The hometown of ghost stories.
As Halloween, or its more native counterpart Kekri, approaches, the connection to the otherworldly grows stronger. Perhaps you’ve caught shadows out of the corner of your eye that you wouldn’t want to face alone? We’ve gathered together the spookiest ghost stories from Hämeenlinna!
Who moans within Hämeen Castle?
Ghosts and castles go hand in hand, so Hämeenlinna’s most famous ghost story naturally involves the medieval Hämeen Castle.
In the castle’s corridors, visitors may encounter the ghost of Synnöve, drifting in her white dress. According to legend, her brother Birger Jarl, founder of the city of Hämeenlinna, locked her in the castle dungeon because of a love he deemed unsuitable to her station. Synnöve died in the dungeon and has haunted the castle corridors ever since. If you listen closely, her moaning can still be heard echoing through the castle’s vaults.
Although Hämeen Castle was originally built as a defensive fortress against the Russians, it has served for centuries primarily as a place of imprisonment. In medieval times, prisoners arrested for theft, murder, or witchcraft languished in the castle’s dungeons and towers awaiting grim sentences. It is said that the unfortunate souls of these prisoners still wander the castle’s corridors.
The White King’s Hall is the domain of Pirskatti, the ghost cat. Sweden’s King Gustav II Adolf left his pet behind in the castle during a visit, and Pirskatti still meows for his master in the corridors. According to the castle’s guides, the ghost cat is especially fond of making itself heard during children’s storytelling tours.
Tragic Aulanko
Three ghost stories are whispered about in the historic Aulanko area.
The best known is likely the tragic end of a film festival at Hotel Aulanko in July 1939. Actress Sirkka Sari, only 19 years old, died after climbing onto the hotel roof and falling into a chimney she had mistaken for a lookout tower. Rumors about what really happened that night, and the true cause of her death, circulated for a long time afterward.
According to the stories, her ghost has been seen admiring the view from the lookout platform since her death—a platform that is now closed for safety reasons. Sari’s ghost, dressed in an evening gown, has also been spotted in the hotel’s corridors and elevators.
Suite 708, on the seventh floor, is said to be the hotel’s true haunted room. A ghost is said to roam there, knocking on the door at night from both the hallway and the bathroom. When the door is opened, however, no one is there.
A mysterious black male figure has also been seen in Aulanko’s lookout tower. Footsteps echo from the locked tower, and knocking is heard at its outer door. The ghost has reportedly been seen peering through the windows or standing at the top of the tower.
(Source: the third volume of Mauri Karvonen’s series Aavetaloja ja ihmiskohtaloita [Haunted Houses and Human Fates].)
Vanajanlinna: Finland’s Most Haunted Place?
Vanajanlinna, now operating as a hotel, is said to be one of the most haunted places in Finland. It’s no wonder: Vanajanlinna’s history is full of sorrowful tales, and the powerful ideals and unique personalities of those who once lived there have no doubt left their spiritual imprint on the place. The surroundings are also ideal for ghosts, as the building contains all manner of secret passages, hidden closets, and even a speakeasy from the era of prohibition in the basement.
Vanajanlinna’s most famous ghost is likely Märtha Rosenlew, the estate’s former mistress. She led a dramatic life, having met her husband Carl Rosenlew while both were still married to other people. Because of their love and her new marriage, Märtha was only able to see her children in secret, meeting them in the forest. According to the stories, Märtha now wanders the manor as a spirit, heartbroken and longing for her children. This has been confirmed by numerous people who have worked at or visited Vanajanlinna.
