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The headless skeletons of Jánský vršek
The mysterious spectres wander the same small group of streets. The area around Prague Castle has quite a few frightening apparitions. Two of the most unsettling are headless skeletons at Jánský vršek,…
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The lost Jesuit treasures
A ghost still looks for a fortune that was secreted away by some priests before they were expelled. Right next to Charles Bridge on the Old Town side is the Klementinum, a…
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The miraculous painting by Charles Bridge
An eternal flame, a portrait of St Mary and two washer rollers make an odd shrine. If you cross Charles Bridge, you may notice an odd shrine on the small balcony of…
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Fortunes change for two people on Charles Bridge
Fate frowns on a vain merchant but smiles on a poor villager and bridge guard when fortunes change. Two tales tell of strange reversals of fortune that took place on Charles Bridge.…
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The House at the Two Golden Bears joins Heaven and Earth
One of the most elaborate portals in Prague leads to a long-closed tunnel complex. Most old European cities have a network of underground tunnels, often now walled up and forgotten. They were…
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A peasant girl haunts Liechtenstein Palace
The miller’s daughter tried to break into society by attending a ball at Liechtenstein Palace but it ended in tragedy. Every young woman wants to be popular. On Kampa Island, near Charles…
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Pierre de Lasenic, a modern occultist led a mysterious life
Books by the 20th-century occultist Pierre de Lasenic remain in print but the man is an enigma. When people think of the occult in Prague, the time of Rudolf II comes to mind. But…
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Ghost dogs run wild in the streets of Prague
Dogs are ubiquitous in Prague, even in the spirit world where ghost dogs hold a place of pride. One of the first things you will notice in Prague is the number of…
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The devil chef of Emauzy
The centuries-old monastery once had some devilishly good food made by a devil chef. The monastery at Emauzy looks pleasant enough from a distance, with its modern concrete wing-shaped spires added in…
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The valiant legend of Horymír and his talking horse Šemík
A knight tried to stop a famine by urging the prince to turn away from silver. Greed drives rulers to become shortsighted tyrants. Bohemia was once filled with silver ore. Back in…
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How Drahomíra was dragged through the gateway to Hell
The pagan era ended when a conspiring duchess was dragged down into a gateway to Hell, One of the dark villains of early Bohemian history is Duchess Drahomíra of Stodor, one of…
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Built with the Devil’s help, Part II: Kinský Palace
Kinský Palace may have some dark secrets buried in its foundation. Making a large building or a bridge requires a lot of complex math and engineering. But back in the Middle Ages…
