The world is filled with places of magic and mystery, from natural wonders supposedly built by giants to caves and castles bound up with stories of sorcery. Here we've rounded up 34 enchanting spots that even mere mortals can visit. Prepare to be spellbound.
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As its name suggests, this geological wonder in Northern Ireland is linked to the legend of two giants: Irish Finn McCool and his arch enemy, the fearsome Scottish Benandonner. The story goes that McCool was determined to defeat his enemy once and for all, so he broke off great hunks of the Antrim coast and arranged them in the sea to make a pathway to Benandonner. Today there are some 40,000 of these mostly hexagonal basalt columns, some of which tower to 36 feet (11m).
Dubbed the most haunted place in India, 17th-century Bhangarh Fort is shrouded in legend. Its most famous myth involves a jilted wizard who fell in love with a local princess. Not able to win her affections, the wizard attempted to slip the princess a love potion. However, she saw through his cunning plan and flung the magic brew at a nearby boulder, which dislodged and crushed the ill-fated wizard. It's said the embittered wizard used his last breath to place a curse on the fort, which is now so feared that entry is prohibited after sunset.
Mother Shipton’s Cave is tucked away in storied woodland in Knaresborough along the River Nidd. It's the supposed birthplace of legendary witch and prophetess Ursula Southhell, or Mother Shipton, who purportedly predicted numerous dark events during her time, including the Great Fire of London. Nearby is the famous Petrifying Well, whose mineral-rich waters can turn objects to stone.
The Rose Hall Great House is a grand Jamaican Georgian-style mansion set within the vast grounds of a former plantation, and tourists aren't the only beings who haunt the stately home. It's purportedly plagued by the ghost of Annie Palmer, a supposed witch who killed three of her husbands alongside countless enslaved people who worked on the plantation. Legend has it that her tomb was supposed to be sealed with an ancient voodoo ritual, but the ritual was left unfinished, leaving Annie's spirit free to roam the eerie house and grounds today.
Peeling tombs and labyrinthine walkways draw visitors to this NOLA cemetery, or City of the Dead, which is the burial place of legendary voodoo queen Marie Laveau. Laveau, who died in 1881, was famed for her spiritual practices, which supposedly included healing the sick. Visitors still come to lay offerings at Laveau's gravesite, and you can sense the magic for yourself on a guided tour.
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The ruins of Tintagel Castle – perched dramatically on a rugged Cornish peninsula – could be plucked straight from a medieval saga. And they sort of are. According to lore, this is where revered warrior and leader King Arthur was conceived. It's said that powerful wizard Merlin disguised Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon, with a spell, so he could make it into the bedchamber of his beloved Igraine, who was married to another man. You can book tickets online to cross the famed footbridge and explore the crumbling castle.
Enchanted by name and apparently enchanted by nature, this eye-poppingly blue river flows through an area of thick forest on the island of Mindanao. Locals wax lyrical about the magical waters which are said to be inhabited by mythical creatures including engkanto (a kind of environmental spirit). It's also said that the river got its dramatic colour from sapphire and jade left behind by fairies' wands.
Tucked away in an old blacksmith shop, Magicum is a light-hearted magic museum packed to the rafters with bewitching displays. Weave through the exhibitions, spotting everything from potion books and tarot cards to magicians' hats and black and white wands. Time your visit for one of the popular weekend magic shows. You're sure to leave spellbound.
You may recognise the Dark Hedges from HBO series Game of Thrones, but this twisting tunnel of trees has a legend of its own. The lane is supposedly home to the Grey Lady, an elusive spectre who flits between the knotted trees, fading away as she reaches the end of the road. Her identity is unknown, though some think she's the wandering spirit of a local housemaid, whose mysterious death raised questions centuries ago. Today it's one of the most photographed places in Northern Ireland – check your snaps for any mysterious shapes...
A treasure trove of illusions, this Edinburgh museum is dedicated to trickery, with the star of the show being the camera obscura itself, which shows visitors a moving image of the city below. Beyond this, visitors can pore over magical mind-benders from a hologram room and a mirror maze to the dizzying Vortex Tunnel, a whirling passageway that will test your balance.
When it comes to witchcraft, no place on Earth is as infamous as Salem. This small town northeast of Boston is well-known for the witch trials of 1692-93, which saw 19 'convicted' witches executed. Despite this dark past, Salem wears its magical reputation on its sleeve, with a bonanza of spooktacular events for Halloween. Other attractions keep visitors passing through year-round – look out for the Witch House, former home of trial judge Jonathan Corwin, and the House of Seven Gables (pictured), made famous by Nathaniel Hawthorne's Gothic novel.
When this Gothic castle was built back in the 13th century, people were puzzled. It was far from any water sources, had no obvious defensive use and was inhabited by no-one. Locals surmised that the fortress was built over the gateway to hell, in order to entrap evil demons that might otherwise escape. It's thought that the castle was actually built as an administrative centre for the sprawling royal estates.
This medieval pub in the Irish town of Kilkenny dates right back to 1263, and has a history bound up with witchcraft. It's named for Dame Alice Kyteler, the daughter of a banker and the original proprietor of the pub. Alice was married four times and possessed a sizeable fortune, leading bitter locals to brand her a witch. Although she was sentenced to be burned, Alice managed to escape to England in the nick of time. Today a life-sized bronze statue memorialises Dame Alice, while traditional Irish cooking and music keep the crowds pouring in.
Prepare to have your mind boggled at this dinky museum in Toronto. Dedicated to making you doubt your own eyes, the museum hosts a range of bewildering but brilliant displays, from a rotated room and a table that clones you, to the chance to put your own head on a platter. You're bound to leave puzzled, perplexed and convinced that magic might exist after all.
A jewel of northern Iceland, Dimmuborgir, meaning dark fortress, is a stark area of lava fields close to Lake Myvatn. Formed by an eruption several millennia ago, and also serving as a location for HBO's Game of Thrones, the area has legends aplenty. It's believed that the rock formations are a portal to the underworld and also as the home of the Yule Lads – the 13 tricksy sons of troll Gryla, who come out at Christmastime. Chase the legends on one of several hiking routes that criss-cross the area.
The Brocken is the loftiest peak in Germany's Harz Mountains range and has long been associated with witchcraft and magic. For starters, it's the setting for much of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's play Faust, based on the mystical German legend in which a man sells his soul to a demon. It's also said to be a place where witches perform sacrificial rites. Typically, on Walpurgis Night (30 April), the people of the Harz region put on a witchy celebration involving costumes, fireworks and family fun.
Known as the land of the sorcerers, Catemaco has a tradition of witchcraft that harks back for centuries. Curious visitors come from all over the world to rub shoulders with brujos, or sorcerers, who perform ancient rituals such as spiritual cleansings, and to explore markets dedicated to the occult. The biggest event of the year, the National Congress of Sorcerers, usually occurs in March and is a huge gathering of practising witches.
A quite remarkable sight, this 400-year-old balete tree in the Philippines' Siquijor province is believed to be enchanted. The true nature of the tree's magic remains a mystery, but locals tell tales of the mythical creatures which reside here and the sorcery that's performed. Legends aside, tourists and locals come to dip their toes in the natural springs at its base, which are home to schools of feet-nibbling fish.
Celebrating the legacy of Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin, revered as the father of modern conjuring, this museum is a key attraction in the riverside city of Blois. The venue couples displays on the history of magic and Robert-Houdin himself, with mind-boggling optical illusions and even live magic shows. Look out for the Harry Houdini passageway, dedicated to the life and stunts of the famous escape artist.
England's answer to Salem, Pendle Hill and the quaint villages that surround it are best known for the witch trials of 1612. Here, 10 people, who have become known as the Pendle witches, were found guilty of witchcraft and hung. Today visitors to this enchanting area of Lancashire can follow the Walking with Witches Trail or get involved with the annual Halloween hilltop gathering. You can also spot a host of sculptures hidden between the trees.
Embroiled in legend, the Swedish island of Bla Jungfrun (or Blue Maiden) is a national park in its entirety. The isle's isolated location has made it the perfect breeding ground for myths and folktales, which purport that the island is home to witches and evil spirits. It's still believed that witches gather on the island around Easter, in order to perform dark rites. Alongside the rocky beaches and deciduous forest, visitors will stumble across a curious stone labyrinth (pictured) whose origins remain a mystery.
Proud to be tipped as 'the Smithsonian of American magic', this Michigan museum is dedicated to magical greats from Harry Houdini to Harry Blackstone Sr, who spent much of his life in the state. Marvel at the huge store of artefacts, from illusionist posters to memorabilia used by Houdini himself, and see one of the free Saturday magic shows (admission charges still apply).
Loch Ness is famed the world over for the fearsome beast that supposedly patrols its waters, and all manner of books and films have been spun from this fabled creature. Nessie isn't the loch's only legend, though. It's said that the shores have been home to witches too. One story says that two quarrelling witches lived on either side of the water and during one heated conflict, they began hurling rocks at one another. One striking boulder near Clansman Harbour is said to be a remnant of this fight.
At first glance, this building looks like any other stately home – but it's more mysterious than most. It's famous for its seemingly endless construction, which saw an eight-room farmhouse grow into the gargantuan mansion we see today, with some 160 rooms, staircases that don't lead anywhere and doors that open onto walls. One theory holds that the widow who owned it, Sarah Winchester, was plagued by spirits and advised by a psychic to extend her home in order to escape them. Today tours tell tales of spooks and spirits.
Often dubbed 'the Salem of Europe' or 'the Village of Witches', Triora is a tiny village in Italy's northwestern Liguria region. After a bad harvest was blamed on sorcery, witch trials were held here at the end of the 16th century. At least 40 people were accused, many were tortured and others were burned at the stake. Triora doesn't shy away from this macabre history, though, and brings it to the fore with statues, a museum (pictured) and a plethora of bewitching events, from Halloween festivities to a summer witchcraft festival.
This museum was established in 1966 by the late Raymond Buckland, a writer and expert in the occult, and has changed locations numerous times during its decades of history. Today settled in Cleveland, Ohio, the collection is a shrine to witchcraft, folklore and the supernatural, showcasing everything from orbs and chalices to artefacts relating to the Salem witch trials. Special events include witchery workshops, one-off exhibitions and seances.
It's not stalagmites or stalactites that draw tourists to this cave close to Zugarramurdi, which is often billed as the village of witches. Rather, it's the cavern's long association with magic and pagan rituals. Indeed, the town of Zugarramurdi was purportedly the site for the largest ever witch trial, involving thousands of accused. Today visitors can soak up the magic in the haunting witch museum or at a traditional annual feast called zikiro jate, held right in the cave itself.
This hulking mountain, distinct for the gaping hole at its centre, is steeped in folklore. Its story involves a troll, Hestmannen, who was chasing a beautiful woman, Lekamoya. As the path widened between them, Hestmannen became angry and shot an arrow intending to kill Lekamoya. However, the powerful troll king saved the day by throwing a hat into the arrow's path, saving the girl. The pierced hat turned into the mountain we see today, arrow hole and all. You can visit the mountain on a moderate hike.
If it's related to witches, you'll find it in this enchanting Swiss museum. Through its 1,300-strong collection of artefacts, the museum allows visitors to delve into the worlds of Swiss folklore, divination, magic spells, healing practices and more. It gets bonus points for its killer location in the hilltop Liebegg Castle (Schloss Liebegg) too.
The Philippines' conical Chocolate Hills – some of which soar to 394 feet (120m) – are another natural wonder often explained by magic. One legend involves a pair of squabbling giants, who launched mud and boulders at one another until they were exhausted. Their tiredness led them to forget their bickering and the havoc they'd wrought too. They left behind the towering Chocolate Hills and wandered off into the sunset. Another story claims the hills are the dried tears of an amorous giant who was mourning the death of his mortal love.
This museum proudly touts itself as having the world's largest collection of objects relating to witchcraft and the occult. Set in the charming Cornish village of Boscastle, the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic holds more than 3,000 artefacts chronicling British magical practice from ancient times to the modern day. Explore two levels filled with everything from a mini altar and ritual equipment to a handcrafted ouija board.
There might not be any real sorcery at play at this puzzling spot in Santa Cruz, but it certainly feels like there is. Explained as a gravitational anomaly in the midst of a redwood forest, California's Mystery Spot has been baffling visitors for some 80 years. Here, in a strangely-positioned wooden shack, guests appear to defy gravity, leaning to impossible angles. Experience the magic, then reorientate yourself on the peaceful woodland hiking trail that surrounds the spot.
Rising out of the ocean, close to the tiny village of Vik I Myrdal, are the Reynisdrangar – three mighty basalt sea cliffs soaring to 217 feet (66m). According to Icelandic folklore, these jagged rocks are actually the remains of a fated group of trolls. It's said that the troublesome trolls caught sight of a ship out at sea and decided to pull it to shore under the cover of darkness. However, their dastardly deed took too long. Dawn broke and the trolls were immediately turned to stone. They remain a favoured subject for roving photographers.
Rakotzbrucke, in eastern Germany's Kromlauer Park, is one of several bridges in Europe to earn the moniker 'the Devil's Bridge'. The legend goes that the bridge, reflecting in the still water below, is too perfect to have been made by human hands. It's said that Satan had a hand in its construction, claiming the soul of the first mortal to cross the structure in return. You can't cross the bridge today, but you can admire the devil's handiwork from afar.