31 Haunted Hotspots and Urban Legends for the Brave Traveler

3. Poveglia Island – Italy

Off the coast of Venice, Poveglia Island is so haunted that the Italian government has banned visitors. Once a quarantine zone for plague victims in the 18th century, tens of thousands perished on this tiny island. Their bodies were burned in mass graves, and it’s said that the soil is made up of more ash than dirt. Later, the island became a mental asylum, where inhumane experiments were conducted on patients before the head doctor leapt from the bell tower—driven mad by the ghosts tormenting him. To this day, fishermen refuse to sail near the island, and those who sneak in claim to hear horrific screams, whispers in empty buildings, and shadowy figures lurking in the ruins.