Top 7 Haunted Houses in France Even Urban Explorers Avoid
France is full of castles and beautiful homes… but some still bear the mark of evil. Screams in the night, doors slamming on their own, figures behind bricked-up windows. These places aren’t listed in tourist guides—and even urban explorers avoid them. Here are the 7 most feared haunted houses in France.
1. The Paris Manor – Paris
Beneath its appearance as a tourist attraction lies a much darker place.
Before becoming a horror museum, the Manoir de Paris was a ceramics workshop where several workers are said to have perished in a collapse in 1870.
Witnesses still claim to feel a cold presence in the basement, where the victims were buried.
Even the manor's employees avoid going there alone after closing time.
2. Trécesson Castle – Brittany
Shrouded in mist and legend, this medieval castle is said to be haunted by the Bride of Trécesson, a woman buried alive on her wedding night.
Visitors claim to have seen her wandering, dressed in white, along the moat.
Every summer, locals report hearing a faint moan when the moon lights up the blackened stones.
A place that explorers prefer to admire... from a distance.
3. The Alchemist’s House – Lyon
Located in an old neighborhood, this house is said to have belonged to a 17th-century practitioner obsessed with immortality. After his death, neighbors claimed to hear noises coming from the laboratory even though the room was sealed. The few urban explorers who dared enter report feeling an unusual heat and seeing the walls vibrate in the beam of their flashlight. Some say the alchemist’s experiments never really stopped...
4. Puymartin Castle – Dordogne
Behind its majestic towers, the castle hides one of the country's most famous ghosts: the White Lady of Puymartin.
Locked in a secret room by her jealous husband, she died there alone.
Since then, people swear they've seen a white figure gliding down the corridors at dusk.
Visitors often feel a cold draft, even in the height of summer.
5. The House of Lost Souls – Picardy
This little abandoned manor lives up to its name. Once an orphanage, it was ravaged by a fire in the 1930s. Locals still claim to hear children’s laughter and footsteps in the courtyard. Paranormal investigators who’ve visited report their equipment malfunctioning, scrambled by an invisible force.
6. Brissac Castle – Maine-et-Loire
Known as the “Giant of the Loire Valley,” this castle is haunted by the ghost of the Green Lady, murdered by her husband for adultery. She appears with a disfigured face, wearing a faded green dress. Even the castle’s guards refuse to spend the night in certain wings, where muffled sobs can be heard. A place as magnificent as it is terrifying.
7. The Bloody House of Saint-Quentin
This modest house is said to have been the scene of a domestic tragedy in the 19th century.
Since then, red stains have regularly reappeared on the floor despite repeated renovations.
Residents complain of recurring nightmares after spending the night there.
Urban explorers who tried to film inside all stopped before midnight... and never explained why.
And what if some houses simply refuse to be forgotten?
These places aren’t just ruins. They hold the memory of screams, secrets, and tragedies people tried to keep hidden. Maybe explorers are right to avoid them… or maybe they just know some doors should never be reopened.