Alluring and mysterious old Prague. Mystical Prague

Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic, always mysterious and beautiful, regardless of the time of year. Coming here, you get the feeling that it continues to live its medieval life, allowing inquisitive travelers only a glimpse into its great and sometimes mystical past. So what kind of beauty is she - Prague?

In this ancient city, there is always a feeling of some kind of duality and understatement: Prague seems simple, and at the same time mysterious and captivating with the gold of its facades and spiers, red tile roofs, many fairy tales and legends born in the tangle of its tangled, narrow streets . The best time to learn Prague myths and legends is winter, when the city is shrouded in an openwork snow shawl; at this time it is especially romantic. The city is very good for people who are simply delighted with the medieval streets, with old houses that look like they came out of a picture from their favorite book. Men in Prague are attracted by the famous beer halls, which produce tasty and light beer according to original recipes that have been preserved since the Middle Ages. And none of the family members will be left indifferent by the architectural beauty of the city and the mysteries of history associated with it.

So, what is Prague like? Why is her name persistently associated with mysticism? The name of the city “Prague” means “threshold” in Czech. You may ask: what is so mystical here? It is, in fact, a kind of threshold, a line between everyday life and the secrets hidden behind its ancient facades. Prague was built taking into account astrological laws; just a few centuries ago, the city would have been recognized as a world alchemical and esoteric center. The city's second-hand bookstores even sell guides to mystical Prague.

We recommend starting your tour of this fabulous city with a visit to the Charles Bridge - one of the main symbols of the city, a construction and... culinary masterpiece. “Culinary” - because when mixing the solution that held the stones together, milk and eggs were added to it for strength. But since there was not enough food in Prague itself, King Charles the Fourth ordered to send a cartload of eggs from each Czech village. Everyone did just that, only the residents of the village of Velvara, worried that the eggs would go rotten on the way, also took care of boiling them... There is another interesting legend concerning the Charles Bridge. They say that the Dalai Lama once visited Prague and stated that the location of the bridge is exactly at the “center of the Universe”; there is no negative energy here. So when you are on the Charles Bridge, be sure to listen to your feelings, is that true? By the way, if you are on the Charles Bridge, be sure to feed the seagulls - “for good luck.”

From this bridge, Charles Street leads to the city center, covered with even more legends, and it’s not even worth talking about the number of attractions on it - there are a great many of them. We’ll tell you just one legend about Charles Street, so as not to take away bread from the hardworking tour guides. In Prague, there is a myth about a crazy barber, whose presence with a razor in his hands is often seen by both local residents and guests of the city in inclement weather or on a full moon. This unfortunate barber lived during the reign of the Czech king Rudolf II. One night, great knowledge descended on him, and he decided to take up alchemy. He spent all his property acquired through back-breaking labor in search of the philosopher's stone. When he spent his savings, he mortgaged his house, but went bankrupt without discovering anything, and as a result he went crazy. And so he died. But his soul cannot calm down in any way, since, as they say, he received great knowledge in exchange for it. So he continues to this day, meeting passers-by in the dark and threatening them with a straight razor, demanding money from them to continue his mystical experiments. True, according to the latest eyewitness accounts, he no longer asks for money, but simply offers to shave.

There is also Charles Square in Prague, but it is located quite far from the bridge and the street. This square has long been considered the mystical esoteric center of Europe. They say that in the house at number forty on the above-mentioned square lived the famous Doctor Faust - a magician and warlock who sold his soul to the devil and it was from this house that the devil took him with him, they flew straight through the roof, and the hole gaped in the roof for many years. No matter how they tried to patch it, nothing worked: the hole appeared again and again. Only today, the roof was repaired, and they decided to open the Alchemy Museum in the house - the most interesting in the world.

The next mystical place in Prague is Vysehrad. This is a fortress-cathedral located on the rocky banks of the Vltava River, where the very first princes and kings of the Czech Republic lived. The famous princess Libushe, who predicted world fame for Prague, also lived here. In Visegrad you can admire stunning sights - the Rotunda of St. Martin, the famous Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul. But tourists are attracted here by Visegrad legends. After all, without hearing myths and mysterious stories, you will not understand “what is this Prague like?” They say that in this fortress King Matthias kept the world-famous Count Dracula imprisoned for twelve years for his atrocities. And in the garden of this fortress there are stones that the devil himself brought, although for what purpose he did this, the legend does not explain.

Visegrad has its own ghost - the French major who commanded the troops that captured the city in 1741. Here he died heroically, and ever since then, his restless spirit began to wander through these places. For a long time, he was a real punishment for the caretakers and sentries of the fortress, as he appeared not only at night, tickling the sentries and attacking patrols, but also during the day, frightening tourists. Everything continued until the end of the nineteenth century, until the spirit of the violent major was pacified. One tourist, with the rank of lieutenant, seeing the silhouette of a man in uniform, and not even realizing that it was a ghost, greeted him according to military regulations, saluting him, as it should be. Then the ghost of the major smiled and, patting the tourist by the shoulders, disappeared. Since then, if the spirit of the major appeared in Visegrad, he was always in a good mood, nodded to passers-by, greeting them, and when the military saluted him, he was very happy. In general, he behaves as a respectable ghost should.

Next, the mystical guide to Prague leads us to the Jewish quarter of Josefov - this is an old, very cozy area, where there are squat houses and beautiful synagogues. A legend about the Golem, the first man created by the hands of a magician, is associated with this place. They say that Rabbi Rabbi Levi lived in this quarter, who loved to practice magic in his free time. And so, one night, sitting on the shore, he molded a man from river clay, calling him Golem. Every day Levi put a magical “sign of life” into the hole on the Golem’s forehead, and he went to protect the Jews. In the evening the magician took out this record. But one day, he forgot to do this, and the Golem got out of control and began to destroy everything. After that he disappeared somewhere. But to this day, the servants of the Old Synagogue - the oldest in Central Europe - are afraid to go down into the basements of the building, as they fear that the Golem is still hiding there. Interestingly, apartments in this area of Prague are the most expensive in the country, which leads to the idea that the locals are not as timid as the clergy.

Mysticism is also associated with Golden Lane; it was built this way because gold minters and the Prague poor used to live here. The houses on the street look like gingerbread houses: multi-level, small, painted in bright colors. Now no one lives in them; they are rented out to sellers of souvenirs, old books and lace scarves. Nearby stands the Belvedere - the wonderful palace of Queen Anne - also a place shrouded in secrets and legends. This residence of the Habsburgs was the center of alchemy in the Czech Republic, and the alchemists themselves settled in the gingerbread houses of Golden Lane. By the way, there is a legend that there is a “House at the Last Lantern” on it, under which a huge treasure is buried. But only a person with magical powers can see this house. So, you can go and check, what if the treasure has been waiting for you all this time?

Well, so, have you realized how mysterious Prague is? It is clear that the cultural and architectural monuments of the Middle Ages have always become the source of various legends and traditions, which were not always based on reliable facts, but, nevertheless, has this made Prague any less beautiful and delightful? Be sure to visit this wonderful and mysterious city to feel its elusive charm for yourself.

Prague is a city about which mystical legends have been written for decades. It is not surprising that it was there, according to many writers, that vampires, werewolves and magicians could exist. This is supported by Gothic architecture, with which most Prague legends are associated.

Princess Libuše

A long time ago, by order of Princess Libuše, a building was erected, which to this day is located above. She was a wise prophetess and a beautiful woman, so she chose not just anyone but a real hero as her husband. Libuše and Přemysl married and gave birth to a dynasty of Czech kings.

Many decades have passed since then, but they say that the princess still does not leave her people. On dark nights, she sends a headless knight under the walls of Visegrad to find out whether the Czechs are living well. And God forbid it goes badly, because then Libuše will raise his army of sleeping knights...

Sculpture of Přemysl and Libuše on Visegrad

Hells dogs

Hellhounds were first noticed in the Middle Ages. They were described as ghostly black dogs with bloody eyes, with red-hot chains dangling from their necks. Legends say that the dogs of hell guard the treasure, which was hidden in the rock by Princess Libuše.

Many seekers have tried to get the treasure guarded by black ghosts, but no one has ever succeeded. However, everyone can try, because once a year a passage opens in the rock. Only a pure-hearted person can enter it, who must go forward and under no circumstances look back.

House of Faust

The great alchemist and doctor Johann Faust sold his soul to the devil in exchange for special knowledge and extraordinary abilities. is located . It was there that he conducted his numerous experiments, and when the time came to pay for them, the devil himself came for the doctor. Grabbing Faust with his black claws, he rushed up and, breaking through the roof, disappeared into the darkness.

There is still a hole in this house. Of course, the workers sealed it again and again, but overnight the masonry crumbled. Over time, they gave up on Faust’s house, because not a single person could spend even a day in it because of some kind of devilry.

But one day a student, hungry and homeless, came across an empty house. He easily made his way inside and, in search of something valuable, came across Faust's laboratory. There he discovered a silver thaler and a black marble plate, which he successfully sold. He came to the house again and again, each time he found thalers, but it was not enough for him, and then he decided to call the spirits. No one ever saw the student again.

Witch Dragomira

Prince Vorotislav, the son of the founder of the City, was a good Christian, but his wife Dragomira followed pagan customs. She saw her goal as the revival of pre-Christian orders, and when her husband died, Dragomira began to look for like-minded people. As ruler-regent, she raised her son Vyacheslav and cherished the thought of how all her dreams would come true. Princess Lyudmila, Vorotislav's mother, tried to stop Dragomira, but fell at the hands of murderers.

However, Princess Dragomira was not destined to achieve her goals. Having once left the City to perform a sacrifice, she shouted curses at Christians in a bad voice. And suddenly the earth split apart, and a sulfur flame burst out of the crevice, in which the famous pagan died.

They say that the witch Dragomira has not yet come to rest. Sometimes she appears in the night, engulfed in hellish flames.

Vampire Lukash

Prince Lukash lived in the 16th century. He was already an old man when he suddenly decided to try to regain his youth. This is how he came to alchemy. Day and night he followed various recipes, but none helped him.

One dark night, Prince Lukash went to the cemetery and heard the dead asking for fresh blood to be filled with life again. And then he ordered a bowl to be made from cemetery clay, and then he began to kill his servants in order to drink their blood. It seemed to him that with each cup he was rejuvenating.

Meanwhile, residents of neighboring houses noticed that people were disappearing. The soldiers decided to interrogate the prince and, going to his home, saw him drinking blood, sitting on a heap of dead people.

They say that the vampire Lukas can still be seen in the city. He wanders from passerby to passerby and asks for blood...

Skeleton Beggar

Once upon a time, a young guy, Vincent, studied at the University of Prague. He was handsome and tall, so the anatomy professor became interested in him. The professor collected skeletons and once said that Vincent's skeleton would suit him perfectly. Then the student offered the man to buy his skeleton.

Having received big money in his hands, the young student suddenly began to gamble, get drunk in bars and even get into fights. It was in a drunken brawl that Vincent died.

Now he is doomed to wander around the university grounds and beg from drunkards. Skeleton Vincent wants to pay the professor for his freedom.

Thief without a hand

In the Church of St. James, which is located in, at the entrance on the right hangs a human hand bone.

They say that this is the hand of the One-Armed Thief. One day this man sneaked into the church and waited until all the parishioners and employees had left. As soon as he was left alone in the hall, the Thief began to fill his bags with church treasures. But he was not destined to take all this good with him, because the statue of the Virgin Mary caught his hand and tore it off.

iron Man

The monument called the Iron Man is located in and stands in honor of Joachim Burke.

Joachim was about to marry his beloved girl when he was called to war. But, returning from there, he heard that his bride was not faithful. Then Burke decided to marry another woman.

But in reality, the first chosen one had been faithfully waiting for him since the war and, having learned about the wedding with another, drowned herself. Following the girl, her father died, unable to survive his loss. He jumped from the highest tower. Joachim heard about this and was tormented by his conscience for a long time, and then, out of grief, he strangled his wife and took his own life by hanging.

Now the ghost wanders the streets in search of freedom, and once every hundred years he gets a chance.

Prague is one of my favorite cities; it never ceases to amaze and delight, no matter how many times I come here. This year we were in Prague for the third time, but unlike previous trips, this one lasted only one day. A new thing for me was a tour of the mystical places of Prague.

Excursion “Mystical Prague”

This excursion is very popular among tourists, but somehow we never had a chance to go on it before, although we had a tour of Prague at night. To my great surprise, I discovered several more unusual places in Prague and many interesting stories and legends about Prague ghosts and apparitions. Prague is generally a city associated with mysticism, with various kinds of fantastic and mystical legends, with the activities of alchemists, magicians, etc.

Of course, the most famous fantastic creature of Prague is the Golem, which, according to legend, was created by the Prague Rabbi Lev to protect the Jewish people from pogroms and oppression. The rabbi made a giant out of clay, into whose mouth was placed a piece of Kabbalistic spells that revived him. The golem regularly performed its functions until one day it got out of control. Then Lev had to forever hide the monster he had created in the attic of the synagogue, which today is one of the most famous synagogues in Prague and, for a moment, the oldest operating in Europe. It is located in the Jewish (Joseph) quarter, a visit to which is very popular among tourists.

Many Orthodox Jews, and simply fans of old fairy tales, still believe that the Golem exists and is waiting in the wings. This, for example, sometimes explains why in a synagogue the staircase to the attic begins above human height - so that onlookers would not think of climbing up there. By the way, attempts to discover and revive the Golem are made with enviable regularity by representatives of Orthodox Jewish youth. People from the Synagogue at night often remove people who want to look under the roof in the attic or break down the door. This time, too, we met a company of very enthusiastic young people of characteristic appearance, anxiously walking around the synagogue and looking into all the windows. Perhaps they were also planning to revive the Golem?

Of course, the Golem is one of the most popular tourist brands in Prague: souvenirs with its image are readily bought by tourists, especially in shops in the Jewish Quarter. Not far from the synagogue there is a restaurant called “At the Golem”.

And Rabbi Lev himself remains very revered in Prague, not only among Jews, but also among the Czechs themselves. His ashes are buried in the famous Jewish cemetery in the Josef quarter, and many tourists and local residents come, leaving notes on his grave with requests and wishes - the main thing is to clearly and correctly formulate your request.

And the statue of the rabbi is installed in a very unexpected place - it adorns a niche in the corner of the Prague City Hall building. The black monument looks very mysterious and impressive.

The same building is decorated with another interesting sculpture - the legendary Iron or Black Knight. According to legend, he was a visiting warrior who fell in love with a beautiful girl. But, tormented by jealousy, he killed her, piercing her with his sword. The girl, dying, cursed him that he would not find peace until another innocent and beautiful girl sincerely pitied him and mourned. Since then, the restless ghost of the Black Knight leaves his pedestal once every hundred years in search of a pure and immaculate maiden who would give him forgiveness and peace. There is another legend, also associated with love, jealousy, death and curse. According to her, this knight returned from the war, suspected his beloved of treason, but did not kill her, but married someone else. The beloved drowned herself out of grief, and her father cursed the knight, who soon also died. Finally, there is a third version of the development of events - the knight, who repented of the death of his beloved, strangled his own unloved wife and hanged himself. The method of getting rid of the curse is the same as in the first legend. Which legend do you like best?

In general, many legends and ghosts of Prague are in one way or another connected with love, jealousy and fatal passion. For example, the ghost of a Turk from Ungelt is known. Once upon a time, there was a customs house on Ungelt Square, located near the Tyn Temple, and merchants from different countries came here.

Among them was a young Turk who fell in love with a beautiful Prague woman. He courted the girl for a long time, and her father insisted that the young merchant become engaged to her before leaving for his homeland. And so it happened, the Turk left for his homeland to prepare for the wedding, the girl waited and waited for him, but he still did not go and did not go. All sorts of rumors and gossip had already begun to spread, and in the end the girl married someone else. A noisy wedding was taking place in a large square, when suddenly a horseman in oriental clothes rode through the arch (pictured below) - that same Turk. He pretended to come to terms with what had happened, but the girl disappeared that same night. And after a long time, her severed head was found in the basement of one of the houses. And since then, passers-by often see the ghost of a distraught Turk who goes down to the basement where he killed and hid his beloved.

Many ghosts wander around the Dominican monastery, located right in the heart of old Prague, next to the Old Town Square.

For several centuries now, two ghosts have been inseparable: a Dominican monk and a harlot, whose image can be seen on one of the houses. According to legend, one day the monks were returning with collected donations, and they met a girl who made her living by selling love. One of the monks wanted to reason with her and gave her all the money so that she could start a new life. But the restless girl began to wait for the monk in this place every day, demanding money from him, otherwise she would slander him for using her services. The monk hit her on the head with a cross and killed her. Since then, the harlot and her murderer, the monk, have been wandering here. Most often they are seen on Tseletnaya Street.

The monastery itself, by the way, is also a very remarkable place. The first church appeared on this site in the 12th century, the current monastery was built in the 17th-18th century. The central church dates back to the 13th-14th century. Various historical films were filmed on the territory of the monastery, the monks here brew beer and prepare... absinthe - in one of the walls of the monastery there is a small shop - an absentery. This drink is specific; it is generally accepted that many outstanding artists and writers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries owe their creativity to it. The store is very atmospheric, but none of us dared to try absinthe.

We go further and see on the wall an image of the “three musketeers”. In fact, these are three standard bearers. This is also a very famous legend of Prague: three comrades, being soldiers, went to war, and sitting in the bar downstairs, they vowed not to be separated from each other even after death. One of them died in battle and appeared in a dream to his comrades, reminding them of the oath.

The surviving two comrades were frightened, abandoned military service and retired to the Monastery of Our Lady of the Snows to atone for their own sins and avoid imminent death. But an oath is an oath, and they still died on the same day (under what circumstances, I don’t know). Thus the promise made while drunk came true - death took all three of them.

Another ghost associated with the monastery, but a different one - Anezhsky (I talked about it above) - is the ghost of a murdered nun. A meek and beautiful girl was killed by her own father, a rich and influential man. and all because she was unlucky enough to fall in love with a poor young man. Her father was angry and sent her to that same monastery. But finally, the girl decided to see and say goodbye to her lover. The father tracked down the lovers and, in a fit of anger, killed his daughter. So now the unfortunate bloodied nun is wandering around the outskirts of the monastery. But they say that there is no need to be afraid of her - she is the one who feels bad to say words of support and sympathize with.

But who you should be wary of is a crazy barber running around Charles Street with a razor. No, he didn’t cut anyone’s throat with this razor, but he really annoys passers-by with offers to cut their hair or shave it, he especially pesters blondes, grabs them by the hair and can even cut it off. His story is as follows: he lived as a barber, but his craft did not generate income, and he decided to take up alchemy to get gold. His idea turned out to be unsuccessful, he spent all his small fortune, lost his family and went crazy.

Walking through the narrow streets of old Prague, pay attention to the so-called “house with bears” (corner of Kožná Street). Another mystical and tragic love story is connected with him. According to legend, the daughter of a rich merchant who lived in this house was the bride of an equally rich Italian. The groom, as usual, went home on business, but promised to return. He didn’t return for a very long time, and then one day the girl screamed in horror: “Bears, bears, he was torn apart by bears!” and fell dead. And after some time, the groom’s torn body was actually found in the forest.

But for me, the most chilling legend is the legend of the medic-executioner. They say that a long time ago there lived in Prague a medical student who fell in love with a fatal beauty who was part of a gang of thieves. The girl was caught and sent to prison. The student, in order to get to his beloved, became an apprentice to the executioner to learn torture. As a result, he was tasked with finding out from the thief who her accomplices were. The student in love was not going to torture her and suggested running away. But she just laughed in his face, saying that she had never loved. Then, mad with anger and jealousy, the student applied all the torture known to him to her, torturing her to death. Then, of course, he went crazy.

Of course, these are not all the legends of old Prague, not all of its ghosts and ghosts. They say that on the streets of Prague you can meet the ghost of Jan Hus, and his executioner, and the ghost of the famous alchemist Tycho Brahe, and the architect Parler, who built the Charles Bridge, it is believed, not without the help of dark forces. Very popular among tourists (or tourists among them) is the ghost of a student who sold his skeleton for debts; a crazy pirate who is looking for the girl who robbed him; chariot of fire and many others. There are numerous ghosts of alchemists and executioners here. This has become such a popular brand of Prague that a special mobile application was even developed, similar to the well-known Pokémon hunt. Only instead of Pokemon you catch Prague ghosts in their habitats.

Unfortunately, we did not meet any of the ghosts of Prague, maybe you will succeed.

What else did you see?

During this day we managed to:
- once again (for the third time) take a walking tour of Prague Castle and the Old Town - it was included in the price of the tour, in addition, each guide leads along his favorite routes and tells his favorite stories, so you can still walk around familiar places equally interesting. By the way, for the first time we attended the changing of the guard at the entrance to Prague Castle. But those who came to Prague for the first time this year were a little unlucky: the famous Prague Orloj clock is closed for restoration, and “the narrowest street in Prague” (next to the Kafka Museum) was also closed - at the end of this street there is a restaurant, and a gate was recently installed at the entrance, which opens only when the restaurant is open;
- again, this is not the first time to sail on a boat on the Vltava: I really love river walks - on our bus tour this summer we had a complete set of river boat trips: along the canals of Amsterdam, along the Seine in Paris, and now - along the Vltava in Prague. The river walk in Prague is also notable for the fact that tourists are offered a treat in the form of a buffet and two drinks: plum brandy and beer or non-alcoholic - to choose from. There was a lot of meat on the buffet, delicious lightly salted herring, salads, among the national dishes - utopenki - these are sausages marinated with vinegar and onions, meat balls; a lot of baked goods, fruits; National Czech cuisine is very similar to German - hearty, meaty. It’s a very pleasant activity to explore the sights of Prague from the river while enjoying delicious Czech food;

- take a walk along the Vltava embankment and go where you haven’t gone before: firstly, we went up to the famous Prague metronome - it rises above the Chekhov Bridge, in the place where there used to be a large monument to Stalin; but after the de-Stalinization started by Khrushchev, which also affected the then Czechoslovakia, the monument was removed, and in the early 90s a large metronome was installed in that place, designed to symbolize the passage and changes of time; from the height there is a beautiful view of Chekhov Bridge and more modern Prague;

- secondly, we went into the courtyard of the monastery of St. Agnes, or the Anege monastery, with which many legends and stories are associated, I’ll tell you about one of them later; this monastery was founded back in the 13th century by the highly revered Agnieżka of Bohemia, who was canonized only in 1989.

She came from the ruling Přemyslovich dynasty, and devoted her entire life to charity and serving God, but the church could not recognize her as a saint for a long time, since her relics were lost during the Hussite wars. The Czechs for a very long time sought from the Holy See to recognize her as a saint, because the Czechs do not have many of their own “home-grown” saints; and only in the late 80s, in the wake of the “Velvet Revolution,” did they achieve this. As for the monastery, it is considered one of the oldest in Prague; it is also notable for the fact that the remains of many Czech kings are buried here.

Currently, the monastery is recognized as a national monument of the Czech Republic, it houses an exhibition of medieval art, and in the courtyard, as always happens in Prague - in the most seemingly inappropriate or unexpected place - some examples of modern art, very specific. But it won’t be Prague if there isn’t some example of modern art next to the historical site.

and finally, at the end of a busy day, we had an excursion called “mystical Prague”.

Prague is one of the most mystical cities in Europe, and perhaps the whole world. G. Myripk, a writer and financier (according to rumors, used forbidden occult techniques in the fight against competitors), gives his definition of the uniqueness of Prague: “Other cities, no matter how ancient they may be, seem to me to be slaves of those who live in them; they are like as if disinfected with some strong sterilizing acid - Prague controls its inhabitants like puppets: pulling their strings from the first to the last breath "... The magical essence of the city is best manifested in the low season, when autumn or spring fogs enter Prague from the Vltava - Moldau rivers return full rights of citizenship to the ghosts of different centuries and eras.

The modern capital of the Czech Republic was made up of four cities: Hradcany (which grew up around the royal fortress - Grad), the trade and university Old Town (Stare Mesto), founded for the German colonists by King Přemysl Otakar II quarter of Lesser Town and, finally, the New Town (New Town) built by Emperor Charles IV Place). Each of these cities had its own laws, rights and privileges. They merged into a single administrative system only in 1784. If we add here the ancient knightly Vysehrad and the Old Jewish Town, united with Prague only in 1850, then there are already six Prague cities.

The ancient Slavic city was founded in the 9th century by the princess-prophetess Libushe near the town of Melnik, where at the confluence of the Vltava and Laba waters the paths of Cech, Lech and Rus diverged.

The most ancient ghosts surround two Prague strongholds that acted as antitheses in history - the imperial residence of the Castle and the disgraced Vysehrad, with which, however, the first events of Czech history are connected. The wise and beautiful princess-prophetess Libuše, the founder of the Visegrad fortress on the rock above the Vltava, ordered the hero Přemysl to be brought to her straight from the plow to make him her husband. From their marriage came the dynasty of Czech kings. After Libuse's death, her friends tried to defend the matriarchal order in the famous War of the Maidens, but were defeated.

Legend tells that Libuše, accompanied by young maidens, often went to the bathhouse under the walls of Vyšehrad. It is believed that when twilight falls on Prague, beauties from the last millennium appear in the place where they served their mistress, and a late traveler can hear their enchanting singing. In fact, the romantic Libuše bathhouse on the southern side of the fortress is the ruins of a 15th-century watchtower: river ships brought food here and lifted it up through a hollow in the rock.

One day she left Prague Castle to make a sacrifice to pagan deities. Along the way, Dragomira shouted curses at Christianity. Her blasphemies did not go unpunished - suddenly the earth opened up, sulfur flames blazed from the chasm, and the chariot with the princess was swallowed up by the hellish abyss. Prague residents know that Dragomira can appear in our time on a carriage engulfed in hellish fire without a coachman. On dark and stormy nights, amid the reflections of lightning and the howling of the wind, hellish horses carry her through the streets of Hradcan. Another legend says that the soul of the princess, who has not received repose, appears once a year in the form of a fiery dog at the Church of St. Mikulasha.

Modern Cathedral of St. Vita (XIV century) includes an ancient chapel dedicated to the patron saint of the Czech lands, the holy passion-bearer Vyacheslav (Vaclav), the son of Vorotislav and Dragomira, who was killed in September 935. A door with a handle in the shape of a lion's head leads into the luxuriously decorated chapel - it was this that the martyr prince grabbed hold of as he fell under the mortal blows. From the chapel of St. Wenceslas has a passage to the treasury where the royal regalia is kept - they are shown to the public only on special occasions. The crown of St. is also kept in this storeroom. Vaclav. Legend claims that anyone who dares to try on the crown of the holy prince will die a terrible death. The last person to take the crown was the German protector of Bohemia and Moravia, Heydrich. Soon after this, his car was blown up by Czechoslovak saboteurs.

The Charles Bridge, built by master Peter Parler on the instructions of King Charles IV of the Luxembourg dynasty, connects not only Lesser Town with the Old Town - this bridge seems to have been thrown across centuries. During the era of the Crusades, the most important strategic crossing on the route that was supposed to end in Jerusalem was located here. There is evidence that the Charles Bridge was built in accordance with astrological and numerological prescriptions. Its sculpture gallery preserves the memory of sacred milestones of Czech history. According to legend, the place where the famous Prague knight stands was marked in ancient times by a pagan temple, and the idol, overthrown from here, still lies at the bottom of the river. The island of Kampa, covered by a bridge, is separated from Mala Strana by a channel called Chertovka. This name did not arise by chance - mills have stood here since ancient times (and millers, as you know, are known with evil spirits). One of the houses remained in Prague history under the name “At the Seven Devils”.

But there is also a spirit of holiness on the bridge. Between the sixth and seventh bays there is a statue of the holy bishop John of Nepomuk (Nepomuk). From this very place in 1393 the Prague archbishop was thrown into the river. Tradition says that King Wenceslas IV doomed him to death for refusing to reveal the queen's secret confession. Today, generally speaking, not very religious Czechs come to the statue to entrust their deepest secrets to Jan Nepomuk and make wishes (which they believe will be granted).

We have not yet named many Prague ghosts here. A silver horseman appears on Vratislavova Street - King Přemysl Otakar II; on Celetnaya, near Carolinum University, you can meet the ghosts of a prostitute and a priest (once an angry servant of God killed a harlot here and suddenly died from a stroke); in the pub “U Ribar” (and they say that in many other pubs too), a late visitor is not immune from meeting the melancholy Master Palekh, who once betrayed Jan Hus to death. A large number of ghosts are associated with the medieval community of alchemists and with the Jewish diaspora.

It has been suggested that the abundance of ghosts in Prague is explained by some natural phenomenon, for example, the presence of radioactive rocks in the ground. But Prague itself, with its architectural landscape, remains the strongest factor influencing human consciousness. G. Meyrink, who never tired of being amazed by the city on the Vltava, admitted: “This fantastic Gothic with its sculptures, as if cast from dried blood! No matter how much I look at her, she never ceases to excite my soul.”

edited news Elfin - 1-11-2013, 07:06

Many people know that Prague is called the mystical capital not only of the Czech Republic, but of the whole of Europe.

Gustav Meyrink, a writer and financier (who was rumored to have used forbidden occult techniques in the fight against competitors), gives his definition of the uniqueness of Prague: “Other cities, no matter how ancient they may be, seem to me to be slaves of those who live in them; they seem disinfected with some strong sterilizing acid - Prague controls its inhabitants like puppets: pulling their strings from their first to their last breath."

But why did the city achieve such fame?

Let's create an excursion route to answer this question.

1. Attraction: Clock tower in the central square of Prague

The 15th century astronomical clock is located in the Clock Tower in the central square of Prague. The dial shows not only the time, but also the zodiac sign, sunrise and sunset, both sun and moon, calendar and lunar phase. Every hour the skeleton rings a bell by pulling a rope. They say that the only one who knew how the clock worked was its creator. According to legend, the advisors, fearing that similar clocks would be created in other cities and Prague would no longer be their sole owner, attacked the master and blinded him. Despite his blindness, he lived to a ripe old age, and at the end of his life he took revenge on the city that thanked him so much for creating the unique watch. One day he walked up to the clock, put his hand on the mechanism, and the gears began to move many times faster, and then stopped. The clock did not work for more than 100 years until a craftsman was found who could repair it.

2. Attraction: Old New Synagogue

Rabbi Levi - one of the most brilliant thinkers of his time, is known in history as a magician and wizard. He led the Jewish community in Prague for more than 30 years. His temple, called the Old New Synagogue, is not only the oldest operating in Europe, but also the most mysterious. The oldest synagogue in Europe was built in medieval times. A fire in 1687 reduced most of it to smoldering ruins. Rabbi Levi was not only a spiritual director, but also a master of the Jewish mystical teaching known as Kabbalah. Kabbalah is an ancient Jewish spiritual teaching, according to which those who comprehend it acquire magical power. In a word, according to legend, Rabbi Levi comprehended Kabbalah and learned the mysterious formula for creating an artificial person, who received the name Golem. According to the Jewish theory of mysticism, imitation of the acts of God is not a forbidden form of magic. According to legend, Rabbi Levi went down to the river with his student and son-in-law, where he sculpted a figure of a man from clay, performed a mysterious ritual, wrote a word in Hebrew on his forehead, which translated means “Truth” - after which the Golem came to life.

3. Attraction: Golem

The Golem was created to protect the Jewish community from anti-Semitism. But one day the Golem refused to obey its creator and tried to destroy the old synagogue, so Rabbi Levi had to destroy it. He erased the first of the letters written on his forehead, after which he got the word meaning “to die” - this is what killed him. Rabbi Levi collected the ashes of the Golem and buried them in the attic of the Old New Synagogue and walled up the door there. Prague's biggest secret remains unsolved - whether the ashes remained in the attic of the synagogue or were moved, and whether they were there at all. The legend of the Golem still lives on, connecting the past, present and future. The legendary Golem was destroyed in the 15th century. But the Czech legend has influenced literature, cinema, art, music and even science. (Book and film - Frankenstein, science - cloning, creation of robots, computer characters).

4. Landmark: House of Faust

The mysterious House of Faust is located in Prague. According to legend, the German scientist and warlock Johann Faust lived here. Using devilish power, the doctor studied astrology and had intentions of deciphering the secret of the movement of the planets. The decrepit, blind scientist, during his meditations, suddenly felt that the secrets of the Universe had finally been revealed to him. At the same moment, the ceiling vault parted, and a mad whirlwind carried away the unfortunate Faust to fulfill the terms of the agreement with Mephistopheles. Since then, the townspeople considered the house a haven of evil spirits and tried to avoid it.

Later, the most famous version of the legend of Doctor Faustus was reflected in one of the most striking works of the outstanding German poet Johann Wolfgang Goethe.

5. Landmark: Charles Bridge

Charles Bridge is one of the most popular and famous landmarks of Prague. It has an amazing history and legend of its creation: they say that in order to be able to build this beautiful bridge, the architect had to make a deal with the devil. The Charles Bridge, built by master Peter Parler on the instructions of King Charles IV of the Luxembourg dynasty, connects not only Lesser Town with the Old Town - this bridge seems to have been thrown across centuries. During the era of the Crusades, the most important strategic crossing on the route that was supposed to end in Jerusalem was located here. There is evidence that the Charles Bridge was built in accordance with astrological and numerological prescriptions. Its sculpture gallery preserves the memory of sacred milestones of Czech history. According to legend, the place where the famous Prague knight stands was marked in ancient times by a pagan temple, and the idol, overthrown from here, still lies at the bottom of the river. The island of Kampa, covered by a bridge, is separated from Mala Strana by a channel called Certovka. This name did not arise by chance - mills have stood here since ancient times (and millers, as you know, are known with evil spirits). One of the houses remained in Prague history under the name “At the Seven Devils”.

6. Landmark: statue of Bishop John of Nepomuk

It is believed that the spirit of holiness is also present on the Charles Bridge. Between the sixth and seventh bays there is a statue of the holy bishop John of Nepomuk (Nepomuk). From this very place in 1393 the Prague archbishop was thrown into the river. Tradition says that King Wenceslas IV doomed him to death for refusing to reveal the queen's secret confession. Today, generally speaking, not very religious Czechs come to the statue to entrust their deepest secrets to Jan Nepomuk and make wishes (which they believe will be granted).

7. Attraction: Vysehrad

Some of the first events in Czech history are associated with Visegrad. Princess-prophetess Libuše, the founder of the Visegrad fortress on a rock above the Vltava, ordered the hero Přemysl to be brought to her straight from the plow to make him her husband. From their marriage came the dynasty of Czech kings. After Libuse's death, her friends tried to defend the matriarchal order in the famous War of the Maidens, but were defeated.

It is believed that Libuše did not lay down the burden of caring for her people even after her death. Her messenger - a headless knight - appears under the walls of Visegrad. He is tasked with finding out what life is like for Czechs in the Czech lands and reporting this to his mistress. (Popular belief in its poetic vision does not consider the absence of a head to be an obstacle to this task). If Libuše receives news that the Czechs need her help, she can stand up for her people. They say that under the cliff on which the Visegrad Castle was built, the knights of Libuše have been sleeping for more than a thousand years, ready to awaken at the word of their mistress. Legend tells that Libuše, accompanied by young maidens, often went to the bathhouse under the walls of Vyšehrad. It is believed that when twilight falls on Prague, beauties from the last millennium appear in the place where they served their mistress, and a late traveler can hear their enchanting singing.

8. Attraction: Prague Castle

The gloomy spirits of pagan times swirl, gathering near the City. They come from that era when the ancient gods of the Slavs desperately resisted the advent of a new faith. The founder of the City, Prince Borzhivoy (850-895), together with his wife Lyudmila, was converted to Christianity by the creator of the Slavic alphabet, Methodius. Borzhivoj had a son, Vratislav. He himself was a good Christian, but his wife Dragomira, although she was baptized, followed pagan customs. After the death of Vratislav, Dragomira became the ruler-regent under her young son Vaclav. A pagan not only by faith, but also by character, Dragomira was distinguished by her irrepressible disposition. Surrounding herself with like-minded people, she tried to turn back the history of the Czech Republic, reviving pre-Christian orders. Lyudmila tried to ensure that Dragomira was removed from board affairs. But the treacherous princess took cruel revenge on her mother-in-law. The assassins they sent broke into Lyudmila while she was praying and strangled her. This happened in 927. Folk legend tells of the terrible end of Dragomira. One day she left Prague Castle to make a sacrifice to pagan deities. Along the way, Dragomira shouted curses at Christianity. Her blasphemies did not go unpunished - suddenly the earth opened up, sulfur flames blazed from the chasm, and the chariot with the princess was swallowed up by the hellish abyss. Prague residents know that Dragomira can appear in our time on a carriage engulfed in hellish fire without a coachman. On dark and stormy nights, amid the reflections of lightning and the howling of the wind, hellish horses carry her through the streets of Hradcan. Another legend says that the soul of the princess, who has not received repose, appears once a year in the form of a fiery dog at the Church of St. Mikulasha.

9. Attraction: Museum of Ghosts and Legends of Prague

The museum does not set itself the goal of scaring tourists; on the contrary, it introduces the history and legends of the capital of the Czech Republic.

On the ground floor, guests are greeted by a book of legends, which is guarded by the spirit of Prague. Here, in different languages of the world, you can learn the stories of ghosts, as well as the places where they appear.

In the underground part of the museum there are streets of the Old City with ghosts and ghosts. Here guests will meet: a Golem, a devil, a headless Templar, gnomes and many other heroes of traditions and legends.

The Museum of Ghosts and Legends hosts "scare nights" where the museum's inhabitants frighten visitors.

10. Ghosts on the streets of the city

- Headless Templar

For many years, among Prague residents there has been a rumor about a handsome Templar knight, doomed to eternal night wanderings through the mysterious labyrinth of the ancient streets of the Old Town. The graceful white horse, without which the knight was never seen, gives the knight a special romanticism. The Templar holds his noble head in his hands and begs passers-by to free his soul. However, giving him freedom is not easy. What will save him from his mortal ghostly existence is not just strength, but also courage. It is necessary to stop the snow-white horse, grab the sword and mercilessly thrust it into the very heart of the Templar. An eerie headless Templar wanders between midnight and one in the morning along Liliova Street - picturesque but frightening.

- Murdered Nun

At night, a ghost known as the ghost of the murdered nun haunts the Jewish Quarter around the Convent of St. Agnes. However, according to legend, the murdered girl never became a nun. The sight is quite sad: a bloodied girl walks and sobs. However, if your heart is lonely and broken, then she will feel it and smile at you with a caring, understanding smile. Legend says that this girl is the daughter of rich and very noble parents. She had the misfortune of falling in love with a poor noble knight. Upon learning of this, her father became angry. Of course, there was no question of a wedding because the knight was a man belonging to the lower class. Wanting to punish his daughter for disobedience, the father promised to send her to the monastery of St. Agnes. On the last night before leaving, the unfortunate future nun wanted to see her lover... However, her father became aware of this. And he not only prevented the meeting, he angrily attacked his own daughter and mercilessly stabbed her to death. They say that one day this ghost stopped a girl who was about to poison herself because she could not live happily with her lover. The ghost took the poison away from the girl, after which he placed a bag of money in the unfortunate woman’s hands instead, advising the girl to live calmly, happily and richly with her lover, without thinking about anything bad and without remembering the misfortunes she had experienced.

- The Miller's Daughter

This ghost is also a young girl, but she is not very generous. According to legend, the girl was the daughter of the richest miller in Novaya Strana, one of the districts of Prague. She was quite spoiled and always got what she wanted. But, as usually happens, she wanted even more. The cherished desire of the miller's daughter was high society. She always wanted to be a part of it. However, none of the upper class young men asked her to marry, and she almost despaired. But having learned about the ball of noble persons taking place in the Liechtenstein Palace, she again remembered her dream and wished to receive an invitation there. The unfortunate caring father used all possible means and connections to get this invitation for his beloved daughter, but everything was useless. Nobody wanted to see a simpleton at the ball. But the persistent girl did not stop. She made a fatal mistake - she made a deal with the devil! The devil himself brought her to the ball at the palace. Imagine her disappointment when absolutely none of the guests present paid the slightest attention to her! Noble ladies did not talk to the miller's daughter, and stately gentlemen did not ask her to dance. The vain girl was so upset and outraged that she became hysterical and screamed at the whole room until she was forcibly taken home to her father. Since then, she lived calmly and did not strive for high society, remembering her shame and, most importantly, the deal. She also died quietly and calmly, a natural death. However, because of the bloody deal, the unfortunate woman was obliged to return to the ill-fated Liechtenstein Palace. But already a ghost. The ghost she made turned out to be quite disgusting. It’s as if she’s taking revenge on the whole world: she knocks down older people, chases young boys, shouting and persuading them to dance, and even rushes at beautiful young girls, scratching their faces, biting them until not a trace of beauty remains.

The miller's daughter can be found in the Liechtenstein Palace on the embankment near Charles Bridge. Street U Sovových mlýnů 506/4. However, it is hardly worth looking for a meeting with her: this is one of the most dangerous ghosts!

- Fat merchant

This ghost is very friendly. During his life, he was not interested in money, gold, or jewelry. His only goal was food! It would be difficult to find a greater glutton in the entire Czech Republic. He had the biggest belly in the country! He ate his fill even when others were starving to death. One evening the fat man came to his favorite pub, Valdstejnska, located near the modern Senate building. The merchant immediately ate a whole huge turkey with several side dishes, ate two roasted geese and washed down all this gluttony with twenty bottles of wine. It seemed that the fat man had eaten his fill, but was still sitting in the pub. At this time a beggar came there. Seeing the merchant have a piece of bread left over from a hearty lunch, the beggar asked to give it to him. But the fat merchant only laughed in the beggar’s face. Of course, the gluttonous merchant did not share his food with the poor man. He got angry and wished the impudent glutton to burst! And so it happened: the merchant burst, sparing the remaining piece of bread for the beggar. However, even after death he is punished. He wanders somewhere around the New Country, constantly sad and self-pitying. His soul can only be freed if the homeless man takes pity on him. But so far not a single beggar has shed a tear or offered the fat man a piece of bread.

The fat merchant can be found at night in New Country on Tomasska street 20/16.

- Iron Man

The ghost of Iron Man is so popular in Prague that they even erected a monument to him in the Old Town. His name is Joachim Berka. They say that this unfortunate man has been yearning for freedom for about four hundred years, even more. Once upon a time he was engaged to his beloved. They were already planning a happy wedding, but war broke out in the country and Joachim had to leave his beloved and defend his native Czech Republic. During his absence, rumors spread around the city that Joachim's fiancee had not remained faithful. He found out about this when he returned from the war. At first Joachim was very upset, but then he married another good girl who lived next door. However, the rumors turned out to be slander, and the former bride drowned herself in grief. Her father felt incredibly disgraced, so he also committed suicide, but in a different way: he jumped from a high tower. Joachim Berka, of course, soon found out about everything, and his conscience began to torment him endlessly. He realized that he was mistaken. He decided to atone for his mistake quite radically: on Good Friday, the young man strangled his wife, after which he hanged himself. As you can see, according to legend, he did not die a natural death, so there is nothing surprising in his spiritual lack of freedom. The ghost still haunts Platnerska Street.

- Skeleton Beggar

The Prague ghost of a skeletal beggar wanders after sunset every day in the neighborhood near Carolinum (part of Charles University). If passers-by are sober, he won’t even approach them. But from those who are “tipsy,” he constantly begs for money. The Skeleton's story is quite sad. During his lifetime he was an unusually tall and handsome young man. His name was Vincent, and he worked at the Faculty of Medicine, which used to be called Carolinum. The anatomy professor always admired the young man’s amazing growth, and even honestly told Vincent that he dreamed of seeing his skeleton in his collection. The young man had a job, but was still very poor, so he invited the old professor right then, while Vincent was still alive, to buy his skeleton. The professor was delighted and agreed, giving the young man a considerable amount of money. To celebrate, the young man spent every last crown on alcohol and gambling. That same evening, during a fight in a bar, he was killed by drunken drinking buddies. Since then, the skeleton beggar has been wandering the streets of Prague and asking for money from drunken passers-by he meets along the way. He still cherishes the hope of buying his freedom from the professor.