The legend of Luxembourg’s haunted bridge (Pont du Stierchen)

Whilst traveling around Europe, ticking countries off my list, I heard an incredible legend about a haunted bridge in Luxembourg. 

Europe has a different approach to the paranormal than in the UK - you’ll find it very difficult to have access to their haunted castles unless you buy day tickets, and they don’t seem to do ghost hunts like we do, so for the country’s most haunted location to be a public bridge, I had to feature the location.

About 

The legend states that a drunk man fell to his death from the bridge. Whilst finding his identity and exact era of his death has been impossible, the hauntings seemed to have started prior to the 17th Century.

Early stories indicate that the ‘geescht’ (translates from Luxembourgish into English as ‘spirit’) haunted the area around the old town, rather than just the bridge. One legend states that a parade was taking place through the streets of Luxembourg which involved the Grand Duchy in the 1600s when the spectral figure appeared in front of one of the horses, scaring it into a frenzy, sending people running. The event was witnessed by hundreds of bystanders including the Duchy himself. His mischief has also included preventing monks in the nearby Abbaye de Neumunster from holding mass, by holding the bells and preventing them from ringing to the villagers.

Other forms of the legend say that the spirit guards the bridge at night, and targets specifically people who have been drinking. People have reported shape shifting animals and even objects. He is said to jump onto people’s shoulders and beat them up, or throwing them into the water below. One eye witness reported seeing a large dog standing on the bridge, before shape shifting into a human form and running after the terrified local.

One witness reported seeing a floating barrel above the bridge. When he reached out to touch it, the barrel moved further away, causing the man to stumble and fall into the river. Another account, a man tried to cross the bridge and encountered to Geescht, and was lifted up to the top of the Bockfelsen, which is an old Roman fort that overlooks the Grund area of Luxembourg where the bridge is located. The next day, the man had to be rescued and brought to safety.

Another legend states that the Geescht would appear as a piglet, and when someone would eventually catch it, it would appear on the other side of the bridge. On another occasion, three women claimed to see the spirit in the form of a cat. As they threw a shoe at the creature, it vanished, meaning the shoe missed and landed in the river below. The following day, the shoe was found back on the bridge.

Others claim to be followed home by a spirit. Even today, many locals refuse to cross the bridge after dark. People have seen strange figures and the sensation of being pushed when trying to cross.

What do I think? It’s a great legend, and probably that’s all it is. There will always be a correlation between people being very drunk, and having accidents crossing a narrow stone bridge. The stories do sound a lot like old tales that get passed down over the centuries.

When I did visit the site, I did notice that not many people were walking across the bridge after dark!

Visiting Luxembourg

Luxembourg is a beautiful country. It’s so small that you can probably drive across it in under an hour. It is also confusing when talking about Luxembourg whether I’m referring to the country or the capital city - both have the same name. The city feels more like a large town, but there is plenty to see. The amazing fort and it’s caves can be exploited during the daytime for a few euros. The views of Luxembourg are stunning - there is a path overlooking the Grund that has been described the the “most beautiful balcony view in Europe.” 

Just outside of the city are two World War II cemeteries, one for American soldiers, and the other for German soldiers. Luxembourg was the first country in Europe to offer to build a  cemetery to the German war dead, and with several major battles taking place in the area, there were a lot.

Getting travel guides for this country is hard, but the local tourist information shop does sell one. Very few public tours take place, but there is a self guided tour that you can collect in map for from the tourist information shop.

Getting there can be a bit tricky but it is worth it. There is a main airport a couple of miles from the city - I flew to Berlin from here to continue my travels, and there are some flights to Gatwick airport form the UK. There is a main train station too. I arrived via train from Brussels in nearby neighbouring Belgium, which cost around €40. I stayed in the Luxembourg International Hostel, which was really nice, and was €22 per night. Don’t come here unless you enjoy walking up steeps hills, although they have started building lifts on the side of the city’s cliffs.

Most people in Luxembourg speak Luxembourgish, which has a lot of elements of German in it. The locals also speak French, but most will understand English too.

Jedburgh Jail (Investigation)

So after presenting ghost hunts on the radio for almost a decade, it was time to raise the bar, so the first one needed to be a big one to get the ball rolling.

About

Built on the site of an ancient 12th century fort, the Jail was built in 1823 to house some of the most notorious criminal in the area. Jedburgh itself lies in a troubled location in the Scottish Borders and has seen the border change between the Scots and the English many times.

The term ‘Jeddart Justice’ originates from Jedburgh, and means “hang first, tried later.” The execution spot in the jail can still be visited today, although it is not marked.

The first ghost is said to be that of s Scottish Piper, who is often heard playing bagpipes on the battlements. His ghost is more of a legend to the people in the town, but strange lights have also been seen in this area. The ghost of a prison guard is said to wander the notorious Men’s wing - he has often been reported as a dark shadow, while others have felt the sensation of being pushed out of the way. Cell 18 is said to be haunted by a prisoner known as Edwin McArthur, who was executes in the prison. People inside Cell 18 have been scratched and objects thrown at them. Many mediums have also claimed to have picked up on his presence too.

Several TV and radio shows have used Jedburgh to broadcast from, all of which reporting technical problems. Batteries draining faster than usual is the most common feature, and this is something members of the public have also reported - especially mobile phones going from fully charged, to flat within minutes.

Other sightings include a shadow often seen close to the execution spot and mischievous children in the family wing.


Visit Jedburgh Jail

Address

Castle Gate

Jedburgh

TD8 6AS

Telephone: 01835 864750

If you ever get the chance to visit Jedburgh, I fully recommend it.
From Newcastle, it’s only around. 90 minute drive. Drive west along the A69 towards Hexham, then turn off onto the A68 and head north. It’s a beautiful route and takes in some stunning scenery, including one or two locations we will be visiting in the next few months. Once you get over the border into Scotland, you will see signs for Jedburgh. Stay on the A68 all the way and the road actually runs through the town itself. The Jail is at the top of a very steep hill and parking is available around the side.

From Edinburgh, it’s a similar distance - head south on the A7 then follow signs to the A68.

Please be aware that the jail’s opening times are seasonal between March and November, and general access is free. Please this their website for more info.

If you are visiting Jedburgh Jail, I also fully recommend spending time in the town itself - the abbey has its own ghost story, although much of it is in ruins now. I also really recommend The Carter’s Rest for pub food. Between shooting daytime scenes around the jail and the investigation that evening, this was where we hung out at, and their Thai curry is 10/10!

Welcome

So we have moved across to the 21st Century and joined YouTube!

Over the last decade, myself and Chris Felton have worked in radio. We launched Dead Air in 2010 to be the largest paranormal radio show in the UK. Over the years, we’ve stayed in haunted castles, graveyards, pubs, manor houses, people’s homes, and even made several national newspapers when one of our videos went viral in 2015.

The purpose of this channel is to bring our content to the wider web. We’ve entertained the people of Newcastle with our radio show, and we have some die hard fans. But we want to step it up and gear and bring it to a new platform.

We will be doing ghost hunts, but we will also be vlogging. We have years of experience between us, and we are lucky enough to be in a position where we can offer advice on getting  into this amazing industry.

We will show you how to go about going on ghost hunts, getting the right equipment, and most importantly, deciding who to trust. There are a lot of fakes and cons who sadly look to profit at others expense.

Remember, ghost hunting is fun, and itbshould always be that way. I’ve come across plenty of dodgy people on this journey, and I am now able to spot them a mile away. 

So please hit the subscribe button, and hopefully enjoy our channel!