Hrad Houska Nature Hiking Adventure An old Gothic style castle that is perfectly hidden in the deep forest and riddled with mystery, come if you dare! Though the building has a long history, the land on which it stands and the legends suggesting it covers a portal to hell are even older. Therefore, it might not be surprising to discover how often legendary bottomless holes have a demonstrated bottom that people simply chose to ignore. (1995). Today, visitors have claimed to be able to hear the scratches of these entities from beneath the floorboards of the chapel, as they desperately try and claw their way back into the world. Possibly. He was still screaming when they pulled him to the surface. This wooden structure was mentioned by Vaclav Hajek in his Czech Chronicle which was published in 1541. They tried to fill the hole with stones, but to no avail because it seemed never-ending, a true bottomless pit. The location of the castle is also peculiar. The Swedish Commander was also known to be carrying out inhumane experiments on prisoners of war. Locals believed this was a gateway to Hell from which demonic beings emerged to feed on villagers and drag them back into the abyss, never to be seen again. A young and healthy man upon descending, his hair had turned white when he emerged with his face having aged decades in mere moments. There was a legend here that parents disposed of their babies umbilical cords in this vent as a magical ritual to give the child positive qualities. Now before this castle was even built the people who lived . Its presence suggests the explanation for the pools they are upwelling springs that emit cold water but never freeze. Bottomless? No. Ottokar II built this castle as an administration center. He knew the claims were ridiculous and figured that the story might be based on an old gold mine shaft in a field northwest of Ellensburg. Gate to Hell at Houska Castle - McGee's Ghost Tours There is a story that famous undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau saw it and never told anyone additional details. When the prisoner, who was a young man, was pulled back up to the surface he looked as if he had aged decades in the few seconds he was in the pit. The deepest natural pits in the world include the Devils Sinkhole, Rocksprings, Texas at 400 and Deans Blue Hole, Long Island, Bahamas at 650. Houska Castle: Gateway To Hell. Houska Castle, known locally as the Gates to Hell in the Czech Republic it is thought to be one of the most haunted locations in the world. The name comes from the old Saxon word nicor meaning water spirit or monster. Many different types of ghosts are seen around the castle, including a giant bulldog, a frog, a human, a woman in an old dress, and most spooky of all, a headless black horse. This list now takes us to a remote part of the Czech Republic's countryside and to an actual port to Hell. A truly bottomless hole would go through the earth and come out the other side an impossibility to create and a physical conundrum in terms of falling into it. A phantom White Lady is also said to haunt the building. Divers enjoy exploring the blue holes but, as with any cave system, underwater caving can be treacherous. She noted a correspondent told her of Welsh legends where the lakes had their own personalities and resented being measured. Is a castle in the present-day Czech Republic guarding us against unimaginable evil? An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Houska Castle - Wikipedia The only thing we do know is that there were the bodies of three Nazi soldiers buried on the grounds. As of 2020, it was owned by his descendants. Houska Castle, Gateway to Hell - Pinterest Investigators who have tried to find a bottom have not been able to find one in the well. There was an infamous story, frequently retold, that someone once threw a dog carcass into it and later the dog was seen alive. I wish I had more info on this citation from Corliss. Others will try a weighted line. These claims date back to the castle's construction in the late 1200s, describing unearthly horrors emerging from the pit and wreaking havoc on the local population. Houska Castle - YouTube In accordance with the castles paranormal origins, one highly significant feature of the castle is its defences. Prisoners were lowered into the crevasse to see what was down there and were promised release if they exited safely. Legend has it that when construction began in the castle, all of the prisoners that were sentenced to death were offered a pardon if they consented to be lowered by rope into the hole, and report back on what they saw. In this feature, I explore these folklore themes utilized widely for local holes, pools and lakes to mark their cultural significance. The views from atop the castle roof are spectacular. Heres where is Houska Castle located on Google Maps: Your email address will not be published. New light on contested identity of medieval skeleton found at Prague Castle Date: August 22, 2019 Source: University of Bristol Summary: Used as a propaganda tool by the Nazis and Soviets during . Historians believe the painting is a hint to the creatures that lurk beneath the church. They were said to have conducted unknown experiments there, perhaps trying to make the Spear of Destiny lead people to immortality or what not, nobody knows. Houska Castle: The tale of the gateway to hell is not for the faint of heart! Sorbian prince Slavibor. Centuries-old legends may be able to answer that question. Houska Castle: This Haunted Fortress was Built Over a - Week In Weird how to walk a human a dogs guide. They would logically attempt to plumb it with an available oar or long tree branch or sapling. Required fields are marked *. The location of the castle was chosen because of this. It is situated in a remote area surrounded by thick forests, swamps, and sandstone mountains. He was said to have amassed a collection of over 13,000 pieces of material, many of which were stored at Houska Castle. Houska Castle was likely built on the orders of Ottokar II of Bohemia who wanted it to serve as an administrative building where other royal properties could be managed from. Houska Castle is an early Gothic castle in the municipality of Blatce in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. Today, Houska Castle remains one of the most haunted places on Earth. In the 1940s, the Nazis overtook the castle during their occupation of Czechoslovakia, though their reasons for doing so are unclear, as the castle lacked defenses and was 30 miles from Prague. There are even rumors that the Nazis were involved in secret Occult studies at Houska Castle, since for some unknown reason they were stationed there during . The physics of such a hole is quite weird. Perhaps most notable of all, the king had the gateway to Hell sealed with stone plates and had a chapel built above it. With World War II resulting in fierce fighting across the continent, the Nazis swept into the Czech Republic, and decided to enrich their knowledge of the occult by studying at Houska Castle. The bottomless pit or abyss is mentioned in Revelation 9 in the Bible. 7 Real Places That Are Possible Gateways to Hell - Ranker When the first person was lowered, he began screaming after a few seconds, and when pulled back to the surface, he looked as if he had aged 30 years. In the 1930s, the Nazis conducted experiments in the castle of the occult variety. The Golden Legend. It is not far from Prague (cca 50 km) in the Central Bohemian region. When the construction of Houska Castle began, the intrigue of the locals got the better of them. Lets check out the legends of bottomless holes. He claimed to be the owner of a property seized by the U.S. government that was the location of a mysterious hole associated with very weird goings-on. The rescuing hug the strange case of twins Brielle and Kyrie Jackson. Houska Castle - The Little House of Horrors The Demonic Abysse of Houska Castle 2016 - Fortean Herald Press This melting of permafrost forms whats called thermokarst. In order to try and unlock the power from beneath the foundations, its said that he practiced numerous rituals, which included animal sacrifice. They dropped the first man into the ditch and after a few seconds, he had disappeared into the darkness. Secondly, the castle doesnt appear to have been built to withstand battles. By 1700, Houska Castle fell into complete disrepair. It was said he toiled night and day to discover an elixir for eternal life. [9][10] Another source states locals believed that the Nazis had been using the "powers of Hell" for their experiments. Spirits and beasts from the underworld escaped to torment the locals. [7], According to the Prague Tourism web site, the castle is reputed to have various types of ghosts, "a bullfrog/human creature, a headless horse, and an old woman" as well as the remains of "demonic beasts who escaped the pit". Its also pretty fun to imagine they are the gaping mouth of a subterranean creature or that the earth itself is a living thing that would eat us. Hjek also recounted local folklore that described the emergence of a crack in the cliff. Houska Castle has become one of the Czech Republics most famous landmarks. It represents something dark, spooky, and unnatural. Residents reportedly went missing in the forest surrounding the pit, and were thought to have been dragged to hell by the winged beasts. No modern discussion of weird bottomless holes would be complete without at least mentioning it. The castle was founded by Czech king Pemysl Otakar I in the 13th century. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}502928N 143726E / 50.491N 14.624E / 50.491; 14.624. PDF in Czech: "The Mystery of Castle Houska" Bachelor Thesis by Dana Kolov. For more on that location, see a previous feature here. He had been so disturbed by what he experienced in the darkness that he was sent to an insane asylum where he died two days later from unknown causes. The term bottomless has been applied to open dry holes, and water-filled depressions like lakes, ponds, pools, or bogs. The Scientific Monthly , 84: 6, 302-308. As legend has it, Ottokar II of Bohemia ordered the castle built to seal the gateway with a fortress for good. (2009). Castle Houska and the pit to Hell - facetiousguide #OnThisDay 1973: Nationwide reported from a spooky Welsh lake. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In his dreams, he had a terrifying vision, which he recorded in a letter to his friend, Edward Hindle. This Massive Castle Was Built In Order From Keeping Something From Getting Out The Most Haunted Place In The World The Czech Republic's Houska castle is said to be one of the strangest places on the planet. It is believed that this was ordered to be built by Otto Karll of Bohemia, who reigned as ruler from 1253-1278. Any fish placed in it might have simply leaped out. The most popular legend surrounding the castles construction suggests it was built to conceal a portal to Hell. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. Hydrogen sulfide gas in the water is toxic and can cause dizziness and nausea, disorienting divers. The water conceals the ultimate depth. Then, check out 33 pictures of Spain's Bellver Castle. We find many legends of bottomless lakes associated with a resident monster. Haunted? To the famous castle from the middle of the 13th century, with the name: Houska. By 1639, the castle was occupied by a Swedish mercenary named Oronto. [6][4], During World War II, the Wehrmacht occupied the castle until 1945. The castle is built upon a fabled bottomless pit from which winged creatures and half-man-half-beasts allegedly exited. According to one source, there were "multiple myths about their supposed occult involvements there". When he told them the paranormal tales were nonsense but the real hole was a typical mine shaft, they ignored him. 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Houska Castle looks just like any other ordinary medieval castle but upon closer inspection, one can notice a few strange features. 108/5 1 . . . 70160. Again, we see the idea of a sucking current that could capture swimmers. But even today, over seven hundred years after the pit has been sealed, visitors still claim to hear the scratching of creatures from the lower floors at night, trying to claw their way to the surface. [4] Later on, it passed to the hands of the aristocracy, frequently passing from the ownership of one to another. The characteristic of bottomless is associated with the idea that a lake does not give up its dead. Bonaparte, M. (1946). Legend has it that the castle, dating back to the 13th century, was built over the Gates of Hell and meant to keep evil spirits from escaping into the world. Visitors have also reported seeing a line of ghostly people, all chained together each one with an injury or disability walking towards the castle. [7], The pit in the lower levels of the castle is said to be a gateway to hell. The green-blue color from algae makes the pools look tranquil and ultra-deep. And this castle was built in 1271, and the reason they built this castle in this location was to try to conceal a bottomless pit which many believed to be a gateway to hell or an entrance to the underworld. Despite Oronto's death, locals continued to avoid the area. While evidence is scant, some say that a Swedish mercenary and practitioner of black magic named Oronto inhabited Houska Castle in the 1600s. Excavations or exploration are strictly forbidden, under the pretense that bombs from World War II may still be hidden inside and might explode if tampered with. ABN 90643368665. legends surrounding Houska Castle may provide the answer. Houska Castle is an early Gothic castle, located 47 km north of Prague, the Czech Republic, close to the German border and surrounded by thick woodland crisscrossed with low peaks and rushing streams. The current explanation is that they are formed from the collapse of previously frozen ground. While Houska Castle might seem like an enchanting stronghold from the outside, the secrets and legends that are told from within its walls are even more formidable. Local geologist Jack Powell had heard the radio show. Mike Dash suggests that the widespread legend of bottomless holes and lakes was an indicator of the limits of geographical mobility a century or more ago. Go, or I will swallow you up and no one tried since. Houska Castle- located in the Czech Republic, bisected by the Vltava River is one such castle that has always lured lovers of secrets. The lake dried up in 1866 and again in 1869 and 1976 proving that it was not bottomless but subject to drought conditions. If there were no air in the hole, however, things would go MUCH faster. While locals claimed to have seen winged creatures fly out of the gateway to Hell in the past, today's visitors say they've observed other entities. There is nothing about Mels Hole that is genuine. The Legend of the Unfathomable Waters. Filling a sinkhole often doesnt work because the fill material collapses into a bigger opening. So why was this random fortress built? Houska Castle, which was built in the early gothic style, is the best-preserved castle of the early 13th century in Bohemia and the rule of the Golden and Iron King Pemysl Otakar II. Corliss, W. (1988). Located in a rift valley, the average depth is over 2000 feet with the maximum depth measured at 5,387 feet. They are named for the deep blue color and their depth may actually be difficult to discern as they are connected to carbonate solution cavities and fissures that extend below sea level. As such popular stories go, some people naively assume its real. Bale Lake was also rumored to hold a dragon. Besides this, it is thought to be one of the most haunted sites on Earth. According to folklore, Houska Castle was constructed over a large hole in the ground which was known as The Gateway to Hell. Houska Castle is an early Gothic castle, 47 kilometres north of Prague, in Czechia. Houska castle is one of the best-preserved castles of the early Gothic era in Czechia, however partially rebuilt in the renaissance era. Interesting mineralogical and even biological data were collected. As detailed below, the deepest hole ever made by humans was only half this depth. Formed during times when sea level lower, they were then flooded and may be isolated in inland areas or open to the existing marine environment. Craters forming in Siberia, in particular, look very much like a bottomless hole. Any fissures or small hole on the surface can look deceptively deep because a narrow space does not allow light to penetrate far, so it looks scary. No wonder, all the prisoners agreed. There were many superstitions associated with the lake bolstered by real airplane crashes. The castle was originally constructed in the 13th century, between 1253 and 1278, under the reign of Ottokar II. It is fabled that the hole was so deep that no one could see the bottom of it. After World War II, the castle was returned to its rightful owners, the descendants of koda's president Josef imonek. No one has seen one of these big craters form so its not clear if it happens explosively or gradually. Hrad Houska - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos) It also appears to have no function of outside fortification. Known to locals as the location to the Gates of Hell, all sorts of demons and mysterious entities have been spotted here. PORTAL TO HELL | Exploring Houska Castle, Czech Republic - YouTube There were other clear hoax indicators for this story. The cirque lake, formed by glaciers, is a popular tourist location. Standard admission is 135. Some are just open void and darkness. Houska Castle Was Built to Cover a Gateway to Hell - abandonedspaces.com The castle is very well-preserved for a castle from that period. The castle was supposedly constructed in the middle 13th century to surround and cover the hole to hell that had spontaneously formed. Although not one of the largest or the most beautiful castles in the Czech Republic, with no huge parks nor the oldest chapels, Houska Castle has become a favourite destination for many adventurers and travellers alike. Link Location Gps 50.4909607. Best bet is to rent a car and drive through the countryside. The first man to do so was young and healthy, and he happily accepted. houska castle pit shocking incidents and folklore at czech republic the gate of hell , Whatever is down there is unknown but undoubtedly unpleasant. This folklore was also the basis for the Doctor Who graphic novel Herald of Madness (2019), which is set at Houska Castle and was first published in Doctor Who Magazine 535539. The Houska Castle Bottomless Pit, the gate of the hell linus pauling vitamin c, lysine protocol. The first of these craters were discovered in July 2014. This is likely not true as brown trout and char live in the lake.