Tucked away in remote corners of this warm and sunny island, you'll find places with stories that will send chills down your spine. Many of these haunting ghost stories in Malta are born from our rich history, but beware — these are not tales of the past. Many apparitions are still being reported to this day!

If you enjoy a good dose of the supernatural, here are some of the most popular ghost stories in Malta that capture the imagination. Some take place in well-known haunted places around the island. However, others are set in less-known locations. One of them could very well be your neighbour's house...

The Black Knight Of Manoel Island

With a history dating back to the 1500s, Manoel Island is famed for its eerie past. Serving as a hospital during outbreaks of the plague and cholera, the Lazzaretto as it was known has had its fair brush with pain, suffering and death. In the 18th century, Portuguese Grandmaster Antonio Manoel de Vilhena built the star fort named Fort Manoel which served as an impenetrable fortification used to protect Malta's coastline. Years later, under British rule, the island was taken over by the military, serving as a hospital and housing troops for a brief spell, whereas during World War II, it was used as a naval base by the Royal Navy.

Manoel Island was badly hit during the war. When works started on the restoration of Fort Manoel, a group of Maltese and English workmen were busy clearing a heap of rubble when they spotted what looked like a knight, hovering over them. Dressed in full armour and regalia of the Order of St. John, the knight who appeared out of thin air seemed to be supervising their work. Some men noticed a similarity between this ghostly apparition and a painting of Grand Master Manoel de Vilhena, which still hangs in the President's Palace in Valletta.

But what did the knight want? Why the sudden apparitions? Rumour has it that when the men opened a crypt beneath the chapel within the fort, they found it had been destroyed by vandals and the remains of knights buried there such as those of Charles Francois de Mondion, the architect who modified the fort's original plans, had been scattered around. The altar and reliefs bearing the crucifix and the souls in purgatory were also damaged. When the crypt was restored and masses were carried out, the knight stopped appearing, however, he started reappearing in 1980. Once again, investigations showed that the crypt had been vandalised. Let's just hope no one disturbs the crypt again!

Verdala Palaces' Blue Lady

Probably one of the most known ghost stories in Malta which begins with a young woman full of hope that one day she will find love. But being the niece of Grand Master De Rohan, she was pushed into a political marriage with a suitor she did not love and she refused to marry him. Enraged by her rejection, the suitor locked her in her room at Verdala Palace. One day, the desperate girl decided to escape through the window but plummeted to her death instead. That day she was wearing a blue dress. 

Since then, her troubled soul has been said to be roaming the palace. One horror story recounts how in the 1900s, the then governor of Malta, Field Marshal Lord Methuen offered his guest Howard Jones the very same room which belonged to the Blue Lady. One day, the guest asked the governor who the young, beautiful lady in blue whom he saw on numerous occasions reflected in the mirror was. Apparently, many of the palace's staff had also seen her, while they had experienced strange happenings within the palace.

In recent years, many visitors have reported seeing her reflection in mirrors or seeing her standing on the edge of the palace balconies, her blue gown flapping in the wind. Those who attend the August Moon Ball held annually at Verdala Palace have also confirmed that the Blue Lady has appeared on numerous occasions.

The Vanishing Cat At The Grandmaster's Palace

Valletta is known for its paranormal activity, myriad of abandoned, haunted buildings and the many scary stories of people who have had close encounters with the supernatural. One of the largest palazzos in the capital city, the Grandmaster's Palace is one such place, allegedly haunted by a number of ghosts.

Originally made up of several buildings that also included the residences of some prominent knights, the Palace has served several purposes over the years and comes with its fair share of sightings. Guests who have spent the night there have reported seeing ghosts or hearing strange noises. But perhaps one of the most famous stories is that of an English lady who stayed at the palace while it was the residence of the British Governor. 

Whilst there, the woman was tormented by the sound of cats and dogs fighting in one of the rooms nearby. Yet, each time she would enter the room, there was nothing out of the ordinary in her utter disbelief. On one particular occasion, the woman saw a large cat jumping out of a window into the yard below where some men were working. When she asked the men about the cat's whereabouts, they reportedly had seen no cat jump out of the window.

It is said that ghosts at the Grandmaster's Palace take various forms, so the cat could have indeed been a ghost. Not a sinister enough story? Then read along...

Mdina's Headless Bride

The ancient city of Mdina has been the backdrop of several macabre and mysterious occurrences over the centuries making it a treasure trove of ghost stories in Malta. Yet, the most popular sighting is that of the woman roaming the streets wearing the traditional Maltese ghonnella. As she stands at the end of dark streets, she beckons people to follow her and then walks straight into a wall. But among all the spirits who fill Mdina with their mystic presence, that of Katrina is the most chilling. 

She was an attractive young woman who lived in Mdina. One day she was attacked by a knight, however, as she fought for her life, she eventually killed him. When word spread about what had happened, Katrina was sentenced to death for what was deemed a heinous crime. She was to be beheaded, but before being executed she was granted one final wish — the young woman desired to be married to her one true love. Soon after her wedding, she was beheaded.

Since then, she has been seen roaming the streets adorning her bridal gown, while she appears to widowers and heartbroken men telling them to give up on love and join her in death. She is also known to have appeared in snapshots to the horror of holidaymakers.

The Hitchhiking Girl On The Telgha T'Alla W Ommu

The Telgha t'Alla w Ommu is a road that leads from Salina to Naxxar. This popular route, set on a hill, is virtually uninhabited. You may think that this quiet road is the ideal locale for a peaceful, relaxing, evening drive, but we think not. People are rarely seen walking in the area. However, over the years, many drivers have seen a teenage girl stumbling along the road, trying to flag them down as though pleading for help. Those who stopped to help her said that the girl had simply vanished. But those who did not stop got an even greater fright. 

When looking into their rear-view mirror, they caught a glimpse of the girl — sitting in the back seat of their car gazing intensely at them. It is said that the spirit of the teenage girl started haunting the hilltop following a hit-and-run that occurred on this hill.

Fort St. Elmo & St. Anne's Chapel

Best known for its role during the Great Siege of Malta, Fort St. Elmo was the scene of intense fighting, claiming the lives of countless defending knights. However, the fort also played an important role during World War II which resulted in an endless list of casualties and battle scars visible on the fortifications to this day.

One of the oldest structures within the fort and the location where the last defenders of the fort were slaughtered during the Siege, St. Anne's Chapel, has been closely linked to terrifying tales. Up to a few years ago, the fort housed the island's police academy. It has been reported that no police officer had the courage to venture inside the chapel unless accompanied by another officer. Other incidents claim that police dogs would either bark wildly at dark, empty rooms and refuse to enter, visibly fearful of what lies beyond. 

Supposedly once, a petrified tourist came rushing out of the chapel screaming at the top of her lungs that blood was oozing out of the walls. The fiction of her imagination? Who knows. Still, there have been several other occurrences of slamming doors and sudden changes in room temperature.

Following years of restoration, this piece of living history has been restored to its former glory and is open to the public. Dare to visit?

The Grey Lady At Fort St. Angelo

A bastioned fort located in Birgu, Fort St. Angelo was originally built in the medieval period as a castle called the Castrum Maris (castle by the sea) before being rebuilt by the Knights to serve as their headquarters during the Great Siege of 1565. It was during the Siculo-Norman times, however, that the ghost of the Grey Lady came into being.

The young woman was one of the love interests of the first governor at the time, Captain de Nava who was of Sicilian-Aragonese origins. Tired of being shared and upset for not having the same status as de Nava's wife, the woman protested. The governor didn't want the affair to become public so he ordered his guards to send her away. Instead, they killed her and sealed her body in the fort's dungeons. Enraged by their disobedience, de Nava ordered them to be killed as well.

Sightings of the Grey Lady date back to the early 1900s. She has been seen and heard by many people, yet, encounters with her ghost vary. Children used to describe her as a nice lady who looked very beautiful but appeared very sad. Others claimed that she was aggressive and vulgar and would throw furniture about. According to popular belief, a Maltese woman exorcised the ghost and the Grey Lady was never seen again. In contrast, some stories state that she appeared during World War II to save the lives of some soldiers who were about to die during aerial bombardments.

Yet, Fort St. Angelo's link with the macabre does not end with the Grey Lady. Many fishermen believe that the fort is also haunted by Ottoman soldiers who were executed during the Great Siege. Considering the killing tactics used back then like pouring hot oil over soldiers or having decapitated heads blasted from cannons, it comes as no surprise that there are lingering spirits within the walls of this fort.

Villa Sans Souci

Perched on a hill in Marsaxlokk, Villa Sans Souci was originally built as a private residence back in the 1870s by Professor Salvatore Luigi Pisani, later used as a hotel in the 1910s. The villa was eventually sold to the Royal Air Force to serve as a base, but once it was abandoned, it became easy prey for vandals and thieves thanks to its opulence. What's so spooky about it? 

This long-abandoned mansion has a reputation for paranormal episodes and numerous ghost stories in Malta are tied to it even though it is not clear why it's haunted. If you happen to be walking along the building in the dead of night, you may hear eerie noises coming from inside, whereas those who have plucked up the courage and gone inside have said that they had a feeling of dread and paranoia.

Spirits, Ghosts & Poltergeists In The Three Cities

Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua, the Three Cities as they are collectively known, have been the setting where wars have taken place and torture was routine at the Inquisitor's Palace in Birgu. As a result, chilling ghost stories in Malta connected to the Three Cities have been retold over and over again and it is here where you can experience a sinister vibe first-hand. 

These tales involve the many houses that are supposedly haunted. It is well-known that some buildings house the traditional Maltese 'hares', which can either take the form of a Turk or a leprechaun, whereas other derelict residences are thought to have poltergeists, ghosts that can cause physical disturbances such as moving objects, levitation and loud or strange noises. And as if that were not enough, wander around the cobbled alleys of Birgu where you may come across French soldiers conversing or head towards the cemetery to catch a glimpse of Private Thomas McSweeney lingering by his grave.

Bonus: Some Ghostly Fun Facts

While scientific evidence of ghosts is somewhat sketchy, others are truly fascinated by the afterlife and are convinced that ghosts and spirits exist among us. Have a look at these hair-raising ghostly fun facts below:

1. Ghosts can manifest themselves in various forms, be it streaks of light, orbs, mists and dark shadows. Some ghosts can appear in their entirety or may even take another shape such as that of an animal.

2. Children and animals tend to be more prone to seeing ghosts. So next time you see your kid playing with his or her imaginary friend, know that this friend may well be a ghost.

3. Wondering why ghosts seem to be more active during nighttime? The reduced electronic disturbance from things like appliances and other devices offers the ideal environment for ghostly apparitions.

4. Ghosts can be quite mischievous when bored but can be helpful or even protective of the families they haunt.

If you would like to find out more about the island's supernatural side and do a little bit of ghost hunting yourself, you can go ahead and book one of the many ghost tours in Malta from some of the Tour Guide Services available on Yellow.

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