Today is Friday the 13th, traditionally considered one of the unluckiest days of the year. It is also a date synonymous with Hollywood horrors and scary tales. So in homage to today’s date, we thought we’d look at some scary spots from the movies that you may be interested in exploring for a frighteningly good trip.
The Stanley Hotel, Colorado
The Stanley Hotel in Colorado has spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains – but that isn’t why this hotel is famous. The Stephen King novel and movie starring Jack Nicholson, The Shining, drew inspiration from the Stanley Hotel. The hotel is reputed to be haunted: all of the rooms in the hotel have had out-of-the-ordinary experiences reported by guests that include lights flickering on and off, clothes being moved and eerie sounds at night, including the sound of children laughing. Visitors of a nervous disposition could do well to avoid this hotel and opt for a local Best Western instead!
‘Dracula’s Castle’, Romania
Could there be a more famous castle in the world? The Disney Castle, maybe, but Bran Castle in Romania is certainly the scariest castle in the world. Whether or not the castle was actually the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula is immaterial these days; most people associate the castle with Dracula.
Today, the castle is a museum and open for tourists to visit. You can explore fine art, furniture and an open air museum at the foot of the castle mound showcasing traditional Romanian peasant dwellings.
Bates Motel, Los Angeles
When it comes to scary Friday-the-13th-themed places to visit, how could we not include Psycho? No doubt responsible for spreading distrust and fear for a generation of motel owners (and restless night’s sleep for scared guests), Psycho is a movie great. If you want to see the set that was used for the films it is part of the Universal Studios tour in Los Angeles.
(Images: Wally G, Borderlys, Loren Javier)
