This Castle Is Supposedly Haunted by More Than 100 Ghosts
It's believed more than 100 ghosts call Dragsholm Castle "home sweet home."
Located on the Danish island of Zealand, just an hour outside of Copenhagen, the 800-year-old Dragsholm Castle — or Dragsholm Slot — once served as a prison for the country's nobility. Today, however, it's known as one of Europe's most haunted castles.
Over the years, many have claimed to witness sightings of countless noisy poltergeists, a "White Lady" and a nobleman on horseback — just to name a few of the specters that supposedly haunt its halls and grounds.
No wonder Dragsholm is plagued by ghost stories, though — the castle has reportedly suffered centuries of misery within its fortified walls.
According to The Mirror, one of the Dragsholm's most famous sightings is believed to be the ghost of James Hepburn, also known as Lord Bothwell.
Once married to Mary, Queen of Scots, Lord Bothwell was at one point rumored to have murdered Mary's former husband Lord Darnley. Years later, after fleeing Scotland and for reasons unrelated, he was chained to a pillar in solitary confinement while imprisoned at Dragsholm, where he eventually died.
Ever since his death in 1578, his ghost has supposedly been spotted riding around the castle's courtyard on spectral horseback. Those with an affinity for tortured souls can even visit Lord Bothwell's pillar, where they can see scuff marks on the floor, showing the limited space he had while imprisoned.
Lord Bothwell's mummified remains are housed in a nearby chapel.
During the 1930s, Dragsholm revealed more from its tortured past when renovations unearthed the skeletal remains of a woman wearing a white dress. Her remains were found discretely sealed behind a basement wall.
It's speculated the remains belong to Celina Bovles, a young woman who got pregnant outside of wedlock after falling in love with a boy who worked at the castle. She met a gruesome fate when her father discovered the pregnancy and sealed her behind a wall to cover her secret forever.
Known as the "White Lady," Bovles' specter has allegedly been spotted roaming the castle and its grounds.
Today, Dragsholm Castle remains a tourist hot spot, luring in those who enjoy spooky encounters with stately hotel rooms and a Michelin star-rated restaurant.
Celebrities Who Lived in Haunted Houses
Gallery Credit: Mike Nied