-Plus Some Spooky Details About Each

Happy Almost Halloween!

If you’re fascinated by history, traveling is the best way to experience it firsthand. Many cities around the world attract millions of tourists every year thanks to their sights that have withstood the test of centuries or even millennia.

Halloween may be a great opportunity for travel, but deciding on where to go may not always be easy, precisely because there are so many different choices on the table. To help you make up your mind, we’ve created a list of places everyone who’s at all interested in history has to visit.

In short, here’s a list of best travel destinations for history lovers and few Halloween-related tidbits about each of them.

Rome, Italy

This is a no-brainer, really. If you haven’t visited this magnificent city, make it your priority to stop by and check out all the amazing things it has to offer.
       
The capital of the ancient Roman Empire holds many treasures from 2000 years ago that still amaze and inspire every visitor who comes to see them. The Colosseum, the Pantheon, Roman Forum… it’s really incredible how vividly they depict the life of this ancient city all those years back.        
       
But Rome is much more than just its ancient past.

Over the centuries the city grew, changed and developed, and you can trace all of that in its art and architecture.

From the magnificent Santa Maria Maggiore from the 4^th century, through the Baroque Piazza Navona or 17^th-century Fontana di Trevi, all the way to beautiful modern-day museums and galleries, it is possible to follow the story of Rome through the centuries.         

Even one day of exploring these streets is bound to leave a profound impression on you, but if you want to do something scary for Halloween, visit the skulls and bones adorning the wall of the Capuchin Crypt.

Athens, Greece

What Rome is to Italy, Athens is to Greece.
       
In fact, this city’s history goes back almost three and a half millennia!
       
And what a history it is – this once mighty city-state was a thriving cultural center, famous for its artists, philosophers and teachers. In fact, it is often said that the whole Western civilization was built on the foundations laid out in this city.

The Acropolis and its Parthenon really are beyond words to describe, the         Agora perfectly captures the everyday life of the city’s residents, and         Hadrian’s Library is another incredible sight worthy of consideration.

But more modern architecture is also quite impressive, so you can see things like the National Gardens, the impressive National         Archaeology Museum, or the modern Acropolis Museum. They are all fantastic choices.

Oh, and it is also the birthplace of the world’s first ghost story because the Roman author Pliny the Younger wrote about a spirit haunting his house in this very city!

Pula, Croatia

Pula is a town at the southern tip of the Istrian Peninsula, and the sights you can see there primarily date from Roman times and are extremely impressive.
       
First and foremost, you simply HAVE to go and visit Pula’s Arena, a perfectly preserved amphitheater which is in such good condition that it’s used for concerts and other similar events even today!

The town’s Forum and the Temple of Augustus are still the center of Pula’s social life, and the Arch of the Sergii tells a story of a powerful local family who participated in the Battle of Actium.

Indeed, when it comes to remains from ancient times, this town offers a whole lot, but you should definitely check out Kastel, too. A Venetian fort from the 17^th century neatly perched atop a hill.

And while Halloween has become a thing in Croatia fairly recently, you can still find some great Halloween parties in this town and combine your love of history with something spooky. Just book your accommodation in Pula and enjoy!

Chichen Itza, Mexico

There are plenty of amazing ruins outside of Europe too, and Chichen Itza is an excellent example of that.
       
This Mayan city is located in the middle of a jungle and was a huge and very diverse city back in its time.        
       
It was full of various temples, pyramids, and palaces, many of which were built in different styles, but plenty of examples of the city’s architecture remain to this very day.         

The amazing Temple of Kukulcan (known as Castillo), the Temple of the Warriors, and Gran Juego de Pellota all clearly show the power of the Mayan empire and the strength of their culture.         

And if you need something spooky to get you in Halloween mood, just remember that the Mayans regularly sacrificed people to their gods, and there is clear evidence of that in the city.

Honorable mentions

Obviously, there are many other fascinating places around the world, and it would be impossible to enumerate them all in this short article.

However, we can mention a few interesting suggestions you should definitely consider when deciding on your next destination.

The Giza Plateau and its fascinating pyramids are an easy choice, and Machu Picchu in Peru is famous all over the world because of its incredible location. The majestic city of Angkor in Thailand is a sight to behold, and then there are sights surrounded by a veil of mystery, like Stonehenge.

So, there is a lot to consider, but the bottom line is that you will enjoy, no matter where you go.

BIO: Marko Domljanović has been a writer for Villsy.com for some time now, but he is also quite a travel junkie and takes every opportunity to visit a new country. His philosophy is to make every trip he makes count, no matter if he’ll be there one day or a few weeks. When not traveling, he spends his time snuggling with his Newfoundland dog Mona.

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