Europe’s historic cemeteries provide an alternative to commercial haunted attractions at Halloween, combining elaborate sculpture, distinctive architecture, and notable burials. A ranking produced by travel app Saily assessed cemeteries in 30 cities. Its five weighted criteria covered famous occupants, visual appeal, heritage status, opportunities to avoid crowds, and transportation links from city centers.
Paris’s Père Lachaise Cemetery, which admits visitors free of charge, is 15 minutes from the center. Approximately 70,000 graves occupy its 44 hectares, with 1,445 notable people buried there. Singer Jim Morrison’s grave remains a particular attraction, while Oscar Wilde’s tomb has required a glass barrier because of visitors’ lipstick marks.
Oslo’s Our Savior Cemetery lies just 10 minutes from the city center and contains the graves of playwright Henrik Ibsen and artist Edvard Munch. Edinburgh’s Dean Cemetery, meanwhile, combines elaborate Victorian monuments with Category A heritage status. Despite its proximity to a busy street, it has attracted only 90 Google reviews.
In Prague, Olšany Cemetery is characterized by deteriorating Baroque tombs, ornate Art Nouveau monuments, and overgrown pathways. Nearby Vyšehrad Cemetery offers another cultural stop, with the graves of composers Antonín Dvořák and Bedřich Smetana.
Unlike many historic cemeteries, London’s Highgate generally charges admission, although grave owners and holders of a grave owner’s pass are exempt. Karl Marx is among those buried within the Grade I-listed grounds. Its Victorian Gothic features include ivy-covered angels, overgrown mausoleums, and an Egyptian Avenue.
