5 Haunted Places in France That Send Shivers Down Your Spine: Chateaux With Tales of Torture, Love, & Restless Spirits

I love a good ghost story as much as the next person, and there are plenty of haunted places in France with tales to tell. In a country as old as this, every century has its spooky goings on, from ghostly ladies in white to horses looking for their riders.

Often, these stories are found in medieval castles with walls a meter thick and the sounds of knights still ringing through the corridors.

Could you stay the night in a haunted chateau or wander the corridors after dark? I’m not sure I could, but it doesn’t stop my fascination with the history behind the ghostly legends. Join me as we dive into those legends and discover the story behind each one.

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French Folklore and Dame Blanche

Before we start, there is a term in France with ghostly connotations: Madame Blanche. I first heard the term while watching the TV show Outlander. Season 2 is mainly set in Paris, and the lead female character earns herself the nickname Madame Blanche. In her case, they thought she was a white witch.

In French folklore, “Madame Blanche” refers to the “White Lady,” a ghost or spirit often associated with tragedy and sorrow. Their appearances are linked to specific locales, such as castles, bridges, or lonely roads, and usually carry ominous or protective messages. For instance, some legends tell of a Madame Blanche appearing to travelers at night, requiring them to dance or answer questions to pass​.

The tales vary by region in France, with some seeing these figures as benevolent guardians and others as vengeful spirits. For example, Madame Blanche of Château de Fontainebleau is said to be the ghost of a queen who met a tragic end within the castle walls, embodying the sorrow and unresolved issues of her past life.

The White Lady doesn’t just appear in France; I remember going to the Tower of London when I was a child and being told about the White Lady there. Some say it was Lady Jane Grey wandering the castle as she was executed there. One thing is for sure: I wouldn’t want to be at the Tower of London after hours on my own.

5 Haunted Places in France to Visit on Halloween

It’s true that France doesn’t go in for trick or treat at Halloween, not in the way other countries do. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have tales of spirits wandering around, apparitions appearing in strange places, and the ghosts of the dead making themselves known in many old buildings around the country. But some stories stand out more than others.

Château de Puymartin 

Château de Puymartin, one of France’s most famous haunted castles, has its own Dame Blanche, a woman called Thérèse de Saint-Clar, the prisoner in the tower. It’s not far from where I live, just outside the medieval town of Sarlat in the Dordogne.

The story is set sometime during the 1500s when the husband of Thérèse, Raymond de Saint-Clar, was away fighting in the Wars of Religion. As the saying goes, while the cats are away, the mice play, and that’s what Thérèse did. When Raymond returns from war as a conquering hero, he finds his wife in bed with her lover. 

In a fit of jealous rage, he killed the lover and imprisoned his wife in the north tower of the Château. For the rest of her life, she was trapped in the tower, never allowed outside, confined to her prison. With bars on the windows and food served to her through a small trap door by servants, she lived this way for fifteen years until she died.

Even in death, she wasn’t allowed to leave the tower, and her body was sealed within. Her ghost haunts the castle at night, roaming the tower, stairway, and grounds, finally free to go where she wants.

Her story has never been forgotten, and the chateau has embraced the legend, even creating an escape room play during Halloween.

Château de Fougeret

If it’s ghostly goings-on you’re after, Château des Fougeret plays host to paranormal evenings in its haunted rooms with plenty of strange things happening. It’s the stuff dark fairytales are made of. Sitting high on a cliff overlooking the Vienne Valley, it could be the scene from an old horror movie.

Dating back to the 1300s, the castle has seen its fair share of war and tumult, so it’s no surprise it’s said to be haunted. From ghosts wandering around the grounds to eerie sounds coming from the chapel, the owners, Véronique and François Geffroy, have embraced the paranormal and invited others to come and see for themselves. They now operate the chateau as a guest house. 

Guests can choose from various rooms, some more haunted than others. Mediums have seen a knight in the Knights Room, a ghost strokes guests’ hair in their sleep in the Nurses Room, and a man in a bowler hat is seen in the Watchtower.

For an authentic experience, the Usher’s Room has nightly hauntings, with things moving and footsteps walking across the floor. The ghost is that of an usher from the 18th century who threatened to seize the chateau against the unpaid taxes of the Lord of Foueret at that time. Angry at the thought of losing his chateau, Lord Foueret killed the usher and buried him in the crypt.

The most famous ghost of Château des Fougeret is Felix, who committed suicide in 1898 after his father went bankrupt, losing the estate and Felix’s inheritance. This, combined with a broken heart over a lost lover, was all too much for him. He now haunts his old office, moving things around, turning door handles, and walking up and down the hallway leading to his office.

Are you game enough to book a night at Château des Fougere?

Château de Commarque

Another chateau in the Dordogne, this time in the commune of Les Eyzies, was built by Gérard de Commarque in the 12th century to defend the nearby Abbey. Just by looking at it, you can feel the history oozing from its walls.

Gérard was one of the early members of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller. When he left France to go on a crusade to Jerusalem, he donated all his property to them, including the castle. When the Beynac family took over sometime in the 14th century, they inherited the commande. 

They also made many changes, including strengthening the fortifications to turn it into a powerful stronghold and replacing the wooden tower with a stone keep.

Like many castles in the region, it was captured and held by the English during the Hundred Years’ War. The Beynac family was loyal to the French crown and eventually took ownership once again until Guy de Beynac, the last lord of Commarque, died there in 1656.

By the 18th century, the castle had become a ruin, and it wasn’t until 1915 that the discovery of some prehistoric caves at the foot of the castle put it on the map once again. The caves contained 150 prehistoric drawings, and in 1924, it was designated as a historical monument.

It’s a remote location off the beaten track, and its moodiness works with the landscape. You can absolutely see why Ridley Scott used it for the duel scene in his 1977 movie The Duelists.

But what about the ghosts? Well, this story is once again about forbidden love. Sometime in the Middle Ages, the Count of Commarque and the Baron of Beynac were fighting over territory and feuding. The daughter of the Count fell in love with the son of the Baron, not a great scenario between rival families. 

It had all the makings of a medieval French Romeo and Juliet. The Count was furious that his daughter was infatuated with the son of his arch-enemy and imprisoned him in the castle’s dungeons, eventually chopping off his head, putting an end to things once and for all. Surprisingly, it isn’t the Baron’s son who haunts the ruins of the chateau but his horse, searching for the master he lost.

Today, you can visit the chateau, participate in workshops, do a guided tour, and discover its history.

Chateau de Chateaubriant 

Château de Châteaubriant is in the Loire-Atlantique region of France, which has a history that rivals that of the Palace of Versailles. In the 11th century, the castle initially served as a fortress to defend Brittany’s eastern borders against Anjou and the Kingdom of France. It was first built by Brient, a knight under the Duke of Brittany, and later saw extensive renovations during the 15th century to make it more habitable. 

In the 16th century, Jean de Laval added a Renaissance palace to the complex, which gave the castle its present Renaissance character. The Château de Châteaubriant played a crucial role during various historical conflicts, including the Breton War of Succession and the Mad War, during which the French seized it after a siege.

The castle’s ownership passed through several notable hands, including the House of Montmorency until 1632 and later the Princes of Condé until the French Revolution. Following the revolution, it saw varied uses, including serving as a police station and storehouse. 

But what of its ghosts? Well, there are two that have made the history books. The first is Sybille, the wife of Geoffroy IV, who in the 1250s accompanied Louis VII on a crusade to the Holy Lands and supposedly met his downfall at the Battle of Mansourah in Egypt—only he didn’t. Although most of the French army succumbed to the plague, Geoffroy survived in jail.

Sybille was informed of the death of her husband and went into a state of mourning, distraught at the loss of the man she loved. A few months later, Geoffroy was released from jail and returned home. Poor Sybille was so shocked at seeing him that she died in his arms of shock.

The second ghost wasn’t the devout wife that Sybille was. By all accounts, Françoise de Foix was a bit of a fox and intelligent to boot, speaking both Italian and Latin. She was married to Jean de Laval, count of Châteaubriant, and when he attended the court of the newly crowned King Francis 1, Françoise caught his eye. She joined the Royal Court and became a lady in waiting for Queen Claude de France, and for over a decade was mistress to Francis 1. She was known in court as La mye du roi, the King’s sweetheart.

Jean seemed unaffected by the affair and became the Governor of Brittany in 1531. This all changed when Francis 1 gave Françoise the boot in favor of a new mistress, Anne de Pisseleu d’Heilly. So, with her tail between her legs, Françoise returned to Château de Châteaubriant to live with her husband.

Now for the twist. It turns out that Jean de Laval had a reputation for being a ruthless, bloodthirsty man who thought nothing of torturing his enemies and killing anyone who got in his way, including, it seems, his wife.

On the 16th of October, 1537, Françoise died, believed to have been killed by her husband. Some say he locked her in a padded cell and poisoned her; others say he killed her slowly and left her to bleed to death.

Either way, her ghost haunts the castle and can be heard crying. But on one night of the year, the date of her death, she, along with other ghosts, including knights and monks, can be seen at the stroke of midnight going up the main stairs and disappearing into the night.

Now, the chateau offers tours and workshops, and a replica of a gown similar to one worn by Françoise de Foix is on display.

Château de Brissac 

The Loire Valley has many famous châteaux, including the stunning Château de Chenonceau, Château de Chambord, and Château de Brissac. Originally built as a castle by the Counts of Anjou, the property was granted to Guillaume des Roches​ after King Philip II’s victory over the English. 

In the 15th century, Pierre de Brézé, a wealthy minister to King Charles VII, undertook significant renovations. He rebuilt the structure into a grand Renaissance castle, retaining the original medieval towers.

By the end of the 16th century, during the French Wars of Religion, the castle had suffered severe damage. However, Charles II de Cossé supported the Protestant leader, Henry of Navarre, later King Henry IV, who rewarded him with the estate and funds for its reconstruction in 1611​.

The château is the tallest in France, with an impressive seven stories​. 

Over the years, it has remained in the Cossé family, specifically the Dukes of Brissac. However, the property faced destruction during the French Revolution in 1792 and lay abandoned for nearly 50 years until restoration efforts began in the mid-19th century​.

Many spirits are said to linger in the walls, but the most famous is La Dame Verte, the Green Lady. Let me take you back in time to the 15th century when Charlotte and Jacques de Brézé were residents of Château de Brissac.

Charlotte was the love child of Charles VII and his mistress Agnes Sorel and was married off to Jacques de Brézé in 1462. It wasn’t a love match, and although they had five children together, Charlotte wasn’t happy. Country life didn’t suit her, and she was bored; she took a lover, Pierre de Lavergne, one of the huntsmen employed by the chateau. 

Being a suspicious man, Jacques got wind of what was happening, and on May 31, 1477, after discovering the affair, he ran his sword through them both. Charlotte, who was wearing a green dress the night she was killed, still haunts the castle and can be heard crying at night. 

She can be seen in the tower of the old chapel, looking a little worse for wear, with holes where her eyes used to be, wearing her green dress. Jacques, for his sins, left the chateau soon after to get away from the haunting wails of the wife he’d brutally murdered. If you fancy a spooky night away, you can stay at Château de Brissac and see La Dame Verte for yourself.

Spooky Places in Paris

Paris is full of ghost stories and haunted buildings. Whether you’re sitting in Box Number 5 at the Paris Opera House or visiting the Catacombs to see where thousands of bones are buried, you won’t be short of spooky things to do.

You can even enjoy a ghostly walking tour around the streets of Paris. The myths and legends in a city like Paris are plentiful, so if you’re brave enough, it’s a fun thing to do as the nights draw in and Halloween approaches.