Every October 31, for Halloween, it’s the same refrain: a parade of the most “beautiful” costumes, a candy hunt, a horror film, and for the bravest, an adrenaline shot in a place nicknamed “haunted.” An habit that did not escape the national vacation rental search engine Likibu, which, for the occasion, unveiled its list of the most haunted locations in France.
To do this, the site analyzed data collected from October 19 to 24, 2023. The estimated number of queries corresponds to searches conducted monthly on Google by Internet users.
Which haunted places are the most searched in France?
- Catacombs of Paris (Île-de-France), with 157,830 searches
- Padirac Abyss (Lot), with 150,410 searches
- Brocéliande Forest (Ille-et-Vilaine), with 75,850 searches
- Lake Paladru (Isère), with 54,350 searches
- Fougeret Castle (Vienne), with 34,860 searches
- Carnac Menhirs (Morbihan), with 34,030 searches
- Commarque Castle (Dordogne), with 21,520 searches
- Trepassers’ Bay (Finistère), with 18,110 searches
- Rennes-le-Château (Aude), with 17,840 searches
- Brissac Castle (Maine-et-Loire), with 16,830 searches
- Bonaguil Castle (), with 13,260 searches
- Tiffauges Castle (Vendée), with 12,190 searches
- Plessis-Bourré Castle (Maine-et-Loire), with 12,060 searches
- Montségur Castle (Ariège), with 10,900 searches
- Combourg Castle (Combourg), with 10,410 searches
- Veauce Castle (Veauce), with 7,980 searches
- Reignac Iron Fortress (Tursac), with 6,690 searches
- Puymartin Castle (Marquay), with 6,640 searches
- Gisors Castle (Gisors), with 5,130 searches
- Carrouges Castle (Carrouges), with 4,820 searches
Haunted castles, favorite places for Halloween
With 75,850 monthly searches, the historical Broceliande Forest reappears in the spotlight. Inspire for many films or fairy tales, it invites walkers to trace the steps of the fairies Viviane or Morgan, or to head toward Comper Castle, and perhaps, to pull Excalibur from its stone.
But what stands out most from this ranking is the French enthusiasm for haunted castles. Among the most favored castles, Fougeret Castle (34,860 monthly searches) is extolled as the “hauntedest place in France” and cherished by all paranormal and supernatural enthusiasts.
With 21,520 monthly searches, Commarque Castle also stirs curiosity among the French. Legend has it that it is inhabited by the ghost of the horse belonging to the lover of the daughter of the Count of Commarque (are you following?). During the Hundred Years’ War, the lord supposedly laid a trap for the beloved of his daughter, who died within the castle walls, sealing the fate of the horse’s phantom, which has appeared there since, on every full moon.
Another castle, another tale: with Brissac Castle (16,830 monthly searches), nicknamed the “giant of the Loire Valley.” Those who visit the site venture into the lair of the Green Lady, Charlotte of Valois, her true name, who was killed by her husband in 1477 after the discovery of her infidelity. Since then, she is said to haunt the castle’s walls day and night…
