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Guardian of the Flooded Village named Tree of the Year
A devil sat beneath the tree to play his eerie violin at night before the village was covered by dam water Legends surround a 350-year-old Scots pine called the Guardian of the…
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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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A mermaid found love at a long-vanished Prague pond
A village stood outside the Old Town walls, and its pond was home to a sad but beautiful mermaid. The Czech word for a little pond is Rybníček, and in pagan times…
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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…
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Whipping away infertility at Easter with a pomlázka
A traditional practice involves braided willow branches called a pomlázka and plum brandy. Easter in Europe has always been tied up with spring rituals related to fertility and birth. Bunnies are among…
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Ghost riders patrol Prague’s New Town at night
Three ghost riders haunt the same area near the start of the Royal Route. The area around the square called náměstí Republiky marks the start of the old Royal Route that leads…
