A demonic figure with pagan roots puts bad kids in a sack Christmas traditions vary across regions in Europe. Not entirely surprisingly, the residents of Central Europe tend to go a bit to the dark side with their tales. While Saint Nicholas rewards good kids, he has a companion called the
The Astronomical Clock has been restored to its pre-war condition The Astronomical Clock at Prague’s Old Town Square has been rebuilt, returning its inner clockwork to the weights and gears system used in the 1860s, and revitalizing its faded external faces. The clock had been quickly rebuilt with some modern internal elements
A half man-half beast terrorized brothels housed on former church property Not all ghosts are see-through, or covered in shrouds. One of Prague’s most dangerous ghosts was a hairy man who had a particular hatred of women of the night. People disagree whether the figure, commonly called Chlupáč, was a half man
The War of Succession left behind a spirit who refuses to accept defeat Not all soldiers leave after a war. Some are left in faraway graves, while others refuse to accept their demise and keep on fighting for some long-forgotten cause. A French major who was killed at Vyšehrad during the War
A May – December romance went horribly wrong in Prague's Old Town Prague's street Dlouhá třída, now lined with touristy bars and expensive shops, was once where the wealthy elite lived. It stretches from Old Town Square to where the city wall once stood, and while its name means “long,” it
A Swedish soldier and a gambling monk both ride at night but are harmless One of the darkest moments for Prague was at the end of the Thirty Years' War, when Swedish troops looted Prague Castle and Malá Strana. The war ended before Old Town fell, thanks to a strong defense
Malá Strana has two ghosts who suffered painful deaths that involved iron nails A pair of otherwise unrelated ghosts a few streets apart in Prague’s historical Malá Strana area have something in common: iron nails someplace on their heads. Both tales involve gruesome murders. The first tale is the sort of true
The general took astrology very seriously, even delaying a battle due to the stars Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein, one of the most significant generals of the Thirty Years’ War, had a strong belief in astrology, and that may have been his downfall. After gleaning much military success, as was predicted
A Brazilian fan of the deck explains why it is his favorite to read People from all sorts of backgrounds become involved with Tarot, and also have different reasons for choosing the deck they use. For Leonardo Chioda, a Tarot card reader from Brazil, his interest goes back to his childhood. His
A conjuring trick gone horribly wrong unleashed a mythical beast Prague legends include many mystical animals, including a unicorn. While the story is a bit vague, this majestic creature is more than welcome next to the city’s mermaid, werewolf, talking horse, house sprites, demonic rabbit, possessed dogs and cats, and ghostly goat
