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Krampus, the evil friend of Santa
A demonic figure with pagan roots called Krampus puts bad kids in a sack Christmas traditions vary across regions in Europe. Not entirely surprisingly, the residents of Central Europe tend to go…
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Tales and meanings of the Prague Orloj – the Astronomical Clock
The Astronomical Clock, a popular tourist attraction, 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…
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Houska Castle guards a pit leading down into Hell
A chapel at Houska Castle was built on a chasm filled with half-human monsters to keep them in Several places on Earth are thought to be entry portals to hell. A foul-smelling…
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Two ghosts who nailed it: a pair of grim Prague legends
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…
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Legends of the Bohemian Crown Jewels
The Bohemian Crown Jewels and St Wenceslas’ helmet are alleged to have magic powers The real Bohemian Crown Jewels are only shown to the public on special occasions. The rest of the…
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The kind ghost nun at St Agnes Cloister
A wealthy nobleman tried to break up a romance by having his daughter become a nun The rich should marry the rich, and the poor should marry the poor. That idea was…
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Bruncvík and his magic sword
A dragon-slaying knight and his white lion now guard Charles Bridge Not all of the statues on Charles Bridge are actually on top of the bridge. There is one off to the…
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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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The creepy Bone Church of Kutná Hora
Bones from 40,000 plague and war victims are in creative sculptures in the Bone Church The ossuary at Sedlec is generally called the Bone Church, and for good reason. Bones from tens…
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Built with the Devil’s help, Part I: Charles Bridge
Charles Bridge was falling down until an architect made a deal Making a large building or a bridge requires a lot of complex math and engineering. But back in the Middle Ages…
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A fateful tale of false measurements at New Town Hall
The metal rod on the side of the old tower at New Town Hall is a reminder for those who would cheat at business Near the entrance to New Town Hall, there…
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The Devil’s Column is due to a diabolical bet
Some see a broken stone pillar as evidence that a demon named Zardan visited Prague The history of Vyšehrad goes back to the very foundation of Prague, and the walled fortress-like area…
