Rather fanciful tales put a colorful spin on the origins of some buildings in the Prague’s historical Jewish quarter
The famous White Lady had a difficult life but returned after death to look after the Rožmberk family and property Not all ghosts are frightful. One of the more benign Czech phantoms is…
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…
The failed attempt of the Swedish army to conquer Prague at the end of the Thirty Years’ War has been back in the news, as a Baroque-style Victory Column that was toppled…
Each of the seasons in Slavic folklore is overseen by a god or goddess, though the names and attributes vary greatly from region to region. In Bohemia and Moravia, the female force…
A village once stood outside the Old Town walls, and a pond there was home to a sad but beautiful mermaid The Czech word for a little pond is Rybníček, and in…
The palace that houses the Czech Senate is haunted by the ghost of a trumpeter Some people like to sleep in late, especially after a night of partying. And isn’t it just…
In the early 1700s, part of the Czech Republic was at the center of suspected vampire activity There was a “vampire panic” across much of Central and Eastern Europe in the first…
A beggar had the last word when the entrepreneur wouldn’t share his leftovers Back when times were tough, obesity used to be quite rare. Only the wealthy could afford to eat that…
Among the more curious supernatural apparitions in Prague are some stubborn goats Prague at night is a virtual menagerie of spectral animals. There are the mundane yet otherworldly dogs and cats, and…
A traditional practice involves braided willow branches and plum brandy Easter in Europe has always been tied up with spring rituals related to fertility and birth. Bunnies are among the most prolific…
A seafaring buccaneer tried to hide on land but could not escape his fate The current mayor of Prague, since November 15, 2018, has been a member of the Czech Pirate Party.…
