European Ghosts France

Meet the Green Lady

Situated in the Loire River Valley is the Château de Brissac. It was built in the 11th century and acquired by the Duke of Brissac in the 15th. He demolished the previous medieval fortress and built a new castle with twin medieval towers.

The chateau is haunted by “la Dame Verte” or the Green Lady. Legend has it that she is the ghostly spirit of Charlotte de Breze, the daughter of King Charles VII and his mistress Agnes Sorel. In 1462, Charlotte’s marriage to a nobleman, Jacques de Breze, was arranged. It was not a love match but instead politically driven. Supposedly, the two people concerned had very distinct personalities.

While Charlotte preferred a more affluent lifestyle, Jacques preferred the great outdoors with pursuits like hunting. One night, a servant awoke Jacques to inform him that his wife was having an affair with Pierre de Lavergne. When he caught the deceiving couple, Jacques killed them. Then, shortly after, he left the chateau because he could not stand the screams of the ghosts of his wife and her lover. It could be that the ghostly spirit of Pierre has moved on, but the ghost of Charlotte is very much present. Visitors have been startled and frightened encountering her ghost, but the dukes of the chateau have become accustomed to her presence,

The Ghost Horse

Situated in Dordogne, is the 12th-century medieval stronghold is Chateau de Commarque. It was a key location during the Hundred Years' War.

A Romeo and Juliet-like incident occurred here during a conflict between the Count of Commarque and the Baron of Beynac over another nearby territory. The son of the rival family fell in love with the Count’s daughter. The Count imprisoned the young man in the cell of the castle for a few months before he executed him. Now the area is haunted by the ghost of the young man’s horse, which stalks the stronghold ruins on nights with a full moon in pursuit of his owner. It is said that anyone who attempted to view the ghost of the horse died in odd ways.

Meet Louis XVI and Benjamin Franklin

Chateau de Versailles was once the residence of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, one of the most notorious royal couples in France. Because of their extravagant spending while others in the country were starving, they were beheaded. In 1789, enraged rioters carried the couple out of the palace. The chateau has 2,300 rooms and 67 stairs.

However, even after death, the ghostly spirit of Louis XVI is still in residence, wandering the hallways.

American polymath and statesman Benjamin Franklin visited the famous royal couple in 1778, and now his ghost is also seen in the chateau.

White mists have been seen, and cold spots felt around Marie Antoinette’s bed in Petit de Trianon. In the Queen’s Apartment tings move on their own, and her ghostly spirit haunts the Concierge, where she was imprisoned before execution.

Would you like to meet Charles de Gaulle? He used the Northern wing of the Grand Trianon of the chateau as his office during his presidency, and his ghostly spirit has been seen hanging around.

How about Napoleon? His ghost has been seen here as well.

Meet the Creatures of the Haunted Forest

Haunted houses, castles, and even haunted hotels are things you often hear about. But a haunted forest? Forêt de Broceliande is one of the most haunted forests in the world. The forest stretches 90 km in Brittany, near Rennes. Within the forest are the Château de Comper, Château de Trecesson, and the national historical site Forêt de Paimpont.

It is also part of a larger forest area that encompasses the neighboring departments of Morbihan and Côtes-d’Armor. The forest is central to the King Arthur legend, and it is home to terrifying dragons, pranksters, and other Breton mythological creatures, including Merlin the Wizard, Lancelot, the Lady of the Lake Viviane, and Morgan Le Fey, Arthur’s half-sister.

Chateau de Comper is linked to the Arthurian legend, particularly the Lady of the Lake, Viviane, which adds to its mystical reputation. Some guests report feelings of unease or a sense of being watched, contributing to its haunted reputation.

Visitors to the Château de Trecesson frequently report seeing the ghost of a bride who is said to wander the castle grounds, mourning her fate. A 'ghost room' is rumored to host spectral card players, adding to the castle's eerie atmosphere. Legends include a headless apparition that roams the castle.

Haunted by Mournful Souls

Mont Saint-Michel is situated on the border of Brittany and Normandy. It has been a model for castles in popular films and is renowned to be one of the most terrifying haunted places in France. The Abbey on the island is heavily fortified.

Legend has it that St. Aubert received a dream from the Archangel Michael, who directed him to build a monastery there. However, the bishop ignored the vision until the Archangel burned a hole in his head. The Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel has become the subject of several myths and ghost tales.

It was on one of the bloodiest days in the history of France that a fight of the Hundred Years' War took place on the nearby beaches. Over 2,000 Englishmen were killed under the command of Captain Louis d’Estouteville and his soldiers. Many of the souls of the Englishmen could not move to the next realm. Now these ghostly spirits can be heard wailing in agony and despair.

Before the French Revolution, most island inhabitants were monks and pious people. It was a common practice to bury the corpses of the dead in the walls of the church. When the Revolution reached the island, these monks had to abandon the Abbey, and this once-holy location became a prison. The ghostly spirits of the dead monks were awakened by the disturbance, and now their restless souls roam Mont Saint-Michel.