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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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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 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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Krampus, Santa’s evil friend stows bad kids in a sack
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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A French major’s ghost haunts the tunnels of Vyšehrad
The War of Succession left behind a French ghost at Vyšehrad who refuses to accept defeat. Not all soldiers leave after a war. Some are left in faraway graves, while others refuse…
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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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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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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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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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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 III: Karlov
The big dome at the Church of St Charlemagne in Karlov is simply to die for. Making a large building or a bridge requires a lot of complex math and engineering. But…
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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…
