Poland - Niedzica Castle

Located in southern Poland, Niedzica Castle sits atop an ancient hill of limestone and shale that is approximately 30 meters above the Dunajec River. The castle holds secret treasures, ancient artwork, and the ghost of a woman who appears nightly. Along the road leading up to the castle is a sign that warns visitors that they are about to enter a haunted location. The castle itself is located on a small peninsula into the river, making it ideal to defend against any sort of threat. The castle that stands today was originally built in 1325 by the Brezevichy family.

There was a castle before this one, and it was named Dunajec Castle. It had about several owners in its existence, and there are now only walls that mark the original structure. The ghostly legends at the castle originate from one of the first owners of the castle, Sebastian Brezevichy. He traveled to Peru in South America, and he went on to marry a woman named Umina, who was an Inca royal. When war broke out between Spain and Peru in the 1860s, the Brezevichy family moved back to Niedzica, Poland. They brought along with them the Inca treasure of the family so the Spanish would not be able to take it.

The legend says that Umina was murdered in front of the castle by a treasure hunting thief, and the ghost of Umina appears every night to scare away anyone who comes close to the castle in order to protect her gold. Umina's father hid the treasure and he created a cryptic document so the treasure can be found again one day. However, no one has been able to break the code of the document up until this point. Umina is referred to as the "White Lady" of Niedzica Castle. Today the castle serves as an archaeological museum with suites that can hold up to 35 guests.