The gateway to hell: Castle Houska

Hidden deep in the woodland of the Czech Republic, there's an spooky old place called Castle Houska. Now, if you're into charming castles with knights and romantic or heroic stories, you should probably turn back now. This one's not about ballrooms or grand gardens. No no no no..... this one's all about creepy dark pits, ghosts that don't even try to scare you, and Nazis doing who-knows-what. . It's time to visit Castle Houska, also known as "the castle built to keep Hell in check." We had fun learning about this one.

The Prisoner Experiment: Visions of Hell

So, back in the day, while they were building this castle, they had a bit of a problem. See, there was this giant hole in the ground. The locals weren't exactly thrilled about it. Rumor had it that it was a gateway to Hell.  Apparently, stuff like half-human monsters and other creepy things would climb out of the pit, and nobody wanted to deal with that. So what did they do? They built a castle over it. seems perfectly logical, right?

But before the castle was done, someone had a great( if you can call it great...) idea: "Why not lower a prisoner into the pit and see what happens?" That way they could find out if it's a doorway to Hell by dangling some poor guy over it. Once the brave (or rather, unlucky) prisoner "volunteered"....Cough.. The deal was simple, Go down the hole, and he would get his freedom if he just took a peek and reported back. Spoiler alert: It did not exactly go well.

They lowered the brave lad in, and he was'n't down there for more than a minute before he started screaming like....well, like a guy who just saw Hell. They yanked him back up, fast as they could.. but something had changed. The dude looked like he had aged fifty or so years. His hair had gone completely white, and he wouldn't stop babbling about things he'd seen. Monsters, twisted figures, the whole works. This was enough to convince everyone else that maybe they should just seal that hole and never speak of it again!.

The funny thing is, when you hear about this story now, you wonder....was it really Hell down there? or was this guy just freaking out because he was hanging over a dark, scary pit? Maybe it was the world's first bungee-jumping mishap. Either way, it's one of those stories that gets under your skin.

is that kind of stress enough to make your hair go white?

nobody will ever know.. you should go and check it out for yourself.
Click here.

we have a couple of stories about the castle though.

The Phantom Monk: A Silent Guardian

First story.And of course, like any good castle with any sort of reputation, Houska also has its very own ghost. (another Castle cliche') But this isn't your typical spooky ghost who pops up to give people a scare because he or she is bored.. Nope, it's a hooded monk who just kind of… wanders around. No rattling chains, no spooky noises, nothing. Honestly, as far as ghosts go, he's pretty chill. Keeps to himself. no fuss.

So what's the story with this monk guy? Well, legend has it that he was brought in ages ago to help deal with the pit. Uou know, to slap some holy vibes on the gateway to Hell. cool idea for an exorcism movie to be fair?. Supposedly, he was some kind of mystic, someone who knew a thing or two about banishing evil forces. But clearly, something went wrong ,since he is now stuck there, still roaming the castle halls. Some say he has to stay, to keep an eye on the hole so nothing creeps out. others say its a punishment for dealing with something so pure evil..

Visitors have reported seeing him walking the grounds, always quiet, always observing. He's not exactly a party starter.. but he's definitely part of what makes Houska feel like it's got one foot in this world and one in… well, who knows where else.. Hell? something else?.

Alchemy and Dark Rituals: Secrets of the Occult

Alright this one is pretty good aswell. Let's fast forward to the 16th century, things at Castle Houska got even weirder (if that's even possible?). The place started attracting a very particular crowd. Alchemists and occultists in particular. These were the kind of people who were into mixing strange potions and trying to turn lead into gold, but they weren't just here for science experiments. Oh no, they were also trying to tap into whatever dark energy was lurking under the castle. Arrogantly thinking they could control it for some sort of profit.

It's said that these alchemists held rituals right there in the chapel, hoping to control whatever dark forces were trapped beneath the stone floors. close your eyes and Imagine for a moment, a bunch of medieval "scientists", standing around in a chapel, chanting, and doing who knows what, trying to connect with the powers of Hell. Back then you seriously didnt need drugs to have a psychadelic experience..

One name that sometimes pops up in these stories is Edward Kelley, a notorious alchemist who also worked for Rudolf II, the Holy Roman Emperor. Edward was famous for his mystical pursuits and supposedly had the ability to speak to angels (or demons, depending on who you ask). Did he ever visit Houska? There's no proof, but given his love for all things supernatural, it wouldn't be surprising if he dropped by to see what all the fuss was about. With a story like that going around he would be hard pressed to go there.

The Chapel Mural Mystery: A Centaur Guarding Hell?

Heres a mysterious one. I f you're ever wandering through Castle Houska's chapel. and honestly, you're braver than I am if you are. just sayin... You might notice something a little weird. There's a mural on the wall, and it's not exactly what you'd expect to see in a church. Among the usual religious images, there's a centaur. Yeah you heard right.. like the half-man, half-horse creature from mythology.

What in the world is that doing in a chapel?? Good question. Some people think the centaur is a symbol to the creatures that supposedly crawled out of the pit. As a reminder of the chaos lurking beneath. Other people believe it may be a link to old pagan belief. A leftover from the days before Christianity took over.

not a far fetched theory but even pagan murals and drawings didnt have that many centaurs.

Either way, it's definitely strange to see this mythical creature staring at you from a church wall. Maybe it's meant to be a guardian ? of sorts? Keeping an eye on whatever lies below. Or maybe the artist just wanted to throw something weird in there to mess with people.Back in medieval times people did that. if that was the case then mission accomplished.

The Nazi Occupation: Paranormal Research or Military Strategy?

Fast forwards a whole lot of years. If things weren't strange enough already.. then along come the Nazis during World War II. They took over Castle Houska,as they did with many many prominent buildings. and, as you can imagine, they didnt do it for the view. There are plenty of rumors though. about what they were up to. Some say they were using the castle as a military outpost, wich was probably the case but others believe they were there for the supernatural stuff. wich wouldnt be far fetched since Adolf was abit (not just abit) obsessed with the supernatural. Maybe even trying to tap into the dark energy of the pit? Because when you're a group that's already obsessed with strange symbols and occult power, why not camp out on top of a supposed gateway to Hell, right? Right??

There are also a few stories of hidden Nazi documents and artifacts that were left behind, buried somewhere in the castle. also abit Cliche, "hidden treasure of some kind hidden at castle". But...Who knows what's still there, waiting to be found? Maybe they were actually trying to harness some otherworldly energy to gain an edge in the war. Or maybe they just got creeped out and left in a hurry. Either way, it adds yet another layer to Houska's long list of strange happenings.

So, what do think of all this ? is it nonsense? ? Is Castle Houska really sitting on top of a portal to Hell, with dark creatures lurking just below the surface? Or is it just an old castle with a lot of scary stories to it? Honestly, who knows? What we do know however, is that there's something about Houska that captures people's imaginations. Whether it's the legend of the prisoner who saw too much. The ghostly monk, the strange rituals, or even the Nazis searching for something paranormal, this place has got more than its fair share of mystery.

If you're ever feeling brave (or just a little reckless), then this place mat just be well worth a visit. Who knows Maybe you'll spot the monk or hear some strange sounds from below. and unless your hair is allready white..

we suggest you keep clear of the pit.. just sayin...

Houska Castle was also featured on an episode of Ghost Hunters International which aired on SyFy on 22 July 2009.

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