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Terror of a bald ghost haunting Wig Maker’s Hill
A wildly unlikely ghost tale attempts to explain the odd name of a local park. A hill overlooking Prague’s largest cemetery, Olšanské hřbitovy, has an undeservedly shady reputation but is now home to…
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Jan Mikolášek: the herbal healer showcased in the film Charlatan
A folk-medicine expert with an alleged gift treated over 5 million people, including many celebrities but critics call him a charlatan. The new Czech-Irish-Polish-Slovak biopic Charlatan (Šarlatán) takes a look at the…
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The mysterious White Lady of the Záběhlice Chateau
A ghost called a white lady at what was a rural castle near a vineyard never revealed her secrets. Parts of what is now Prague used to be villages separated by dusty…
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Mystical gold coins gave rise to two of Prague’s synagogues
Rather fanciful tales put a colorful spin on the origins of some buildings in the Prague’s historical Jewish quarter
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Warning! Don’t rob a grave in a Prague church
A grave-robbing Swedish soldier met with a grim fate in the Thirty Years’ War. The failed attempt of the Swedish army to conquer Prague at the end of the Thirty Years’ War…
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Morana, the Czech goddess of winter and death
Traces of the Slavic deity can still be found in Prague. Each of the seasons in Slavic folklore is overseen by a god or goddess, though the names and attributes vary greatly…
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Ruprecht the Trumpeter: A headless ghost haunts the Senate
One of Prague’s finest palaces is home to a headless ghost who missed an important command. Some people like to sleep in late, especially after a night of partying. And isn’t it…
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A practical guide to Moravian vampires
In the early 1700s, Czechia was the center of suspected vampire activity There was a “vampire panic” across much of Central and Eastern Europe in the first half of the 18th century.…
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Native American and African ghosts haunt far from home
Two of Prague’s sadder ghost legends tell of people who died while on tour with traveling shows. Prague has two resident ghosts – a Native American and an African – who died…
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A merchant’s obese ghost begs at the Wallenstein Pub
A beggar had the last word when the entrepreneur wouldn’t share his leftovers. Back when times were tough, obesity used to be quite rare, and an obese ghost even more so. Only…
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Ghostly goats wander in the Golden City
Among the more curious supernatural apparitions in Prague are some stubborn ghostly goats. Prague at night is a virtual menagerie of spectral animals. There are the mundane yet otherworldly dogs and cats, and the…
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Prague’s cemetery row: history captured in a sculpture garden
The city’s gardens of stone offer a retreat from the overly touristed center. Visitors to Prague can be quickly overwhelmed by how crowded the main tourist attractions are. But the city’s cemetery…
