( CNN ) -- Of the many ghouls that we associate with Halloween , few reign as supremely in our imaginings as witches . Though these days , our fascination with witchcraft takes on a more benign form ( nothing a Netflix all-night Buffy-fest ca n't cure ) , there once was a time when the mere mention of sorcery led entire towns to burn , drown , crush and flay those individuals believed in possession of magical powers . Though it may seem witches have since been relegated to the history books and costume shops , there are still many places in the world that treat magic as serious business , no matter the time of year . Want a truly spellbinding experience ? Check out our guide to the world 's witchiest hotspots . Trust us , their worth a pilgrimage . Show us your most terrifying Halloween outfits . Salem , Massachusetts . The Salem witch trials that ended in 1693 have become firmly embedded in the public imagination . Most notably , the trials were the basis for Arthur Miller 's McCarthyism parable , `` The Crucible '' , though since they 've made the backdrop of fantasy staples , from `` Dr. Who '' to `` The Vampire Diaries . '' The trials , which led to the execution of 20 `` witches , '' started after two girls were afflicted with a strange illness that 17th-century doctors could not diagnose . Over 150 individuals were ultimately accused , with several dying while languishing in jail cells . Today , Salem 's witchlore has resulted in a booming tourist trade . Over 100,000 visitors pour into town during the month-long Haunted Happenings festival , which takes place every October . `` About 85 % of visitors we asked say they 're interested in the witch trials , and 80 % say they 're interested in modern witches , '' explains Kate Fox , the executive director of Destination Salem . The town also boasts a strong Wiccan community , with many setting up spell shops and psychic stalls where visitors can get their palms read . While witch costumes are encouraged , green face paint is not smiled upon . `` The witch community is not a fan of green-faced witches . It 's a stereotype they 're trying to get away from , '' Fox explains . Read more : Costume festivals for grown-ups . Lancashire , UK . Before the Salem trials , there were the Pendle witches . The 1612 trials , in which ten people were found guilty and hanged , were among the most notorious in English history . Religious fervor played a strong role , as the Protestant King James I was eager to rout out both witches and Catholics -- often associated as one and the same . The impoverished did n't fare much better . `` The poor often sold natural remedies from local plants and herbs , which local authorities often viewed as 'spells ' , and hence demonic , '' explains Michael Williams , tourism team leader for Pendle Borough Council and Marketing Lancashire . Last year marked the 400th anniversary of the trials , which the town commemorated by instituting the Pendle Sculpture Trail -- a signposted walk that has ten plaques -- one for each victim -- posted on trees throughout the woodland area . The trails are dotted with landmarks from the trials , and culminate at Lancaster Castle , the former prison where he accused were tried . Brocken , Germany . Fans of Faust might recognize the Brocken as the traditional meeting place of witches , who apparently gather yearly April 30 for Walpurgisnacht . The Brocken is the highest peak of the Harz mountain range in North Germany , and was once believe to be the destination for many a goat-riding witch or warlock ( brooms came into the equation later ) . Though locals once hung crosses and herbs on their doors to ward off the supposedly evil-doers , these days celebrants emulate the witches . Thousands channel their inner Hermione and gather on the mountain top clad in black hats and makeup . Read more : World 's weirdest food festivals . La Paz , Bolivia . In a mountain clearing known as Cerro Cumbre sits the type of market that does n't carry your usual tourist fodder ( unless you 're in the market for a dried llama fetus ) . The Witches Market , or Mercado de las Brujas is made up of shops that carry everything from medicinal herbs , to heftier spell-making ingredients . For many of the brujas , or witches , magic is a family business , and several store owners sell concoctions that have been passed down through the generations . Though the market used to be the exclusive purview of Bolivians , these days , tourists make up the bulk of its economy . Catemaco , Mexico . Every year , on the first Friday of March , the town of Catemaco hosts the International Congress of Witches . Thousands of believers bus in from all over Mexico to enlist local sorcerers to cast a spell or read a fortune ( for a fee ) . Though witchcraft has a centuries-old history in Mexico -- a mix of pre-Hispanic and Catholic rituals -- the Congress only dates back to the '70s . In recent years , the event has become a tourist attraction , and these days local music acts are as much a part of it as the palm readings and curse removals .
Salem attracts over 100,000 witch - hunting tourists around Christmas . Thousands of witch - hunting revelers gather in the German capital on Walpurgisnacht . In Le Paz , Bolivia , tourists can purchase spell ingredients at the local witch market . Guadalajara , Mexico hosts the annual World Congress of Witches .