A spirited stroll is perfect for history lovers curious about the supernatural. Here are just a few of the world’s hottest spots for ghostly adventures…

ILLUSTRATIONS: DORIEN BROUWERS

New York, US

Plenty of horror movies have been filmed in New York City, including 1984 comedy classic Ghostbusters, and it’s not hard to see why, given its reported ghoulish activity. From haunted taverns and creepy theatres to sinister houses and possessed hotels, there’s a disquieting atmosphere after dark, which extends to the boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. Ghosts and horror, mysticism and the occult, and an island of lost souls – this is the weird and wonderful side of New York.

Liverpool, UK

Liverpool, by the River Mersey in north-west England, is said to be a magnet for paranormal phenomena. From hauntings and time-slips to vampires and strange entities, most supernatural activity occurs in the city centre and St James’ Cemetery, a Grade I-listed public park. Tour guide Danyel Roberts, from talesfromthenecropolis.co.uk, points out that the cemetery was once the site of an ancient pagan witch cult, before being used as a quarry and then becoming the final resting place of some 60,000 Victorians and Edwardians.