Celebrated at the end of October, Halloween was created to scare away ghosts and sprits – but more commonly now enjoyed by trick or treating, visiting scare mazes or pumpkin picking. But for those wanting to experience the spooky season across the globe, we’ve put together a list of the best cities to celebrate Halloween in.
Bratislava, Slovakia
Known as the capital of Halloween, Bratislava offers an exciting take on the festivity, with an array of haunted houses to festive parties to enjoy. Including the Halloween Party Erasmus Bratislava and Bratislava International Halloween Party, events like these are a great way to get your spookiest costume on as the best mask wins a prize!
For those looking to be spooked – the Ghosts at Smolenice Castle is an annual event showcasing ghost stories, creative workshops and a haunted photo booth.
Corinaldo, Italy
As the city is renowned for its witches history, Corinaldo is the place to be on Halloween. Its Witches Festival is set over four days and has been running for over 20 years. The first of the four days celebrates ‘waiting for Halloween’ with games for children and the opening of main attractions: Fear Tunnel, Transformation Tower, Halloween Market and Craft Market. There are also street artists’ performances, taverns with local food, music and live performances until the early hours of the morning.
The following days include further games and performances from 10am with the main Halloween night commencing at 4pm with a finale live show.
Amsterdam
The city’s three-day Amsterdam Halloween festival is the answer to some spooky fun in the city this year! The event has been running for 15 years and this year’s theme is ‘Nuclear Survival’ – warning visitors to navigate through irradiated ruins and face mutated horrors as they fight to endure the fallout.
Edinburgh, Scotland
One of Europe’s most haunted cities, Halloween is referred to as Samhuinn in Scotland and is celebrated through a number of events and festivals across the spooky season. The ritual of Samhuinn sees the city put on a fiery twist on Halloween night with a live parade.
Fancy mixing scare with history? Edinburgh Castle comes alive with the spirit of the spooky season and offers an extensive list of events including activity trails, costume competitions and a Halloween ghost tour.
Bruges, Belgium
Nicknamed ‘Little Venice of the North’, Bruges offers a great trip this October with its Halloween at the Historium where hundreds of pumpkins, cobwebs and bats make a spooky atmosphere. With chilling VR games in its arcade or a trip to the Torture Museum, the Historium is a must do this October.
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