The Most Mystical Places in the World

So you want scary?
by Leigh Bagtas | October 03, 2015

From stories of ghosts, to spiritual quests, to witches, to hell’s gates and possessions, these mythical places around the world are the perfect destinations for those who want to dip their feet into the supernatural.

Beware, it could get scary.

Devil’s Kettle Waterfalls (Minnesota, USA)

All doors, or in this case, holes, lead somewhere. But apparently the one in Devil’s Kettle doesn’t. If you haven’t heard of the infamous falls, one of its side drops down to the basin while the other side swirls endlessly into an unknown abyss. The pothole on the left side of the falls has puzzled lots of hikers, tourists and even scientists. Several experiments and theories have been tested but they have found mostly…nothing.

Some say that the kettle was the door to hell. Others even considered the hole as a sacrificial ground, as found in Jennifer’s Body. Would you be willing to find out where the kettle ends?

Moeraki Boulders (Koekohe Beach, NZ)

From afar, they look like dinosaur or alien eggs. But an alien invasion or the return of the dinosaurs won’t happen, at least not anytime soon. Step closer and you’ll see that these eggs are actually just rocks measuring up to three meters in diameter. Legend has it that the Moeraki boulders are remains of eel baskets that got washed ashore after Maori’s legendary canoe was wrecked near the beach.

The boulders, which are almost a perfect sphere, are said to be formed that way because of erosion, time and the precipitation of natural cement in between the rocks. We say it’s a mystery.

Blood Falls (Antarctica)

There you are on your first exciting trip to Antarctica and the first thing you see is blood gushing out of a glacier. Nope, nope.

It’s a scene pulled out from The Shining. Is it a portal to your worst nightmare? Or to a hellish vampire kingdom? Did people die there? Nope again. It’s all science. The “blood” is caused by microbes living off sulfur and iron. Still looks gory, though.

The Door to Hell (Turkmenistan)

You don’t need to knock to know if you’re invited because the Door to Hell can swallow you whole.

The site is officially off-limits to the public because of the toxic gases and unbearable heat that can kill you on the spot, but one man, George Kourounis, braved the hell out and rappelled 100 feet down into the mouth of the Darvaza Crater.

The crater has been burning since 1971 when a group of Soviet scientists set the crater on fire in hopes that the rigged methane gas would stop leaking.

Great Bell of Dhammazedi (Myanmar)

The bell, rumored to be made of gold, silver, copper and tin, was built by King Dhammazedi in 1480 AD in the Shwedagon Pagoda temple in modern Yangon in Myanmar. But legends say that the bell was stolen and removed by a Portuguese explorer, Filipe de Brito, to melt it and turn it into cannons, only to have the bell tear his raft apart and sink in the Yangon River.

Several expeditions, with underwater equipment and all, have been launched in the past years just to recover what was once important to the Buddhist and Burmese pride. But people say that there are certain spirits or protectors that prevent people from ever finding the bell. Only those who are truly worthy and spiritual are allowed to locate it in the depths of the river’s murky waters.

Varosha (Cyprus)

Planning to spend your holidays in one of these resorts? You could if you lived before 1974.

What used to be a thriving French Riviera, a community of art and intellectual activity and even a favorite of Elizabeth Taylor, is now a ghost town being patrolled by Turkish guards who are ordered to shoot anyone trespassing.

Varosha became an abandoned tourism hub after Turkey invaded Cyprus almost more than 40 years ago. Although there were plans to restore the city, it has been under the control of the Turkish military ever since.

The Witch’s Well (Tuhala, Estonia)

They say that if you make the witches mad, they’ll flood the well until all is drowned for eternity. Other stories say that the flooding is caused by the witches beating up each other with birch branches.  But science explains the phenomenon as a simple flooding when there is a heavy downpour.

Whichever it is, you don’t want to piss off a witch and be “boiled over.”

Lion City (China)

Apparently, China has a version for everything—even Atlantis.

China’s Lion City was supposed to be the heart of politics and economics in Shi Cheng. It stood with white temples, carved arches, and defined walls, houses and roads. But in 1959, the government decided to build a hydroelectric power station that ended up burying the city underwater. Orrrr, they’re probably still using it as a secret underwater hideout.

Island of the Dolls (Mexico)

If you’re the REAL ultimate thrill seeker, this should be on the very top of your list.

The Island of the Dolls was said to be haunted by the ghost of a little girl who drowned in a nearby canal. The owner of the property, Don Julian Santana, started collecting and hanging dolls around in the hopes to protect himself from the ghost and veer it away. He then died in 2001 in the same canal the girl’s body was found in.

Despite stories of the dolls whispering to tourists or screams being heard near the canal, people still flock the island. Would you?

 

Channel the daredevil in you and try to see if you can brave out these places and cross them off your bucket list!