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The tragedy of the House at Death
A May – December romance went horribly wrong in the House at Death in Prague’s Old Town. Prague’s street Dlouhá třída, now lined with touristy bars and expensive shops, was once where…
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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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Pieced heart: The Masonic legend of the villa called Amerika
The palace called Vila Amerika is home to a Masonic legend about a pierced heart. All of the movers and shakers in Prague used to belong to the Freemasons. The group, though,…
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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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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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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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Alchemist and seer John Dee languishes in Bohemia
John Dee was once an adviser to Queen Elizabeth I, but he saw his fortunes decline in Prague. The scholarly John Dee will likely always be remembered for getting caught up with…
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The ghost of a Templar knight gave up due to disrespect
A Templar knight on a fire-breathing horse went on strike when their church became a print shop. The former Church of St. Anne on Liliová Street in Prague’s Old Town used to…
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Interactive map shows the ghosts of Prague
More than 100 spirits inhabit the historical parts of the Czech capital, and an interactive map helps to find them. Prague is filled with ghosts, at least according to popular legends. But…
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The Infant of Prague doubles as a Santeria idol
An Afro-Spanish religion uses the Infant of Prague to represent one of its key figures. One statue, two religions. The Infant of Prague is of course a world-famous Roman Catholic icon, and…
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Secret Masonic symbols are hiding in plain sight
The all-seeing eye of God is among several Masonic symbols on buildings across the Golden City. Buildings throughout the historical center of Prague and even a bit beyond are bedizened with details,…
