After the gatekeeper’s young daughter died in the Rhine, his only wish was to be buried next to her in the cemetery. As they all believed his own death was a suicide he was denied a burial in a consecrated ground. Now, he is forced to linger in the shadows, his only way to visit her grave. 

Basel’s old city once bristled with gates and towers and its guardians of the bridges, streets, and walls that kept the medieval town secure. None was more important than the Rhine Gate on the Grossbasel side, the fortified passage controlling access to the ancient Rhine Bridge, the vital link between Gross- and Kleinbasel. The gate itself was torn down in 1839, but one of its most tragic stories clings to the city like mist over the river.

Read more: Check out all ghost stories from Switzerland

The Mittlere Brücke, or the middle bridge is one of the oldest bridges across the Rhine, dating back to 1223, and has become the very symbol of Basel today, connecting Grossbasel (Greater Basel) and Kleinbasel (Lesser Basel).

Legend has it that there once was a silver bell hanging from the Minster towers in Basel. After the earthquake in 1356, the towers collapsed and the bell sank into the Rhine, only now calling the river spirits to midnight prayer at full moon. It is said that the bell can only be raised when the Minster becomes a Catholic church again. If you look and listen closely from the banks or the bridge, it is said you can see the silver glimmer and hear the faint ringing sound. 

The Legend of the Ghostly Gatekeeper

In the 17th century, a drunken gatekeeper served at the Rhine Gate on the Grossbasel side of the river. A man with a weakness for drink, his reputation in the city was poor, and yet there was one bright, innocent light in his otherwise dim existence that was his beloved four-year-old daughter.

The tragedy happened one afternoon as the little girl played near the bridge’s edge, close enough for her father to see, but far enough for danger. He was, as too often, deep in his cups. And though he was clear in the head enough to see the horror unfolding in front of him, he was too drunk to save her when she fell in. 

It was the boatmen of the guildhouse at the bridge who reacted first, leaping into their boats and chasing the swiftly moving current. They managed to pull the girl from the water near St. John’s, but it was too late. The child was gone.

The Phantom at St. Martin’s

She was buried in St- Martin’s Church, or Martinskirche, the oldest parish church in the city on Cathedral Hill or the Münsterhügel.

The gatekeeper was crushed and filled with immense guilt. At the girl’s burial in St. Martin’s churchyard, he stood motionless at the grave long after the others had left. He carried his guilt heavily, a man haunted in life.

Die Martinskirche in Basel// Source: Andreas Faessler/Wikimedia

Weeks later, his body was found floating near the Klingental corner tower on the Rhine. Whether from despair or drink, he had slipped into the water. And because suicide was suspected, he was denied burial beside his daughter in consecrated ground. Instead, his remains were laid to rest in the old lay cemetery at Klingental, where plague victims, beggars, and outcasts were consigned.

Yet, his soul found no peace. Even decades, or perhaps even centuries later depending on when this actually happened he was still haunting the churchyard. During the time of Pastor Theodor Falkeysen (1725–1815), people whispered of a spectral figure seen standing in the churchyard of St. Martin’s on moonlit nights. Described as rigid and bent, dressed in the tattered clothes of a gatekeeper, his hollow eyes fixed forever on his child’s grave.

Newest Posts

• 

  The Restless Gatekeeper of the Rhine Gate in Basel20. January 2026

  After the gatekeeper’s young daughter died in the Rhine, his only wish was to be buried next to her in the cemetery. As they all believed his own death was a suicide he was denied a burial in a consecrated ground. Now, he is forced to linger in the shadows, his only way to visit her grave. 

• 

  The Haunting of Nes Church Ruins in Norway19. January 2026

  The mysterious Nes Church Ruins in Norway has attracted ghost hunters and legends for centuries by now. But what is really lurking among the old stones after dark?

• 

  The Ghost of the Hay at Hvítárvellir on the White Floor16. January 2026

  On the night before her wedding, a girl was tracked down by a ghost sent to kill her. Who was behind the haunting, and where did the ghost go after their encounter?

• 

  The Slave Trader of Ebenrain: A Tormented Spirit in the Shadows of Sissach15. January 2026

  Meant to be a peaceful summer residence in Sissach, outside of Basel in Switzerland, the Ebenrain Castle turned into a haunted one after one of its former inhabitants is still haunting it. 

• 

  The Eerie and Haunted History of Old City Hall in Toronto14. January 2026

  Said to be haunted by numerous ghosts, the Old City Hall in Toronto, Canada is now known as one of the creepiest buildings in the city. From strange entities targeting judges’ robes in the stairs to the last executed prisoners in the country, the spirits of the building are said to linger. 

• 

  The Ghostly Monk of Spittelsprung (Münsterberg) in Basel13. January 2026

  Back at a time when the hills of Münsterberg were called Spittelsprung in the really old parts of Basel in Switzerland, it was also said a monk was haunting the streets. Gliding in and out of the houses frightening the children, he took no notice of the world of the living, always deep in his prayers. The question is, prayer for what?

• 

  The Haunting of the Gray Lady at Søndre Brekke Manor12. January 2026

  For centuries now, there have been rumours about the ghost of a gray lady haunting the Søndre Brekke Manor house in Norway. A presence so strong that even an exorcism didn’t have help. 

• 

  The Half-Dead Írafells-Móri Haunting For Generations9. January 2026

  Although not even completely dead, an unfortunate boy was resurrected as an undead by a sorcerer to avenge an entire family. For generations the Írafells-Móri plagued, harassed and also took care of the family he was sent to destroy. 

• 

  The Ghostly Shoes of Hindelbank: A Mother’s Journey Beyond the Grave8. January 2026

  After her husband forgot to bury her with shoes, a woman came back to haunt him as she was condemned to wander the realm of the dead barefoot. 

• 

  Troubling Encounters With the Ghosts of Tranquille Sanatorium in Canada 7. January 2026

  Tranquille Sanatorium near Kamloops is said to be one of the most haunted places in Canada. Once a hospital treating tuberculosis, later a place for the mentally ill has a history filled with mystery, tragedy, and an eerie atmosphere that still lingers to this day. Visitors report spooky sightings of ghostly figures wandering the grounds and warning whispers in dark corridors.

• 

  Knightly Ghosts Haunting St. Johanns-Vorstadt by the Rhine River6. January 2026

  Before a modern apartment complex was built in its place, the area around St Johann district used to belong to the crusader order of St. John. Tales of knights prancing in armor, the anguished screams of children cries coming from the wells as well as ghostly apparitions in the old Ritterhaus have haunted the place for ages.  

• 

  Dearg Due – Ireland’s Vengeful Vampire of Blood and Stone5. January 2026

  For a long time, there have been tales about the Dearg Due, the bloodthirsty vampire of Ireland. But how true is the story about the female vampire though, and has it really been told since ancient times?

References:

Spuk und Geister im alten Basel

Mittlere Brücke (Basel) – Everything you need to know in 2025 

Glaubet nid an Gaischter? Von wegen. Basel ist voll davon. | barfi.ch

Tour Description «Walk of legends» Place 1: Claraplatz and Rebgasse