The most mystical excursion in the Czech Republic. The mystery of the Prague clock

In Prague, truth and fiction are almost indistinguishable and each building has its own history and legend. Almost every travel company offers an excursion: Mystical Prague or Legends of Old Prague. This excursion is on foot and takes place in the evening, but most of the mystical characters can only be seen at night.

Astrological clock from the 15th century in Prague. 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, and the figures of Christ and the 12 apostles pass through the window opening. They say that the only one who knew how the clock worked was its creator. According to legend, the councilors, fearing that similar clocks would be created in other cities and Prague would no longer be their only owner, attacked the master and blinded him his. 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 person was found who could fix it.

Church of St. Ignace - the holy of holies, the embodiment of the Czech spirit. The Church of St. Ignace is a special monument from the 15th century. At the entrance to the Church on the right hanging man's severed hand. Myth or reality? According to legend, this is the hand of a man who wanted to steal the jewelry that adorned the statue of the Virgin Mary. When he touched the treasure, Maria grabbed his hand to prevent the thief from escaping. The hand had to be cut off to free the thief from the clutches of justice. Today, the “hanging hand of a man” is a warning to future swindlers about the severity of punishment for desecrating a holy place.

Rabbi Leva- the most brilliant thinker of his time, known in history as a magician and wizard. He led the Jewish community in Prague for more than 30 years. His Temple, named Old New Synagogue, 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. The synagogue survived miraculously: they say that thanks to the care of an angel. Rabbi Leva was not only a spiritual mentor, but also a master of the Jewish mystical teaching known as Kabala. Kabbalah is an ancient Jewish spiritual teaching, according to which those who comprehend it acquire magical power. In a word, Rabbi Loew comprehended the 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 Leva 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 Golem came to life.

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 Loew 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 Leva collected the ashes of the Golem and buried them in the attic of the synagogue and walled up the door there. Prague's biggest secret It remains unclear whether the ashes remained in the attic of the synagogue or were transferred, and whether they were there at all. The legend about the Golem still lives, 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).

With small two-story old houses of the 14th century - one of the calling cards of the capital of the Czech Republic. According to legend, it was here that alchemists lived under Rudolf II and tried to find ways to obtain gold. On Zlata Street at number 22 in 1916 the poet Franz Kafka lived. According to popular legend, there was a house on this street near the last lamp. Only a few nights a year this mysterious house was visible from the street. It is believed that this is the most mysterious place in Prague, where the gates to the visible and invisible worlds are located.

Statue of St. John of Nepomuk appeared first on the Charles Bridge. According to legend, he became a victim of intrigue between the archbishop and King Vincesc IV. The king ordered Jan to be thrown from the Charles Bridge into the Vltava River because he did not reveal the secret of his wife's confession. According to legend, in the place where Yang fell, a glow in the form of five stars appeared above the water. After this, it is customary to depict him with 5 stars on his head. In the place where Saint John was thrown from, people are now making a wish.

In the very center of Prague, under the Charles Bridge, flows Chertovka River, which forms Kampa Island, which translated means “enchanted place.” The mill wheel located here rotates against the flow of water in the canal. This place is also called Prague Venice.

According to legend, Princess Libuša had a dream. In the place where the man builds the door, a city will appear whose glory will reach the stars. She gave it the name Prag, which means “threshold”.

Continue with the basics.

It has been considered the capital of the Czech state since the 10th century AD. The country has repeatedly undergone changes on a geographical, political and cultural scale. But Prague invariably remains the main city of the country. Due to numerous changes, changing eras, and reforms of power, it was filled with many legends, hoaxes and mysterious stories. Inexpensive individual excursions in Prague will allow you to discover this from the other side and expand your knowledge base.
A mystical legend lies at the very beginning of the founding of Prague. The ancient city of Grad and Vysehrad were founded in the 9th century by the princess, who was also considered the prophetess of Libuše. According to Libusha, there was a vision that a city would soon be founded, the foundation should be the threshold of a house. The servants went to look for the man who was repairing the threshold at that moment. He turned out to be an ordinary plowman Przemysl, from whose marriage a dynasty of Czech kings began.
Libuše was a wise ruler and even after her death she did not stop caring for her people. Legend has it that a headless knight serves the ruler. He must find out how people live and in case of troubles and suffering of the people, Libusha and his knights must stand up for their people.

The next legend is associated with the name of the ruler of the state, Emperor Rudolf II. This ruler became famous for his love of philosophy and alchemy. He specially invited the best alchemists, magicians and sorcerers of that time to the city.

One of these invited masters was the famous doctor and sorcerer Johann Faust. It was he who became the prototype of the famous character, glorified in world literature and music. He lived in one of the houses on Charles Square, now this is the “House of Faust”; a strange cold blows in the attic of the house, and his gloomy garden can be considered the last refuge of Faust’s soul, which never found peace.

Studying ancient spells, Faust learned to summon the devil and even made a pact with him. The sorcerer sold him his soul in exchange for the fulfillment of wishes. However, when the time of reckoning came, Faust refused the agreement and the devil grabbed the magician and flew with him through the roof, making a hole there. No matter how many times the house guests tried to patch the roof, the hole reappeared every time, to this day.

Another invited alchemist and sorcerer was Rabbi Yehuda ben Bnzalel, known in history as Rabbi Loew. This Jewish rabbi was an expert in the mystical occultism of the Kabbalah. Thanks to the knowledge gained, Lev was able to make a Golem, a living creature made of clay that is capable of carrying out the orders of its creator. One day, the Golem disobeyed its owner and almost destroyed the synagogue and the surrounding area. Lev was able to pacify the monster and scattered its clay remains in the attic of the synagogue, and walled up the entrance. The Old New Synagogue is still open to visitors; it is impossible to climb into the attic, but they say that after sunset you can hear restless stomping and the looming shadow of the Golem.


In the Old Town Center there is the Church of St. James. If you go inside and look up and to the right, you can see the remains of a human hand bone. According to legend, this is the hand of a thief who hid inside the church and waited for everyone to disperse. When the temple was empty, he began to put church jewelry in a bag, right in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary. Legend has it that the statue of the saint grabbed the thief by the hand, and in the morning the thief was found without his hand.
These are just some of the stories that fill the ancient city after sunset. Who knows, maybe not everything is fiction; as you know, every legend is a retelling of previously seen events.

Prague has many attractions. Among the cathedrals and palaces, statues and bridges, there are monuments that have their own special history and give the city an aura of mystery. I found 13 such places in the Czech capital.

Metal Giant

Cemetery at the hospital in Bognice

This attraction has been described as a setting for Stephen King novels or low-budget horror films. The cemetery near the psychiatric hospital (hřbitov psychiatrické nemocnice v Bohnicích) was opened from 1903 to 1963 and contains 4,000 graves on its territory. Today the cemetery is a popular haven for Satanists.

Address: hřbitov Prague, Bohnice.

Grim dance of death

Since we started looking at creepy places, it makes sense to mention the Strašnice Crematorium. It is known for the fact that it occupies a huge area and is the largest in Europe, although perhaps this is hardly something to be proud of. Even more sinister is the crematorium's connection to Nazism and communism in the country's history. It was here that the corpses of victims of both regimes were burned. The crematorium was opened to the public in 2013 during the European Heritage Days.

Address: 100 00 Prague-Prague 10.

Closed apartments

Only 2.25 m wide house on the small and narrow Anežská street. It was built in 1883 and originally had an entrance from the inside of the courtyard. The building was built as a brothel, which was open until 1922.

Address: Anežská 4, Stare Město, Prague 1.

Convent of St. Agnes of Bohemia

In some cases, the pursuit of science is truly diabolical. The Hrdličkovo Muzeum člověka Museum at the Faculty of Natural History of Charles University has in its collection skeletons and remains, examples of serious deformations and injuries, mummification - both natural and artificial. The exhibits give visitors “goosebumps,” and the collection is called “Biological Diversity of Humanity.”

Installation on the gate, photo by Barbara Rich

It is very strange. Several bald heads cast in bronze look in different directions from the large gates at the Fruit Market Square (Ovocný trh). And only the heads. Something is wrong with this project.

Address: Ovocny trh, Stare Město, Prague 1.

Holy spatula

Some remains were collected intentionally, while others were found by accident. In 2002, members discovered a shrine - supposedly the shoulder blade of St. Valentine. The history of St. Valentine is unclear; several people have been associated with the legend of the saint, so it is not surprising that several churches lay claim to his remains. In Prague, St. Valentine's scapula is on display in the Church of St. Peter and Paul. You can see it every year on Valentine's Day - if a candlelit dinner with your loved one isn't your thing.

Ancient mummified hand

The Church of St. Jakub in the Old Town (Kostel svatého Jakuba Většího) is not only the resting place of Chancellor Vratislav – Count of Mitrovica, who was buried alive, it also has a “tame” attraction: a 400-year-old mummified hand (forearm) that dangles to the right from the entrance to the tomb. This hand allegedly once belonged to a thief who tried to steal jewelry from the altar. The statue of the Virgin Mary grabbed the robber's hand and took revenge for the theft.

Address: Malá Štupartská, Prague 1.

Mysterious lights of Petřín

Petřín, photo by Honza Marek

Not all of Petřín’s mysterious atmosphere is shrouded in legends. Art carries some secrets. The artist and sculptor Reon Argondian created the gallery, designed it as a sorcerer's dwelling and called it “Magická jeskyně”, filling the space with his imagination inspired by art. In his works, the unreal is combined with the natural and coexists with it in complete harmony. Fantasy lovers have something to see! Paintings and figures of the inhabitants of the magical country of Argonia were created by Reon long before the film “The Lord of the Rings”. The pictures, of course, may not inspire fear, but the cracked and collapsed walls...

How to get there: from Ujezd Street there is a road leading up to Petrin. Follow it until you reach the first stop of the NEBOZÍZEK funicular. There will be a house there. This is the gallery. It is open daily from 10:00 to 22:00. If Reon is on site, he can give an individual tour for those interested. Site: (Prokopské údolí), the tunnel is a hole in a large stone and leads to a military zone. Please remember that entry into this area is prohibited. Despite this, on the Internet you can find a video of a visit to the tunnel, or at least attempts to enter. The actual purpose of the tunnel is shrouded in mystery.

Address: Prokopske udolí 257/10, Prague 5.

Gas lamps

Gas lamp on Hradcany Square, photo Daioh

Gas lamps began appearing in Prague in 1847. Prague bathed in their eerie glow throughout the twentieth century. In 2002, the historic gas lamps returned. Now you can find 300 of them in the center of Prague, including large candelabra on (Hradčanské námĕstí) and. They work thanks to a modern gas lighting system and again add mystery to the city.

Address: Hradcanské námĕstí, Prague 1.

13 mysterious sights of Prague

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Prague is rightfully considered one of the most mystical cities in Europe. Those who crave mysticism and witchcraft are recommended to get acquainted with Czech witches, golems, ghosts, sorcerers and other evil spirits.

BURNING OF A WITCH

Unbelievable but true. Witches are still burned in Prague. True, not living flesh and blood, but stuffed animals depicting Satan’s minions. The event, somewhat reminiscent of our Maslenitsa, takes place in Ladronka Park on the night of April 30 to May 1.

In the photo: a still from the film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”

In addition to the “witches”, sausages are fried on the fires, and the people enjoy beer libations. The date was not chosen by chance - the night from April 30 to May 1 bore the name of Walpurgis in the old days. It was believed that it was at this time that the boundaries between the material world and the world of spirits expanded, and witches held an annual Sabbath on Bald Mountain.

On other days, Prague witches can be seen in the city bazaars; toys in the form of “the devil’s mistresses” are constantly sold here. If you clap your hands next to the dolls, the eyes of the toy witches “light up”, and the ladies in hats burst into ominous laughter.

GOLEM OF THE JEWISH QUARTER

The Golem is a character from the legends of the Jewish ghetto. According to legend, in March 1580, the Chief Rabbi of Prague, Lev ben Bezalel, created a clay figure about one meter fifty in height, and then breathed life into it using cabalistic spells.

The clay robot was named Golem, and was used by the rabbi to protect the Jewish people and help with housework. The rabbi revived his “assistant” with the help of a tablet (shem) with the name of God, which he put into the Golem’s mouth. One day the rabbi forgot to take the Golem Shem out of his mouth, it came to life, began to grow in size, and then rebelled and set off to destroy everything around (apparently, he wanted to get paid, or thus asked for a well-deserved vacation).

In the photo: Golem in a modern interpretation

The golem was pacified (read: killed) by removing a magic shem from its mouth. The clay body of the monster was kept for many years in the attic of the Old New Synagogue, from where it later disappeared in an unknown direction.

PRAGUE ALCHEMISTS

By far the most famous alchemist, medium and mystic to reside in Prague was Edward Kelly. The alchemist was famous for his ability to summon spirits and angels using a crystal ball and supposedly could turn any metal into gold.

In the photo: Alchemists Museum and Bar, sign

It was he, and not Doctor Faust, who lived in the House of Faust at Karlovo namesti 40. Today, in the Mala Strana region, in the house “At the Donkey’s Cradle,” an alchemy museum is opened, entirely dedicated to the dubious activities of Edward Kelly.

In the next building there is the Alchemists bar, quiet and very cozy. The interior of the establishment is decorated with a variety of pipes, flasks and other items for the production of the philosopher's stone.

PRAGUE GHOSTS

Like any decent Gothic city, Prague is home to many ghosts. Naturally, ghosts prefer to settle in the historical center of the city.

In the photo: map of the haunts of Prague

The most famous Prague ghost is the spirit of Jan Hus, a preacher and ideologist of the Czech Reformation, who openly criticized the policies of the Catholic Church and was burned along with his works on June 6, 1415 in the German city of Constance.

It is believed that the ghost can be seen at night near the Bethlehem Chapel, where Hus preached during his lifetime. According to another version, the spirit of the Bethlem Chapel is the ghost of Master Palech, mourning the execution of Huss. The second ghost is the symbol of Prague - the spirit of Jachim Berha; there is even a monument to him near the town hall. During his life, he was a military man and, returning from the war, believed the gossip that his bride was unfaithful to him. As a result, Yachim married someone else, and his ex-fiancee committed suicide.

In the photo: a monument to a ghost in Prague

Soon, Jachim’s wife became an alcoholic, and therefore Berhi strangled her at the first opportunity, after which he hanged himself in his own house on Good Friday. Now the soul of Jachim appears on Platner Street once every hundred years in the hope of talking to an innocent girl. If this happens, the ghost will finally calm down, but, as we know, there is tension with innocent girls in Europe now, so Jachim’s torment continues to this day.

In the photo: a still from the film “The Well and the Pendulum”

On Wallenstein Square you can see the spirit of trumpeter Ruprecht. They say that Ruprecht made a bet with another musician that he could blow the trumpet continuously for 10 minutes. Unfortunately, on this day the Prague prince had a toothache, and he went on a rampage, that is, he ran around the neighborhood and cut off the heads of everyone who came to hand with a saber. Because the trumpeter was blowing, the prince cut off his head too. Since then, the ghost has taken to the streets of Prague, holding a pipe in one hand and a head in the other.

In the photo: a still from the film “Sleepy Hollow”

Among the Prague ghosts there are also expats, for example, a French major who commanded the soldiers who took Prague in 1741 and died in battle. They say that the ghost is distinguished by French gallantry, always greeting passers-by and politely raising his hat when meeting ladies.

FIRE GHOSTS

The ghosts on Kaprova Street love to “light up” in the truest sense of the word. So, here you can see the burning spirit of the university gatekeeper. They say that during his lifetime he constantly pestered students, and one day the students decided to play a bad joke on him: they dragged the gatekeeper into the basement, showed him the scaffold and proclaimed that he should perish.

The gatekeeper disappeared, but not forever. Now his ghost in the form of a figure consecrated by the flames of hell can be found on the streets of Prague. It is believed that if a student shakes the ghost’s hand, the soul of the unfortunate person will find peace. Another burning spirit that haunts the area is the miser's ghost. Died in a fire after running out of the house with a bag of money. The townspeople took his money, but they did not help the miser survive, and since then his spirit has been walking around the block at night.

Another fiery ghost lives near the Church of St. Jacob. According to legend, this is the butcher Thomas, who did not take part in the battle with the Swedes (the girl persuaded her lover not to go fight). Now his ghost walks around the church, waving a burning ax and calling everyone to battle.

GHOSTS FROM CATHEDRALS

The Church of the Virgin Mary in front of Tyn is a real ghost hostel. Here lives the spirit of a Turk who decided to marry a native of Prague. The girl changed her mind a week before the wedding, and the Turk cut off her head. A ghost appears at the temple with the severed head of a bride, which she drags by the hair.

In the photo: Church of the Virgin Mary in front of Tyn

The other two ghosts of Tyn Cathedral were ladies during their lifetime. One was an aristocrat, distinguished by bad morals and tormenting everyone around her. At the end of her life, she repented, gave money to the poor and donated a gigantic sum for a new bell for the cathedral. True, this did not help her; at night the woman’s spirit rings the temple bell, installed with her own money.

The second spirit is the snow woman. Appears in Prague in winter and sweeps the area near the cathedral. They say that this woman’s husband was a church watchman, he slipped on the fresh snow and died, so after his death (his and her own) she has to tirelessly clean the paths.

St. Peter's Basilica also has its own ghost, this is the spirit of the watchman who once worked there. Usually the ghost walks nearby and invites passers-by to play cards with him (during his lifetime, the watchman was a gambling fan).

NUN, COURTESAN AND MAID

According to legend, the spirit of a headless nun can be seen on Liliovaya Street. This ghost is, so to speak, a typical victim of love passions. During life, the ghost was the daughter of a rich nobleman. The girl fell in love with a poor nobleman, which her dad really didn’t like, because he dreamed of marrying off his daughter profitably. The angry father sent his only child to a Dominican monastery, but the lovers decided not to give up, and the girl, with the assistance of her beloved, fled from the monastery.

In the photo: a still from the film “The Story of a Nun”

Of course, the ending of this story turned out to be in the style of the best horror films. The father overtook the couple and cut off his daughter's head with his own sword. The result is another Prague legend, another headless spirit. But near the Old Town Square there is a very interesting couple of spirits walking: a woman of easy virtue and a priest. One evening a chaplain was walking along Tseletnaya Street. A girl of easy virtue, seeing the priest, decided to joke and bared her breasts.

In the photo: a still from the film “Notre Dame Cathedral”, 1939

The chaplain did not appreciate the humor and pierced the prostitute’s head with a cross. True, when he saw that the girl had died, he was so upset that he died on the spot. Since then, their souls (what irony!) have been inseparable, she shows him her breasts, and he runs away. A striptease of the ghost of a fallen woman can be seen (if you're lucky) on Tseletnaya Street.

The House at the Golden Well is haunted by the spirit of a maid. The girl believed that a treasure was hidden in the well, tried to get it, but drowned, and now her ghost walks around the neighborhood. By the way, according to legend, another pair of ghosts guarded the treasure: a Spanish knight and his wife. On the way to their homeland, they stopped for the night in the House at the Well, and the owner of the house, covetous of the couple’s wealth, cut off their heads.

The spirits lived in the house for a long time, until a pastry chef moved into the same building. He found the bodies in the basement and ground them. In gratitude, the ghosts told him where the treasure was buried and did not appear in the house again.

SPIRITS WITH KNIVES: ARMED AND DANGEROUS

Two Prague ghosts love to walk around the city with bladed weapons. The first is a barber who went crazy after he began to get involved in alchemy. According to legend, a ghost likes to pester passers-by with an offer to shave; you can meet the spirit on Karlova Street.

In the photo: a still from the film “Nosferatu”

But on Truhlarzhska Street you can see another dangerous ghost - the spirit of a Pirate trying to find the girl who stole his chest of money.

GHOSTS FROM THE JEWISH GHETTO

The Jewish ghetto is full of ghosts. The most famous ghost is a dancing Jewish girl who can dance passers-by to death. They say that during her life the ghost was a girl of easy virtue who was beaten and ordered to dance until the Last Judgment, so she dances.

In addition to the dancer, the Jewish ghetto is also famous for the ghost of the strangler. During life, the ghost was a beautiful Jewish woman who fell in love with a monk from the monastery of St. Nicholas. The girl secretly met with a monk in the monastery crypt, until the abbot of the monastery found out about this and sent her lover to another monastery. After everything that happened, the young lady went crazy and strangled the abbot; now her soul wanders around the ghetto in search of new victims.

In the photo: a still from Karen Elson’s video “The Truth Is In The Dirt”

Another spirit of the ghetto is a Jew who decided to be baptized during his lifetime and worked as an organist in St. Vitus Cathedral. Before his death, he decided to return to Judaism and was buried in a Jewish cemetery, but the gods do not like those who change religion like gloves. Now every night the spirit of the musician leaves his grave in the Jewish cemetery and goes on a boat in the company of a skeleton to play the organ in St. Vitus Cathedral.

There are also legends that at night a fiery chariot drawn by goats drives around the Jewish ghetto. When you meet her, you can stay alive, or you can fall dead, the chances are about 50 to 50.

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Yulia Malkova- Yulia Malkova - founder of the website project. In the past, he was the editor-in-chief of the elle.ru Internet project and the editor-in-chief of the cosmo.ru website. I talk about travel for my own pleasure and the pleasure of my readers. If you are a representative of hotels or a tourism office, but we do not know each other, you can contact me by email: [email protected]

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.

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. 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.

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 Borivoj (850-895), together with his wife Lyudmila, was converted to Christianity by the creator of the Slavic alphabet, Methodius. Borivoy had a son, Vorotislav. He himself was a good Christian, but his wife Dragomira, although she was baptized, followed pagan customs. After the death of Vorotislav, Dragomira became the ruler-regent under her young son Vyacheslav. 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.

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