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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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Perchta, the ghostly White Lady of the Rožmberk castles
The famous White Lady had a difficult life but returned after death to look after the Rožmberk family and property
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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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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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Tales and meanings of the Prague 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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Chlupáč, Prague’s evil hairy ghost with a hatred of hookers
A half-man/half–beast who appeared as a hairy ghost terrorized brothels on former church property. Not all ghosts are see-through, or covered in shrouds. One of Prague’s most dangerous spectres was a hairy…
