloween weekend
There’s a Motel One in all nine cities. Pick your favourite spooky spot, book a room, and then sleep soundly. After a night full of ghosts, you’ve earned it.
