There are places in the world said to be the gate to hell. Some say the stories are just urban legends, others say they are warnings passed down from one generation to the next. What we know for certain is that these places are creepy as hell.

The Lerna region of Greece

The springs and waters of this region are said to be healing on one hand, and the gates to hell on the other. Mythology says that there is a Hydra deep in the waters that one must pass in order to gain access to the underworld. Today Lake Lerna is no more, but there are other waters in this region one could travel to if they have “slay a hydra” on their bucket list.

The river Acheron in Greece

Known as the “river of woe” it was described by Homer and Virgil as a part of the underworld. This is the entrance Odysseus used in mythology to get to Hades. It was one of 5 rivers said to be an entrance along with Cocytus, Lethe, Phlegethon and Styx.

Mount Etna

Mount Etna is a volcano in Sicily. It is the biggest volcano in Italy. The mountain is important in mythology as it is said to be where Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths, forged his goods. According to a book written between 1180 and 1230, there is a spring near the mountain which leads to the underworld.

The Fengdu region of China

In Fengdu, one can find the almost 2,000 year old Fengdu Ghost City which was built specifically to resemble the idea of hell found in Chinese mythology and buddhism. According to Wikipedia:

According to Chinese beliefs, the dead must pass three tests before passing to the next life. First they must pass the ‘Bridge of Helplessness’. This stone bridge was built during the Ming Dynasty and is a test for Good and Evil. It has three arches and only the middle one is used for testing people. There are different protocols for crossing the bridge depending on sex, age, marital status. At the bridge demons allow or forbid passage. The good are allowed to pass while the evil will be pushed to the water below. This is now done as a tourist attraction and performers characterised as demons momentarily stop tourists on the bridge but finally allow them across.

Then the dead must proceed to Ghost-Torturing Pass where they present themselves for judgment before Yama, King of Hell. This is the second test. In this area there are large sculptures of demons.

The third test is done at the entrance to Tianzi Palace where the dead must stand on a certain stone on one foot for three minutes. According to legend a virtuous person will be able to do it while an evil person will fail and be condemned to hell.

Because of the three gorges dam, one day soon this city will become an island.

Hellam Township, Pennsylvania

A forest in Hellam township is said to contain the seven gates of hell. Passing through all seven gates is a one-way ticket to the underworld. You can still read the legend in it’s entirety.

Darvaza gas crater

The Darvaza gas crater is a natural gas fire in Derweze, Turkmenistan that is known as the door to hell. It is almost 100 feet deep and has been burning since 1971 when scientists set it on fire because they thought otherwise methane gas from the crater would spread. There’s no ancient mythology to back up this claim, but it’s easy to see where the nickname came from when you look at images of the fire.

Mount Osore

Mount Osore is an active volcano that is also home to a buddhist temple in Japan. It has long been believed to be an entrance to hell. If you visit Mount Osore, you’ll find Japanese mediums who can speak in the voice of loved ones on the other side.