The guide to haunted places in Stockholm

One of Stockholm's most haunted places is said to be Karlberg Palace, where ever since the 1600s, stories have circulated of ghosts spotted wandering the corridors. It is said that Queen Ulrika Eleonora haunts the palace, which is now home to the Military Academy. At times, the paranormal activity has been so severe that even hard-nosed soldiers have found it difficult to stay here, with most of the activity said to occur in the ladies' quarters, where women and children had their bedrooms during royal times. 

The Old Town is teeming with ghosts, spirits and restless souls. Two of them reside at the royal castle: the White Lady and the Grey Man. There are differing opinions on who the White Lady is, but she is said to appear just before a member of the royal family passes away. The Grey Man is rumoured to be none other than Birger Jarl himself, who resides in the ruins of the old castle Tre Kronor, which burnt down in 1697.

Take a spooky stroll through the Old Town and look out for some of the many ghosts said to haunt this area. Some of the best-known include Carl Nilsson Färla, who haunts Riddarholmskyrkan after being murdered over an affair, Gideon, the 800-year-old monk who died on a ship that sank between France and Sweden, and unidentified apparitions in the Old National Archive and the Old Parliament House.

That the city's theatres are haunted is apparently so common that people talk about “theatre ghosts,” and one of these is said to be Harriet Bosse, who haunts Dramaten theatre. Several theatre employees have testified to experiencing a presence, hearing sighs, and encountering other unexplainable phenomena from time to time. Other theatres that are said to be affected include Vasateatern, Drottningholms Slottsteater and The Royal Opera.

With a 500 year history, numerous guests at Kumla Herrgård have spotted ghostly figures in the building. Several witnesses have described seeing the same man in a green velvet suit mingling with guests before disappearing without trace. The man is said to be Erik Jöransson, who lived hidden in the castle in the 16th century after both his parents were sentenced to death.

Today Såstaholm manor house is a hotel, restaurant and conference facility but 100 years ago it was a retirement home for actors. The administrator, Torborg Krebs, was a stern woman who lived in the west tower room. To this day the rustle of her starched skirts and the sound of her key chain jangling can be heard in the building, and lamps are lit in the tower room when no one is there.

This beautiful hotel and conference facility is built in historical surroundings in Edsviken, once home to vikings. The story goes that an old chauffeur called Eklund and a maid named Ellen still wander the manor house. Numerous guests have reported hearing creeping footsteps and seeing doors that mysteriously open and close.

Häringe Slott is an exclusive castle hotel popular for its ambitious restaurant and outdoor pool (the first of it's kind to be built in Sweden). In 1631 the owner's son Axel died in the castle when he was just two years old and some castle guests have heard a boy crying, and felt an ice-cold child creeping into their bed...

Scheffler Palace, also known as the Haunted Palace, is next to Spökparken, the Haunted Park, on Drottninggatan, and both have a seriously spooky atmosphere. Since the 18th century, stories of mysterious music, singing voices and windows and mirrors suddenly breaking have surrounded the place. Perhaps the anonymous remains that were moved here from a cemetery in 1907 are the reason…? The building is now home to a large art collection and is owned by Stockholm University.

The old mill on Gullmarsplan was built in 1850 and there's been a restaurant there since 1930. On the top floor you can sometimes hear the footsteps of Linda, a miller's wife who mourns the husband she accidentally killed by dropping a 300 kilo flour sack on him. Not surprisingly, restaurant staff are never keen to work here alone in the evenings.

In the mid-20th century, Beckomberga was one of Europe's largest mental hospitals, with around 2000 residents who were said to thrive in the calming surroundings of Bromma. The facility was officially closed in 1995 and the buildings were subsequently converted into residences that were ready for occupancy in the 2010s. Several of those who live or have lived here report strange occurrences with objects being moved and heavy footsteps in the corridors.

The construction of the Kymlinge underground station between Hallongbergen and Kista began at the end of the Seventies, but it was never completed. The story goes that a silver train, called the "Silver Arrow", stops at the station at night. Onboard are passengers who stare emptily into the distance. They're said to be the victims of accidents on the underground.