Abandoned places in Barcelona – adventures for mystery lovers

The special routes called Barcelona Oculta and Fantasmas de Barcelona are extremely popular among tourists. Moreover, visitors can find thematic guides providing special insight into the mysterious corners of the city as well as the book “Phantoms of Barcelona,” which narrates the scariest city legends and most horrifying stories from recent days. Fans of paranormal activities definitely should stroll through some of the abandoned places of Barcelona and its outskirts. Visit a couple of places with ghosts, and you will see that the Catalonian capital deserves to be called one of the most mysterious cities in the world.

Colonia Puig Hotel

This former military hospital was also used as a hotel for a long time. Now the building is totally abandoned, and those interested in paranormal activities maintain that the souls of those who lived in this hospital still stroll through the building and emit eerie sounds. The building is located outside of Barcelona on the way to Montserrat mountain. There are many hotels still operating near this place, so it is not a problem to find accommodation next to this enigmatic site. It is up to you whether to visit the neighborhood during the daylight hours or at night. At night, the ruins with their petrifying, empty windows look even spookier.

• How to get there: Once you pass the village of Monistroll de Montserrat, take the road BP-1121, and then head towards Montserrat Abbey.

Torax Hospital in Terrassa

Not far from the city, there is another site described as a blood-chilling place full of paranormal activities. The hospital Torax closed in 1997 and is one of the most popular abandoned places in Barcelona. Once a luxury hospital complex built in the 1950’s for TB patients, today this building looks more like a somber institute for experiments performed on humans from “Resident Evil.” The forested park nearby makes the building’s horrifying image even more intense. Strange noises and a light said to turn on and off suddenly and by itself petrifies the imaginations of people passing by this site.

• Address: Diseminado Can Carbonell, 1D, Terrassa, Barcelona.
• How to get there: You can get there by train from Pl. Catalunya via S1.

Rocafort metro station

In the 1960’s, people began to notice strange things happening at this station that eventually resulted in the mass resignation of the service personnel. At first, the personnel referred to the high rate of unexplained suicides, as well as the fact that they always occurred exactly in this metro station. Then, train drivers reported strange figures seen on the rails when taking the train to the depot, and similar forms were observed by some night workers. For a long time, this metro station has been notorious, with even the most courageous security guards refusing to work there.

• Address: Rocafort metro station, Barcelona.

Casa Xifre

There are haunted houses in Barcelona as well. One such house is that of Josep Xifre Cassas, a rich manufacturer and planter who made his fortune in South America and returned to Barcelona in 1831. After constructing several gorgeous buildings in Barcelona, Xifre became a respected personage and was awarded the title of honorary city resident post mortem. According to legend, following one of the floods in Barcelona, people began witnessing sudden poltergeist activities. Later on, maids and guests of Xifre’s house would see the shadow of the owner wearing the suite he had worn on the day of his return from Cuba. Another legend narrates how Xifre was a member of the Masonic Lodge and was engaged in secret research in Barcelona. Thus, even after his death, the owner keeps on guarding the secrets of his house from the uninitiated.

• Address: Pla de Palau.

Magic shop

At the beginning of XX century, at the intersection of Carrer Picalquers and Carrer del Carme, there was a magic shop famous among the city’s residents. Its assortment of curiosities included not only mysterious amulets, magic, and medicine books, but also weird pharmaceutical remedies, the formulas of which were known only to the owners of the shop. Here, one could buy the excrement of exotic animals and pets, the bones of executed criminals, and chilling ointments made of human fat extracted from amputated limbs that were purchased from the anatomic theater. The same human fat was used in the production of candles. Those who inhaled the vapor of these candles would report strange effects on their bodies and minds. When close to such a candle, the person would feel very sleepy. Thieves planning burglaries used these candles to sedate the dwellers in the houses they chose to rob. Snake venom ointment was in special demand, for it helped to cure numerous illnesses. This shop since has vanished. However, the snake venom ointment still can be found in the small shops of antique dealers and in the private pharmacies of the Raval district.