Scares at real haunted houses in the Netherlands

Secretly, horror is a favorite topic of mine, so I delved into the history of various Dutch places and houses. After all, there are several real haunted houses in the Netherlands where you can have a good scare!

Walking past real haunted houses and dark places

Do you love city walks? Then a Horrorwalk from The Little Walk of Horrors is for you! With a Horrorwalk you will discover the dark history of the city of your choice. Totally offline and at your convenience. In a Horror Walk there are no horror effects, but beautiful, interesting and sometimes sinister stories about certain places and buildings of a city. And yes, there are real haunted houses among them! Curious? Here you can find more information about the different Horrorwalks.

Singraven estate

In Denekamp there is a country house that used to serve as a convent. Against all the rules, one of the nuns was associating with people from the village. In those days there were severe punishments for that and therefore she was walled up alive in the walls of the convent. In the following years, strange accidents happened in the house and she is sometimes seen from behind the windows, when no one is supposed to be there. Today the Singraven Estate is a great base for hikers and day-trippers. Seminars are also held there and you can get married. In addition, you can enjoy lunch or dinner in the coach house. Perhaps with an extra guest at the table….

Psychiatric Hospital Sancta Maria

Noordwijk is not only a place to enjoy the sun, sea and beach, it is also a haunted place! From 1928 to 1938, in the middle of the dunes, psychiatric hospital Sancta Maria was built there. This hospital was built as an extension of the main building in Noordwijkerhout. This location was used specifically for female patients. Unfortunately, years later the psychiatric care here proved to be out of order and the building fell into disrepair. There used to be experiments with mentally ill patients. Perhaps that is why it is so haunted. Indeed, many claim to be beset by severe headaches and a terrible cold, even in the middle of summer. Doors also slam shut while the building is deserted. Fully charged batteries are completely dead within minutes, and one hears footsteps and ticking sounds. Do you dare?

The Ghost Farm of Brummen

A tragedy played out 177 years ago in the town of Brummen in Gelderland. Farmer’s son Antoon Kremmer was madly in love with Megje and wanted to marry her. As the only son of the Kremmer family, father wanted him to marry a lady of standing. Megje unfortunately did not meet Dad Kremmer’s demands and he forbade his son to marry. Anthony was literally broken with grief. His parents found him the next morning hanging from the large oak tree in the yard. Anthony did not leave it at that after his death. His ghost eventually chased away his terrified parents after all sorts of inexplicable things happened. Subsequent potential buyers did not dare to buy the farm because of strange shadows, noises and electrical appliances that suddenly turned on spontaneously. The ghost farm in Brummen stood empty for no less than 50 years until it burned down completely in 2009. The oak tree is the only one still standing there….

Dune and Kruidberg Estate

Jacob Cremer had his dream house built in 1907 in the town of Santpoort-Noord. He had servants come over from Indonesia to work on the estate. One of those servants had murdered a man years before. Since the man had never been punished for his deed, the spirit traveled with him. The spirit tormented the poor man as he was eventually found to be innocent. The spirit then changed from a tormentor to a very helpful spirit. He made sure from then on that everyone would feel safe on the estate. There is also a stain on the floor of the estate. There is no way to scrub that stain away. Buried in that spot are a number of krissen (Indonesian serrated knives). The servants did that at the time of construction, if you want to declare good luck over your house according to Indonesian custom. Therefore, the krissen will always remain on Duin and Kruidberg Estate.

Prison Gravensteen

In Zierikzee stands a monumental building that used to serve as a prison. Gevangenis Gravensteen was built in 1358, but was completely restored between 1524 and 1526 due to decay. The building housed serious criminals and a court. You can still find the original cell complex. There is even a torture chamber in the basement. And yes, it is haunted. For example, there are eyewitnesses who claim to see shadows and shadows. Especially in the attic, where the women’s prison used to be, there are many sightings. Someone was even attacked there by an entity and the person was scratched in the process. Prisoners were also executed in front of the public. That used to be a kind of popular entertainment. No wonder the spirits here are a bit angry from time to time. Since 2012, the monumental building has housed a world store and offers tours.

Haunted monastery Huize Nazareth

Monasteries and castles quickly have a ghostly reputation. Such is the case with convent Huize Nazareth. In 1916, the former monastery became a boarding school for children who had been “abandoned and misdirected.” Now, years later, it appears there was widespread abuse with those children by the brothers. When the building was converted into a residential complex for students of the Fontys College of Arts in the 1990s, it turned out that the spirits of the abused and abusers had lingered. For example, many people feel down and depressed there, goldfish in a certain spot die by default, ghosts are seen and a male choir is sometimes heard in the courtyard. There also seems to be a breeze in one place in the house even though nothing is drafty or open. A resident once felt the mattress next to her collapse. Thinking this was her friend, she turned toward it. However, there was no one in sight!

Waardenburg Castle

In Waardenburg, Gelderland, you will find the medieval castle of the same name. Built in 1265, Waardenburg Castle is known for the Faust legend. Johan Faust is said to have worked on the philosopher’s stone in the castle, but always without success. One day, the Devil offered to help him. Faust eagerly accepted the help. The Devil entered the body of Faust’s helper and Faust made him do impossible things. After seven years, the Devil had had enough, and when the maid came to bring Faust his breakfast that morning, she was startled. There was a huge bloodstain on the wall and a tuft of hair hanging from the bars by the window. Every trace of Faust was missing. The bloodstains never left the wall, no matter what one tried….

Other haunted houses and legends in the Netherlands

Another well-known haunted house in the Netherlands is the Anne Frank house. In our earlier blog about perhaps the most famous house in Amsterdam, we dwelled on its fascinating history and the ghost stories that circulate here. The Gevangenpoort in The Hague also has a turbulent history. The Gevangenpoort is a very interesting location to visit. Among other things, this old prison has a well-equipped torture chamber that makes everyone’s imagination run wild. Dutch legends such as those of the Witte Wieven and the Bokkenrijders are also very interesting. And we have quite a history when it comes to witches. If you press the blue text you can read all about it! Lots of horror fun.

Oh yes, and we have an e-book about haunted places in the Netherlands. You can download the e-book for free. The second part is also out now due to great success! For even more spooky fun!

Credits photos: Thelittlewalkofhorrors.com and www.canva.com