Looking for an alternative Halloween that can move away from a horror movie marathon, the classic “trick or treat,” or carved pumpkins? For travel lovers there is the chance to discover the most beautiful cemeteries in Europe by following what is new in the Tombstone Tourism ranking.
Places rich in mystery, monuments worn by time, graves of legendary figures, and atmospheres that seem straight out of a Tim Burton series. Cemetery tourism turns some of the quietest spots into cultural stops, and this original ranking reveals destinations that are truly worth exploring.
The Tombstone Tourism Ranking
The new Tombstone Tourism Index was compiled by Saily, a travel eSIM app, which surveyed 30 European cities to identify cemeteries with the greatest tourist potential. From Paris to London, via Prague and Oslo, the journey winds through monumental gardens, haunting sculptures, and renowned graves. With a twist: some of these places remain relatively unknown, even though they cradle important pieces of European history. And the phenomenon isn’t limited to Halloween—the year-round atmosphere of monumental graves and famous names makes these sites true open-air museums… certainly an alternative to Italy’s more esoteric villages.
Europe’s Most Beautiful Cemeteries
The journey begins in Paris at Père-Lachaise, where the line between cemetery and cultural attraction is razor-thin. Some 70,000 graves host more than 1,400 illustrious figures resting here, including Oscar Wilde, Marcel Proust, Frédéric Chopin, and Jim Morrison. The resting place of the Doors’ frontman remains one of the most visited; Wilde’s grave, by contrast, has been encased in glass to protect it.
The atmosphere shifts completely in Oslo at the Vår Frelsers Gravlund. This green-lined cemetery houses graves such as the painter Edvard Munch and the dramatist Henrik Ibsen. Although it is splendid and captivating, it’s still not heavily frequented by tourists… best to visit now, before it becomes part of overtourism itineraries. It takes roughly ten minutes to reach from the city center.
Still more off the tourist radar is Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh, which registers only about 90 reviews in the survey. Here Victorian aesthetics reign, with elaborate monuments and graves of figures who helped shape Scottish history, such as the architect William Playfair and the painter Henry Raeburn.
In Prague, the Olšany Cemetery seems like the perfect setting for an authorial horror tale: paths overtaken by vegetation, Baroque tombs weathered by time, and Art Nouveau decorations. It is here, in the Jewish section, that Franz Kafka’s burial is also found. Not far away, the Vyšehrad Cemetery shelters other major Czech cultural figures, including Antonín Dvořák and Alfons Mucha.
And then there is Highgate in London, perhaps the most cinematic of the group. Angels wrapped in ivy, Gothic mausoleums, lush greenery, and even a path with Egyptian inspirations. The Wednesday Addams vibe is practically guaranteed. Among its most famous graves are those of Karl Marx, George Eliot, and Michael Faraday. A monumental site, graded Grade I for its historic and landscape value, it houses about 950 burials of notable figures.
