Which is your favorite winter city?

Christmas is a special time of year in and its festive magic will soon put a spell on as all - the glittering lights, the sparkling festive ornaments - from traditional to modern, from miniature to bombastic, the seasonal aroma of mulled wine and baked cinnamon stars, cream-filled pastries, candied fruit, roasted chestnuts, grilled sausages and local delicacies, they all provide a magnificent setting and an incomparable atmosphere…so enchanting…which is your favorite Christmas city?

Top 10 Paris cafes for sipping vin chaud In Paris, mulled wine isn't just for Christmas – it's served until early spring. Here are the best cafes to warm up with a glass or three of vin chaud.

In Paris, mulled wine isn't just for Christmas – it's served until early spring. Here are the best cafes to warm up with a glass or three of vin chaud.

Café Marly

This cafe is swooningly romantic. Nestled in the arcades of the Louvre, its super-cosy heated terrace overlooks the Cour Napoléon and pyramid, which glows in the dark. Café Marly is the place to go with your love on a twilight evening. The service is slow and measured, harking back to an earlier era when there was all the time in the world. The mojitos are among the best in Paris, too.
• 1st arr. Le Louvre, Cour Napoléon, 93 rue de Rivoli (00 33 1 49 26 06 60).

Café Hugo

This elegant retreat is named after Victor Hugo, who resided on the Place des Vosges, and who wrote in Les Miserables (long before Oscar Wilde said something similar): "Some of us see the stars and some of us see a duck's footprint in the mud." Café Hugo is a must for starry-eyed visitors and local miserablists alike, with its excellent vin chaud, prime people-watching potential and enough chatty tourists to keep the grumpy unhappy.
• 4th arr. 22 Place des Vosges (+1 42 72 64 04).

Le Pick Clops

On the corner of the Rue Vieille du Temple, where a witch lives in a Colette short story, is this charming 50s cafe. It's mostly retro kids, students and clued-up young tourists who crowd the small Formica tables and the narrow, heated terrace, but Le Pick Clops is a friendly destination for everybody. Sit at the bar admiring the strawberries marinating in rum while sipping your bargain vin chaud. A slice of Le Pick Clops' cake à l'orange, costing only €1.80, is a good accompaniment.
• 4th arr. 16 Rue Vieille du Temple (+1 40 29 02 18).

La Closerie des Lilas

Sitting in the bar of swanky erstwhile writers' haunt, La Closerie des Lilas is like being in a painting. You instantly feel more elegant, refined by the shadows and contrasts of the lamplight on mahogany furnishings and blood-red upholstery. Hemingway, who admittedly seems to have frequented every bar in Paris during the decade he spent here, wrote in La Closerie: "Paris: the city best made to allow a writer to write." The vin chaud is expensive but, for any blocked wordsmiths, maybe you're worth it.
• 6th arr. 171 Boulevard du Montparnasse (+1 40 51 34 50, closeriedeslilas.fr).

Le Square Trousseau

This bistro has featured in a string of French films, including Olivier Assayas's Paris, Je T'Aime, thanks to its classic belle époque interior. At the splendid zinc top bar steams an enormous spaceship-shaped La Victoria coffee machine, and the walls are hung with enigmatic portraits of the owner's family. With tulip-shaped light fixtures and molded ceilings the place exudes a sense of an old Paris that's perfect for writing poetry. And the vin chaud is very cinnamony, served in a highball glass fit for a movie star.
• 12th arr. 1 Rue Antoine Vollon (+1 43 43 06 00, squaretrousseau.com).

L'Entracte Gaîté

The name of this theatre bar means "the cheerful interlude", and it's so apt: owner Marie-Dominique has decorated it in various sherbety colours with plenty of nooks for intimate confidences over sugar-cane vin chaud and jelly sweeties. In the 60s, L'Entracte was a bar tabac where Jacques Brel seduced smokily with chanson française; recently Patti Smith exhibited a film of a typical L'Entracte Gaîté evening as part of her exhibition at nearby Fondation Cartier. A perfect Parisian pleasure.
• 14th arr. 24 Rue de la Gaîté (+1 43 20 96 52).

Café Fou

Just in front of the Bibliothèque National de France is the windswept part of the riverbank where the Bateau Le Café Fou is moored, housing a bright and cosy floating cafe run by enthusiastic entrepreneur Frédéric Decatoire. His vin chaud with peach syrup is spectacularly good, and there's a selection of good-value tapas. The river laps soothingly at the porthole of the bathroom below deck for anyone who's had one vin chaud too many.
• 13th arr. 8 Fort de la Gare. Phone Frédéric on 00 33 06 18 56 00 75.

Un Zèbre à Montmartre

This divine little bar/restaurant is very near the Sacré-Coeur but has none of the homogeneity of nearby identikit brasseries. Sample the Zèbre's vin chaud on the tiny warm terrace, or lounge about the intimately lit, mirrored interior with some spiced caramel cake, €6.50. For vin chaud, it's best to visit outside mealtimes; for dining, the Zèbre's excellent Lyonais menu is served from 12.30pm to 8.30pm (reservations recommended).
• 18th arr. 38 Rue Lepic (+1 42 23 97 80, unzebre.free.fr).


Le No Stress Café

Wintry Sunday afternoons are spent well with a vin chaud and friends in Le No Stress Café on the picturesque Place Gustave Toudouze in the next-cool-quartier of the ninth arrondissement. Enjoy a snuggle in a cute alcove or pop along on a Thursday evening to visit No Stress's clairvoyant, who presumably sees only good things.
• 9th arr. 2 Place Gustave Toudouze (+1 48 78 00 27, nostresscafe.com).

Le Chantefable

Chantefable means "tell a story", and the Toulouse-Lautrec reproductions lining the walls of this lovely bistro-bar must have plenty of tales to tell. Le Chantefable is frequented by actors from the nearby La Colline theatre. Sit at the marble bar and partake of the excellent, spicy vin chaud, wearing a mysterious expression and imagining you're a glamorous étoile of the French stage (you may need two for the full effect).
• 20th arr. 93 Avenue Gambetta (+ 1 46 36 81 76, chantefable.fr).

Italy offers plenty of good ski resorts, thanks to its geography and terrain.

Skiing is a popular holiday activity among locals with many Italians taking take a 'settimana bianca' (white week) in addition to their month-long summer holiday. This friendly and relaxed affair involves a lot of eating, drinking, sunbathing and of course skiing.
Italian ski resorts come to life at night and on the weekends with plenty of glitz and glamour as city folk flood in, and for foreign visitors a ski holiday in Italy has its own special charm and pace. Italian ski resorts are more laid-back than elsewhere in the Alps, as most resorts are more suited to beginner or intermediate skiers. If you are looking for a ski holiday different from last year, try Aosta Valley (for intermediate and advanced skiing and snowboarding), Sestriere, Canazei or Livigno.

Spain isn't most people's first choice when it comes to skiing, but with ski resorts in five distinct regions of the country, skiing in Spain is getting more and more popular.

Spain may not be most people's first choice when it comes to skiing, but with ski resorts in five distinct regions of the country, skiing in Spain is gaining in popularity. As the second most mountainous country in Europe (after Switzerland), Spain offers excellent skiing despite its relatively southern latitude.
Spanish winter sports resorts abound not only in the Pyrenees along the northern border, but as far south as the Sierra Nevada in the south of Spain. The temperatures might be a little bit higher, but nevertheless, snow still falls in Spain. Many resorts are easily accessible from major cities such as Madrid and Barcelona.The terrain and consistent snow cover make the country a reliable choice - with well groomed pistes, excellent facilities, high standard ski schools, a great choice of accommodation and buzzing nightlife.

If you are planning your ski vacation, holiday home rentals situated in the Italian glorious mountains could be your perfect getaway. Browse through thousands of professionally managed and carefully selected winter holiday homes!

Thanks to Italy's geography and terrain, the country offers plenty of good ski resorts. Skiing is popular in Italy, thanks to the great number of well equipped resorts, a fairly commonplace activity. Many Italians, in addition to their month-long summer holiday, will take a 'settimana bianca' (white week) for this friendly and relaxed affair, involving eating, drinking and sunbathing. Add to that stylish and sophisticated nightlife as city folk flood in for the weekends and a ski holiday in Italy has its own charm and pace. Admittedly the ski resorts here are not as famous as those in Switzerland and Austria, but they have a charm of their own. Skiing in Italy is sure to be a memorable experience for the diverse array of options that it offers to the holiday makers - ski off into another country, duty-free skiing zones, year-round skiing and summer-only skiing. This is the time to consider Italy as a great ski destination. Overall, Italian ski resorts have some great skiing and après-ski, in a more laid-back fashion than elsewhere in the Alps, as most of Italy's ski resorts are perhaps more suited to the beginner and intermediate skier, although challenging skiing is still a plenty for those that hunt it down.

Temperatures are dropping down to 5 °C in Copenhagen!Hooray - hot drinks season...have any favorites?

An easy mulled wine recipe for the festive season, brimming with Chritmassy aromatic citrus spice.

Ingredients
* 1 bottle red wine
* 60g/2oz demerara sugar
* 1 cinnamon stick
* grated nutmeg
* 1 orange, halved
* 1 dried bay leaf
* 60ml/2fl oz sloe or damson gin (optional)








Preparation method

1. Put the wine in a saucepan with the orange, sugar, bayleaf and the spices.
2. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Taste to see if you want the wine sweeter, and add more sugar to taste.
3. Off the heat, stir in the sloe or damson gin if you are using it.
4. Strain into heatproof glasses and serve at once.

The great variety and number of ski resorts that would appeal to all level skiers and snowboarders is what makes France an excellent choice for your ski holiday!

When it comes to skiing, France is one of Europe's top destinations. It is on the French-Italian border that the Alps, Europe's greatest mountain range, reach their peak, in the eternal snows at the summit of Mont Blanc, 4,810 m (15,781 ft) above sea level. The French Alps offer the broadest range of skiing opportunities anywhere in Europe, but they are not the only mountain range in France with skiing facilities, and in some cases it may be interesting to check out the opportunities available in the Pyrenees, where all of the resorts have fully equipped downhill and cross-country ski resorts. It is no wonder that France is so popular for ski holidays. It offers a choice of purpose-built or natural resorts depending on how you wish to spend your time après ski, self-catering chalet accommodation to suit all budgets and child-friendly fun should you be looking for it. Some of the French resorts have been linked together to create four even bigger ski areas so that keen skiers with time on their hands can explore a greater number of trails. Although skiing holidays are generally considered quite expensive bearing in mind the need to fork out for ski hire and a lift pass, there is plenty of choice when it comes to accommodation, even at the budget end.

Winter Wonderland

With the winter season ahead it is time to plan a ski holiday or a festive stroll through the European Christmas markets…sipping hot chocolate or mulled wine, next to the fireplace in your private Alpine rustic chalet, or sampling hot chestnuts, grilled sausages and gingerbread biscuits…Get into the jolly winter spirit and browse through our new ski page to find thousands of holiday homes scattered around the world!

Take a haunted tour to learn about the ghosts that linger in these historic American cities.

Ghosts of Gettysburg
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg was a key spot during the Civil War so it’s little surprise to paranormal fanatics that an army of ghosts continues to haunt these former battlefields. Stroll the streets of Gettysburg by candlelight, and visit former Civil War hospitals, cemeteries and even haunted hotels where guests have been nudged awake by the disembodied arms of phantom soldiers. The ghost tour guides set off from tour headquarters for 4 different walking excursions, each covering about 3/4 mile on foot in just over an hour.

Chicago Hauntings Tour
Chicago, Illinois
Set off on the sleek black Chicago Hauntings Ghost Bus for a peek at the Windy City’s most notorious haunted spots, including the setting for the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in the gangster days of Al Capone and Bugsy Malone and the house of horrors once presided over by mass murderer H. H. Holmes whose exploits were laid out in the book “The Devil in the White City.” The stops vary on this 2-hour tour, but there’s always a chance to get off the bus numerous times to wait for supernatural encounters. Just be sure your driver doesn’t stop for any hitchhikers along Archer Avenue, where the city’s legendary ghost, Resurrection Mary has been said to be spotted looking for a ride.

Haunted Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Beyond the glitzy hotels and busy casinos, there’s a dark side to Sin City, exposed by the Haunted Vegas ghost tour team. The ghoulish experience begins with a 30-minute stage show before guests board a bus for a spooky step back in time. Guests will hear tales of celebrity spirits, including Elvis, Redd Foxx, Bugsy Siegel and Liberace, and despondent gamblers who took their lives and then stuck around in the fanciest hotels. Guests get off the bus at Henderson’s Fox Ridge Park in search of a young boy whose spirit lingers in the playground, playing on the swings. This late-night ghost tour sets off from the Royal Resort at 9:30 p.m. and doesn’t wrap up until close to midnight.

Salem Historical Tours
Salem, Massachusetts
There are plenty of historical tours around Salem telling the tales of the 1692 Witch Trials, but the Haunted Footsteps Ghost Tour looks at the era’s darker realities and ghostly legends. A guide decked out in period attire leads the way for a lantern-lit tour of the town’s cemeteries and the former site of the Salem Meetinghouse.

Spirits of 76
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
In a little over an hour, you can hit up the spookiest spots in the city with the Spirits of 76 walking tour of Philadelphia. The tour guides spin tales of Philly’s haunted history while strolling through the cobblestone streets of Old City. Look for ghosts lurking about Independence Hall, Carpenters’ Hall and Pine Street. Once you’ve had your fill of historic ghost stories, the tour delves into the masters who continue the tradition of ghost tales with stops at horror master Edgar Allan Poe’s home and movie settings from the “Sixth Sense.”

Tombstone Ghost Tour
Tombstone, Arizona
The Old West is filled with old-time ghosts, but Tombstone is the most haunted of these old silver-mining towns earning it the nickname “The Town Too Tough to Die.” After the sun goes down, set off with a guide for a ghost tour filled with spooky stories about cowboys, bordellos and gunfights that didn’t end well. Visit famously haunted locations around town including the site of the bloody gunfight at the OK Corral and the bawdy Birdcage Theater where prostitutes dressed in fancy feathers wooed men from private cages. Believers report sightings of these women as well as apparitions of the dozens of men who died here after long nights of boozing, gambling and fighting.

Become a SunnyRentals partner and start earning money today!

Become a SunnyRentals partner and start earning money today!

* ► Great content for your website
* ► Text links, banners or interactive widgets
* ► Earn money for referrals

Our Partner Program enables travel related websites to add great content and functionality from SunnyRentals.com, and to earn money from referring property owners and guests.

5 types of integration are supported:

* — Text links - add text links to your site including deep-linking to specific search results pages
* — Banners - select from our banner ads targeting owners or guests, in various languages
* — Widgets - create your own widgets including search boxes, properties lists and more
* — XML* - integrate our XML feed of properties, availability and prices into your own search
* — White-label* - integrate the full SunnyRentals functionality and content to your site

The custom of 'trick or treat' probably has several origins. Again mostly Irish.An old Irish peasant practice called for going door to door to collect money, bread cake, cheese, eggs, butter, nuts, apples, etc., in preparation for the festival of St. Columbus Kill. Yet another custom was the begging for soul cakes, or offerings for one's self - particularly in exchange for promises of prosperity or protection against bad luck. It is with this custom the concept of the fairies came to be incorporated as people used to go door to door begging for treats. Failure to supply the treats would usually result in practical jokes being visited on the owner of the house.

Since the fairies were abroad on this night, an offering of food or milk was frequently left for them on the steps of the house, so the houseowner could gain the blessings of the "good folk" for the coming year. Many of the households would also leave out a "dumb supper" for the spirits of the departed.

Irisleabhar na Gaedhilge, ii, 370, states that in parts of Count Waterford: 'Hallow E'en is called oidhche na h-aimléise, "The night of mischief or con". It was a custom which survives still in places -- for the "boys" to assemble in gangs, and, headed by a few horn-blowers who were always selected for their strength of lungs, to visit all the farmers' houses in the district and levy a sort of blackmail, good humouredly asked for, and as cheerfully given. They afterward met at some point of rendezvous, and in merry revelry celebrated the festival of Samhain in their own way. When the distant winding of the horns was heard, the bean a' tigh [woman of the house] got prepared for their reception, and also for the money or builín (white bread) to be handed to them through the half-opened door. There was always a race amongst them to get possession of the latch. Whoever heard the wild scurry of their rush through a farm-yard to the kitchen-door -- will not question the propriety of the word aimiléis [mischief] applied to their proceedings. The leader of the band chaunted a sort of recitative in Gaelic, intoning it with a strong nasal twang to conceal his identity, in which the good-wife was called upon to do honour to Samhain..." According to Tad Tuleja's essay, "Trick or Treat: Pre-Texts and Contexts," in Santino's previously mentioned anthology,Halloween's modern trick or treating (primarily children going door-to-door, begging for candy) began fairly recently in the US, as a blend of several ancient and modern influences. In 19th Century America, rural immigrants from Ireland and Scotland kept gender-specific Halloween customs from their homelands: girls stayed indoors and did divination games, while the boys roamed outdoors engaging in almost equally ritualized pranks, which their elders "blamed" on the spirits being abroad that night. Its entry into urban world can probably traced back in mid-19th Century New York, where children called "ragamuffins" would dress in costumes and beg for pennies from adults on Thanksgiving Day. Things got nastier with increased urbanization and poverty in the 1930's. Adults began casting about for ways to control the previously harmless but now increasingly expensive and dangerous vandalism of the "boys." Towns and cities began organizing "safe" Halloween events and householders began giving out bribes to the neighborhood kids as a way to distract them away from their previous anarchy. The ragamuffins disappeared or switched their date to Halloween.

The term "trick or treat," finally appears in print around 1939! Pranks became even nastier in the 1980's, with widespread poverty existing side-by-side with obscene greed. Unfortunately, even bored kids in a violence saturated culture slip all too easily from harmless "decoration" of their neighbors' houses with shaving cream and toilet paper to serious vandalism and assaults. Blaming either Neopagans or Halloween for this is rather like blaming patriots or the Fourth of July for the many firecracker injuries that happen every year (and which are also combatted by publicly sponsored events). Given this hazardous backdrop town councils, school boards and parents in the 1930's invented this custom as it is being celebrated today to keep their kids out of trouble.

As far as the custom across the Atlantic goes, by the mid- 20th century in Ireland and Britain, the smaller children would dress up and parade to the neighbors' houses, do little performances, then ask for a reward. American kids seem to remember this with their chants of "Jingle bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg," and other classic tunes done for no reason other than because "it's traditional."

1. St. Michan’s church in Dublin, Ireland


St. Michan’s Mummies

Although St. Michan’s church in Dublin was founded in the middle of 16th century and has the oldest organ (dated 1724) still in use in the entire country, this creepy destination is much more known for the vault that lies under the church. Further down the a limestone and mortar tunnel, the vaults extend into a series of coffin galleries.
Through the iron doors of some, visitors can take a peek at a multitude of coffins with an arm or leg, occasionally poking from the coffin lid. Then, in one of the open chambers, deep in the dark, damp tunnels below the church are 4 caskets with the lids completely removed, exposing mysteriously mummified remains—corpses partly covered with a layer of taut, leathery skin. Three of the four coffins lie in a row with a woman on the right, a man with a hand cut off and both feet missing in the center and a nun on the left. Some hypothesize the corpse is missing limbs because he was a thief and was punished by having them cut off, others believe he was simply too large to fit in the casket.
The final mummy in the vaults of St. Michan’s is a man believed to have been a soldier returned from the crusades, whose body is cut in half to fit in the casket and whose hand lifts eerily into the air. If visitors are brave enough to venture further into the underground vaults, they can see the caskets of the Sheare brothers, who were hanged, drawn and quartered in punishment for treason after an uprising in 1798. The most mysterious thing about the mummies of St. Michan is that no one understands why these bodies have not decomposed like others in surrounding areas. Maybe it’s the climate in the underground vaults, maybe it’s the high concentration of lime in the soil, or maybe it’s just something a little more paranormal and a lot spookier.


2. Catacombs of Paris, France

Hallowed eyes peer on visitors to the Paris Catacombs

Although a popular tourist attraction year-round, the famous catacombs of Paris are a particularly good place to visit in honor of Halloween. The underground ossuary, which was organized in a section of the city’s vast network of underground tunnels in the 18th century, were designated as a place to store the remains from condemned cemeteries in the Paris city limits. In the late 1700s, bodies from several burial grounds in Paris were moved into the underground tunnels and the result we see today is the mass stacking of bones, with skulls and femurs lining the walls like decorations. The creepy Parisian catacombs have inspired ghostly stories for generations.

3. Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague, Czech Republic

Tilted tombstones in the Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague

The cracked and cock-eyed tombstones in the Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague date back to the 15th century and this cemetery is the second oldest Jewish burial site in all of Europe. The crooked graves and tombstones, with caskets protruding from the ground in some places, give this cemetery a definite creepy crawly feel. Jews were forbidden to bury their dead outside of their own quarter and the number of tombs layers is believed to be twelve. It is unknown how many people are actually buried in this cemetery. It has been estimated that 12 000 tombstones are presently visible, but the burials could be as many as 100 000.


4. San Bernardino Ossuary, Milan, Italy

Decorative skulls on display

As you turn the corner in this plainly decorated little church and venture down a cold, narrow hallway, you find yourself in a chilly, one-room chapel with walls lined with human bones. The cages along the walls, holding skulls and leg and arm bones, are stacked high to the ceiling – but rather than just utilitarian piles or plain old orderly stacks, most of the bones are arranged in a decorative fashion, including several large panels where the bones are formed into cross-like designs. In wire cases along the back doors are the skulls from individuals who had been beheaded in a nearby piazza outside the modern day La Scala opera house. As it turns out, this chapel in San Bernardino alle Ossa became a storage place for bones when a cemetery next door became full, and in 1210 a room was built to house the bones of deceased. So, since the 13th century, dead people and their spirits have been housed in this little church in Milan.


5. Mary King’s Close, Edinburgh, Scotland

Plague and murder victims haunt Mary King’s Close

Edinburgh is internationally renowned for the strange paranormal activity and dark tales shrouding the city, but the series of underground closes in this Old Town area, has been probably the most mystical and creepy place for centuries. The dark narrow street passageways were closed, and the surrounding buildings were used as foundations for new ones, which made up an underground maze of eerie of haunted dark tunnels. Terrifying stories about ghosts and murders, plague victims, cast to die into the close are numerous. There is even a dark corner in the close where visitors leave stuffed animals in attempt to appease the ghost of a woman who was murdered in the tunnels centuries ago. It is said that her ghost, as well as others, haunt visitors, making these ghost filled tunnels and their blood-curdling mystique, the perfect place to experience the paranormal this Halloween.


6. Capuchin Crypt, Rome, Italy

Bone decor at the Capuchin Crypt

Located in a small space comprised of several tiny chapels in Rome, the Capuchin Crypt is the final resting place for over 4,000 Capuchin monks, who died between 1528 and 1870, as well as several poor Roman citizens. There are six total rooms in the crypt, where large numbers of bones are nailed to the walls in intricate patterns and some bones create working light fixtures and chandeliers.here are themes for each of the rooms, including a room decorated using bones in honor of the Resurrection, a room full of skulls, one with pelvises, and another with leg and thigh bones. There is also a crypt of three skeletons, which include a center skeleton holding a scythe (a symbol of death). A sign in the last chapel reminds visitors that “As you are now, we once were. As we are now, you one day will be.” Although visitors flock to this crypt at all times of the year, I can imagine few spookier ways to spend Halloween than in crypts decorated with human bones.


7. Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town, South Africa

The haunted dungeons of the Castle

It is no wonder that the oldest surviving building in Cape Town is rumored to be haunted. The castle, which was built between 1666 and 1679 as a replacement to an older military fortification, was declared a national monument in 1936 and has been vigorously restored. Located in the castle are cells where prisoners marked the walls with terrifying graffiti. The most decorated was the Donker Gat (the dark hole), which was a windowless dungeon and torture chamber located in the depths of this castle. During winter floods, it has been recorded that rising water levels in the dungeons would drown prisoners chained to the walls in the dark hole. It would seem natural, then, that is castle is haunted, no? A semi-luminous ghost is said to have been seen roaming the halls of the castle and ringing the castle bell from time to time. Lady Anne Barnard, who once lived in the castle, is also said to be one of the most prominent ghosts, as her curly-haired but transparent ghost appears at parties and can be seen bathing in the Dolphin Pool of the castle.


8. Ossuary in Hallstatt, Austria

Painted skulls decorate Hallstatt Ossuary in Austria

This picturesque mountain town in Austria, which is an easy day-trip from Salzburg, is known for its ossuary full of painted skulls and stacked bones. The ossuary contains over 1200 skulls alone, with the most recent being added in 1997. The ossuary, which is located behind the Parish Church of St. Michael, contains decorated skulls dating back to the 15th century. Due to lack of space in the cemetery, the right to any grave would expire after 10-15 years, when the bodies were then exhumed and the skulls were lovingly decorated by family members with the names of the deceased, their professions in life, when they were born, and when they died – and then placed in the ossuary. Even if you can’t read the inscriptions, you can usually tell the men from the women by the extra decorations – women tend to have flowers while men tend to have leaves. This isn’t the first bone-filled church in Europe on this list (in fact, ossuaries like this were once incredibly common), but the decorated skulls – and the fact that it’s still in use in modern times – definitely make it an interesting Halloween destination.
http://www.sunnyrentals.com/en/search/austria/salzbourg/salzburg-region-austria/r2766823


9. Valley of the Kings, Egypt

Will you be haunted by the Curse of the Tomb?

For more than 500 years, the Valley of the Kings served as the burial place for kings and powerful nobles of Ancient Egypt. Standing on the west banks of the Nile, there are thousands or ornate tombs, some of which contain numerous entrances and complex chambers, others of which are simple pits. These tombs are also home (or, more accurately, were home) to thousands of mummies, carefully wrapped and preserved. Since the discovery of King Tutankhamen, this area of Egypt has ignited the curiosity of archaeologists and laymen alike, who love stories of ghostly mummy raids and spooky happenings. Many of the tombs have curses written upon them, warning any who enter may suffer from death. This legend was given validity when several members of the team that first opened Tutankhamen’s tomb mysteriously died, adding to the creepy nature of this area. Whether you believe in the curse or not, this ancient burial ground remains full of mystery to this day, making it a great Halloween destination.



10. Pere Lachaise Cemetery, Paris, France

If you like the idea of walking the corridors of cemeteries on Halloween, than Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris is the place to do it. With its miles of tombstones and mausoleums, Pere Lachaise is the mother of all cemeteries. The old burial place is not only home to many French greats (not to mention American rock musician Jim Morrison, probably the cemetery’s most famous resident), but the cemetery’s above ground tombs, statues and thousands of tombstones make for a perfect, creepy Halloween backdrop. In the fall, golden and red leaves cling to the dying branches of trees in the cemetery, making October the perfect, eerie time to explore this huge cemetery. Surrounded by the ghosts of Balzac, The Doors music legend, and Chopin, visitors might get goose bumps and feel their skin crawl in this sprawling land of the dead. Or perhaps they will feel inspired by the souls of the deceased French poets, leaders and authors. Obviously, you’ll need to visit for yourself to see what effect this place has on you.

Halloween

With Halloween just around the corner, we thought you might be interested to find out where some of the spookiest, spine-chilling, weird, ghostly and mysterious places around the world are.

In honor of this eerie Celtic-Catholic pagan holiday, we will take you on a journey to places where mummies will stare back at you and ghosts will roam the hallways - haunted houses, torture caves , dungeons and prison-mazes. Halloween is a celebration of superstition, so pack a piece of bread, some witch-repellent salt and nuts, to be your magic charms, and let's go!

P.S.: We'll be back before sunset!

Holiday homes Croatia!

Glistening sea, rocky coves, trendy beaches, ports, bustling with life, waterfalls and epicurean lifestyle!The timeless traditions of Romans, Venetians, Italians and Austro-Hungarian are what make Croatian culture so uniquely diverse!
Stay in a private holiday home amidst the roman ruins!Choose between thousands of holiday houses and villas on SunnyRentals.com!

Holiday apartment in Spain!

From sizzling paellas, spicy chorizos and chilled sangria to amazing architecture, cutting-edge modern art and flamenco dancers in colorful costumes - Spanish cultural palette has a lot to offer to vacationers. Sun, sparkling waters and sandy beaches in vibrant modern cities, or green hills, tucked away fishing villages and rugged mountain ranges - experience the magic of Spain and enjoy the beauty of the country staying in comfort - browse through thousands of holiday apartments in Spain now to find your vacation home!