In the heart of Helsingborg, on Stortorget, lies a story that refuses to fade. At Home Hotel Grand, guests have, for decades, reported icy drafts, a lingering sense of being watched – and some even claim to have been pushed out of bed in the middle of the night. Room 585 on the fifth floor is mentioned time and again, where many speak of a presence that defies explanation.

The story begins on a dramatic night in the 1920s. A man checked into the hotel with his mistress, and his wife is said to have discovered them. What followed remains unknown. The next morning, the man left alone – and the mistress was never seen again. Since then, she has become known as the guest who never checked out. Back in 2009, Expressen reported on the incidents at the hotel, and Helsingborgs Dagblad has since followed the story with a video report on the unexplained events.

The year is 1865. In a dark prison cell in Karlstad, the priest Anders Lindbäck sits awaiting his sentence. He has confessed to poisoning members of his congregation by lacing the sacramental wine with arsenic – an act he himself claimed was one of mercy. Before justice can be served, he takes his own life. But death was not the end for the feared priest from Silbodal – it is said he still walks.

Today, the former prison has opened its heavy gates to hotel guests and is now home to the popular Home Hotel Bilan. Down in the cellar vaults, the story lingers. Here, among the old cells, staff speak of an unseen presence that at times makes even the walk downstairs feel uneasy. There is a sense of not being welcome – as though someone is still keeping watch over the place.

Read the full ghost story from the hotel.

In 1882, the well-to-do benefactress, Ebba Ramsay, founded Victoriahemmet in Jönköping – a home for children without stable families or support. Her presence shaped the house for many years, and according to local accounts, she never truly left. Over time, the building has served several purposes, including as a school and a radio station, before becoming what is today Home Hotel Victoria.

It is on the upper floors that the more unusual experiences tend to occur. Guests have woken with the distinct sense that someone has sat down on the edge of the bed. Others have heard a soft rustling in empty rooms and felt watched in the quiet corridors. Staff also speak of objects moving without explanation. At the same time, the presence is described as calm – as though someone is watching over the house rather than trying to frighten its guests.

You can learn more about Ebba here.

At Clarion Hotel® Winn in Gävle, there are rooms guests would rather not return to. In corridor C – particularly around rooms 178 and 179 – both guests and staff have reported strange occurrences: furniture seemingly moving on its own, footsteps late in the evening, and cold drafts in closed rooms. Some describe the sensation of someone standing just behind them, even when they are alone.

The stories date back to the 1980s, when restaurant staff heard the sound of high heels, clinking glassware and movement after closing time. Over time, the presence was given a name – Julia. She is said to have worked here before the hotel was built and is believed to have perished in the great fire of 1869, never truly leaving the site.

Today, Julia has her own armchair in the restaurant, and since it was placed there, the hotel is said to have grown noticeably calmer.

Learn more about the ghost Julia here.

In a former doctor’s villa from 1921 in Umeå, one shift is said never to have ended. In what is now Home Hotel Uman, there are stories of Gerda – the nurse who both lived and worked here, and who, according to many, still moves through the house. Several have seen her hurry along the corridor and straight through a wall, exactly where a door once led up to her quarters.

Gerda is described as harmless, even helpful, yet her presence is hard to ignore. Unexplained sounds, movements, and the feeling of not being alone recur in the stories.