Today most Germans are usually not very superstitious, black cats, broken mirrors, or Friday the 13th doesn’t faze them anymore. Nevertheless, Germany is a place where you often feel, time standing still. Town centers can take you back to the middle ages and dark forests and  hidden castle ruins might remind you of times long ago. Still, some ghost stories and legends have survived over the centuries and are still told today. Recently ghost hauntings and paranormal research has spiked in popularity, and so people are once again flocking back to these ancient spots in hopes of catching a glimpse of “the other side...”

So, why not you? Lets head out on a foggy fall night and get to ghost hunting. I have searched through insider forums, newspaper articles, and books in order to bring you some of the most  haunted spots inside of Germany:

Halloween is one of the oldest celebrations in human history, the roots of which are buried deep in the traditional Gaelic Festival of Samhain. Originally Halloween was more of a Fall Harvest celebration, as the year of the Celts ended on October 31st . The summer was over, and the harvest was brought in, and this alone was a reason to celebrate.

Germans love doing arts and crafts, especially during times of transition, like in the spring or fall. Families will often flock to the forests and fields on nice, sunny fall days, in order to gather supplies and ideas for their projects. Then on the gloomier, rainy days, they‘ll spend time at home with the kids doing crafts and realizing their envisioned projects. You might be surprised that there is such a huge interest in arts and crafts here in Germany, as there aren‘t any big arts and crafts supply superstores like the kind you see back in the States. However, they aren‘t really needed, as most of the big department stores here have a crafting section that will sell you all the basics. There are also online craft stores that can get you anything else that you might need...not to mention the fact that Germany is full of natural crafting resources. So why not put on some warm fall clothes, and some sturdy rubber boots, and give the German way of crafting a try? There are so many treasures that can be found in your local area alone. Go out and explore the woods, the fields, and the parks and see what you can find—plus its a great family activity your kids are sure to love! Be on the lookout for shiny chestnuts, acorns, beechnuts, interesting twigs and branches, moss, rose-hips, pine-cones and pretty colorful leaves and get to crafting!