Top 14 Most Haunted Places in the Czech Republic

Kelsie Colclough | Live the World

July 4, 2022

Some of the scariest places in the Czech Republic can be found in Prague, its beautiful capital, but there are ghosts all over the country too.

Follow along our list of the most haunted places in Prague and beyond to find your next spooky adventure perfect for Halloween or Day of the Dead. From haunted castles to abandoned cemeteries, the Czech Republic is full of mysterious places just waiting to be discovered.

You can also find all of these and more on our map.

Daliborka Tower | Andrew Milligan Sumo

1. Daliborka Tower

Tucked away in Prague’s castle district, this tower hides a dark past. Long ago, Daliborka Tower was used as a prison. This haunted tower is named after its very first prisoner, a knight named Dalibor who was locked away and sentenced to death for sheltering servants in his home and protecting them from punishment. Rather than fall into despair, Dalibor began to play the violin to pass the time behind bars. People in the castle district would listen to him play and plead mercy on his behalf. The knight-turned-musician was so popular, Dalibor managed to avoid execution. Sadly, he remained in the tower and never saw freedom, eventually passing away.

Some say you can still hear Dalibor playing his violin at night around Prague’s castle district. Not every ghost of Prague is super spooky--some may even play you a tune!

Sedlec Ossuary | Trollinho

Where to Stay Nearby

Budget - Hostel Little Quarter

You'll be walking distance within the spooky action! What's fitting to this is the historical building you'll get to stay in too.

Mid-range - Narodni Stay

Featuring a private bathroom with a shower and free toiletries, some rooms at Narodni Stay also have sweeping views of Prague.

High-end - The Gold Bank

Stay in this living authentic history of a grand former bank that's now converted.

2. Sedlec Ossuary

Known as the Bone Church, Sedlec Ossuary is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Czech Republic. But do you know the story behind it? It’s said that, centuries ago, a monk collected soil from the grounds of Jesus Christ's crucifixion.

A church was built on the sacred land and became popular over the next few hundred years. It was eventually redesigned into the bone church we see today. Over 40,000 human bones make up the décor of the Sedlec Ossuary. Yup, all those bones are real! We’re not sure there’s any specific ghost stories behind it, but the combination of bone pyramids and chandelier will be enough to make your bones chill!. Even if you don’t see any ghosts, it’s worth visiting Sedlec Ossuary for its spooky atmosphere.

3. Cernin Palace

Back in the late 1700s, Countess Drahomíra of Cernin lived a life of splendor and luxury while the people of Prague suffered starvation during The Great Famine. She took a mockery of their suffering even a step further by hosting a ball and wearing shoes made out of bread dough.

The ghost tale goes that the Countess was punished by the evil spirits of the Cernin Palace. Even the evil spirits thought she went too far! Nine demons supposedly dragged her through the ballroom, forcing her to dance until she was exhausted and her shoes caught fire as if she was stepping on hot coals. Then, they tore her into pieces and dragged her into hell. Some say they cursed her to wander the palace for eternity.

Wander into the Cernin Palace around midnight and you may just see her ghost wandering the ballroom, waiting for her next dance partner. But beware, if you choose to dance with her, you’ll be cursed to stay forever too! Visit Cenin Palace on Halloween for a spooky time in Prague.

4. Houska Castle

Houska Castle is by far one of the oldest, most haunted places in the country! It doesn’t get any scarier than a literal gateway to Hell. For centuries, locals near Houska Castle have told the tale of a gateway to Hell looming in the depths of the village. Vaclav Hajek, in the 1500s, chronicled the legend. Supposedly, the villagers found a mysterious crack in the limestone cliff. Soon after, half-human half-animal beings began eating at the livestock and destroying the village. The villagers tried to seal the crack with stones, but they would simply fall into its depths. Even hundreds of years later, the poet Hynek Macha in the 1800s, records staying the night at Houska Castle only to have a nightmare of falling into a dark hole and forced to wander the streets of Prague in a dystopian future.

Houska Castle is known as one of the scariest places in the Czech Republic and remains one of the top spots for ghost hunters to visit. If you’re interested in the paranormal, Houska isn’t to be missed this Halloween!

5. The Jihlava Catacombs

25 kilometres of catacombs lie beneath the city of Jihlava in the region of Vysočina. These underground tunnels date back to the Middle Ages. Unlike some other haunted places, getting into the catacombs is pretty easy as they’re open to the public from April to October, just in time for Halloween.

There have been many stories about strange happenings and potential ghosts in the catacombs. A lot of people have reported hearing the sound of an organ playing during their descent into the catacombs, but there isn’t any sign of a real organ down below.

Many also uncover the glowing red staircase on their journey into the catacombs and the strange, so-called “milky corridor” that has a green, luminescent glow on its walls. The Jihlava Catacombs may simply be unexplained… Or, perhaps, there’s a reason for its haunting and eerie atmosphere.

The Rožmberk Castles | Smilla

6. The Rožmberk Castles

A ghostly lady dressed in white wanders the castle grounds in Rožmberk nad Vltavou, South Bohemia… Wherever you go, you’re sure to find a classic ghost story just like this. The infamous White Lady ghost of the Czech Republic is Perchta of Rožmberk. Lady Perchta entered an unhappy marriage with Jan of Lichtenštejn in the 1400s.

She wrote over 30 letters to her family explaining her overwhelming sorrow, but all of her cries for help were ignored. It’s said that as her husband Jan was dying he begged for forgiveness for his poor treatment of her. But Perchta wasn’t about to forgive and forget. She refused, which made Jan absolutely furious, so he placed a curse on her. I guess the saying “Till death do us part” is no longer valid here! Even now, Perchta wanders the castles that her husband once owned. Her ghost has been spotted at the haunted castles of Český Krumlov, Rožmberk, Jindřichův Hradec, Telč, and Třeboň. Perchta is definitely not an idle ghost!

If you want the best chance of seeing the ghost of Perchta, then Rožmberk Castle is probably your best bet. That place is one of the most haunted castles in the Czech Republic! Drop by at night for a spooky experience.

Velké Losiny Castle | JakubSolovsky

7. Velké Losiny Castle

Sometimes the scariest monsters aren’t ghosts or demons, but look like regular men. Jindřich František Boblig, a witch hunter, arrived in the small and quiet town of Velke Losiny in 1678. Little did the locals know what sort of man they had welcomed into their town. Around this time in Europe, the Christian Church was hunting witches. Boblig was a fanatic, and the moment he saw an opportunity to join in the hunt, he did.

The first victim of the Velke Losiny witch trials was a young woman called Marie. Marie had simply tucked a bit of communion bread into her prayer book to give to a friend’s cow, so it could produce a bit more milk. Boblig, however, didn’t believe her story and accused her of witchcraft. Marie was burned at the stake as punishment. Soon afterwards, the local beloved priest, Kryštof Lautner, said that the trails were going too far. Rather than listen to reason, Boblig burned him at the stake too. During the rest of his life, Boblig killed nearly a hundred people for supposed witchcraft.

Velke Losiny Castle is one of those unexpected dark places and is definitely one at the top of our list of scariest places in the Czech Republic. To this day, witch hunter Boblig is one of the most hated people in the area. Some say you can still hear his victims crying out for help.

8. Faust House

You know Doctor Faustus? You know, that story with the guy who makes a deal with the devil for unlimited knowledge. Yeah, that guy. Well, Faust House in Prague is linked to the Faust legend and mysterious alchemists. The occult house is closed to the public, so what is hidden inside remains a mystery.

Faust House in Prague is full of ghostly tales and eccentric characters. Edward Kelley, an alchemist, supposedly set off chemical explosions in the house that made holes in the roof. Karl Jaenig, an eccentric, slept in a wooden coffin and kept a fully working gallow in the house. Perhaps the weirdest and spookiest story, though, is that one day an innocent student was staying at Faust House and disappeared. Some say he found a magical tome, read a spell, and was taken by the devil. Faust House is shrouded in mystery!

Where to Stay Nearby

Budget - Hostel EMMA

You'll be walking distance from the main sights as well as having a tram stop within reach at this affordable place!

Mid-range - numa l Root Rooms & Apartments

Cosy can be summed up in this home comfort of a private apartment fitting for your explorations.

High-end - MOOo Downtown

Stay in a plush Art Nouveau building without breaking the bank! This wonderfully designed spot also offers bicycle rentals to discover Prague.

Zizkov Lenalensen

9. McGee's Ghost Tour of Bohnice

Hidden in the outskirts of Prague, the Bohnice Psychiatric Hospital is one the scariest places in the capital. The supposed haunted land is made up of different buildings with harsh historic backgrounds. Mental asylum patients, criminals, and the forgotten were buried in the ground here. Worse still was the suffering they went through while still alive at the hospital next door. The patients suffered horrid “treatments”, like strange mystical rituals to awful lobotomies. Some say that patients even took their own lives to escape, only to be buried just next door and forever cursed to haunt the cemetery.

The Bohnice Psychiatric Hospital has been named one of the most haunted places in the Czech Republic. There’s plenty of ghost and supernatural stories here. Some say the cemetery is haunted, as shown by the strange noises and lights ghost hunters often find here. Others even say the cemetery was used for satanic rituals… We’re not so sure, but there’s definitely something unsettling about this place. Get the full experience by booking McGee’s ghost tour, a 3.5 hour tour around the grounds that will surely get you into the spooky spirit!

P.S. Please be respectful as the Bohnice Psychiatric Hospital is an active hospital with patients, so don’t go visiting this place yourself and book the tour.

10. The House of the Three White Roses

Old Town Square is one of the most haunted places in Prague; it has so many ghostly sights! One of the most unique is The House of the Three White Roses, close to the Old Town Square in Malé Náměstí. Once upon a time, there were three beautiful sisters who were set to inherit a massive fortune. All of them wanted to get married to a nobleman and live in a grand castle.

The oldest sister fell deeply in love and went to live with the man of her dreams. The second sister married a Duke and left with him. The third sister married a nobleman from England and left with him. Sounds like a nice story, right?

Well, nothing is ever as it seems. The locals soon found out that one man had been courting all the sisters, taking a share of the fortune and then returning to Prague to take the next piece. All the three sisters died tragically in poverty and, so the story goes, haunt their former home.

11. St Nicholas’ Church

Haunted by a violent ghost, the so-called “Strangling Jewess” haunts the streets around Prague's Saint Nicholas’ Church in search of her lover. It’s said that there was a monk named Anselm who had a beautiful mistress.

After the church Abbot found out about Anselm’s betrayal of oaths, the monk was forced to move out of Prague and leave his lover behind. Broken hearted, the woman fell mad with grief and killed the Abbot with her bare hands. Some say she still attacks church leaders at night, though really anyone is fair game. This place is best visited at night to really get those spooky vibes.

Charles Bridge | Jakub Liska

12. Charles Bridge

Charles Bridge might be one of the most iconic sights of Prague, but did you know that it’s haunted? There’s actually a few ghost stories about Charles Bridge, but our favourite is the tale of the 27 noblemen.

27 men were executed in Old Town Square in 1621 for playing a role in the Estates Uprising. 12 of their heads were put in iron baskets and hung from Charles Bridge to set an example, until they were eventually buried 20 years later in Tyn Church.

Since tourists cross the bridge everyday, it doesn’t seem so scary. However, if you’re looking for a truly horrifying experience, visit on June 21st. It’s said that ghosts of the men haunt the night as they walk from Charles Bridge to Old Town Square to see the Astronomical Clock and to inspect the city. Join their procession and perhaps they will show themselves to you.

Where to Stay Nearby

Budget - Hostel One Míru

If you want to stay at a social place where you can make friends easily, this is an awesome hostel for it!

Mid-range - Residence Vaclavska

Within a few minutes walk to the metro station and tram stops, you'll be within reach of anything by staying at this apartment.

High-end - Charles Bridge Premium Apartments

This gorgeous private apartment is a spacious space in a late 1800's building, which is fitting for any friends group or family!

13. St James Church

Continue to walk down the streets of Prague's Old Town Square and you’ll soon find one of the most haunted churches in Prague. Some locals say that if you come by the church at night and take photos you’ll see photo lights and feel a ghostly presence. The church is beautiful, but has a dark story. Enter during the day and look up at the ceiling to see a mummified arm dangling from above.

According to legend, it’s the arm of a thief who tried to steal jewels from the altar. The statue of the Virgin Mary caught his arm and trapped him until the executioner arrived to cut it off, freeing him. The thief did go to prison, but once he was released he spent the rest of his life in a monastery to atone for his sins. The church still hangs the arm of the thief to act as a warning!

Old Jewish Cemetery | Zizkov CP Hoffman

14. Old Jewish Cemetery

Built from the stones of Solomon’s temple, the Old New Synagogue is an unmissable landmark of Prague’s Jewish Quarter (Josefov). This haunted place holds one of the most iconic stories in Prague - that of Prague’s Golem. Legend says that the local rabbi, Judah Loew ben Bezalel, prayed for help in 1580 when anti-Semitic views were threatening the community. To keep the locals safe, he supposedly had a vision on how to create a golem - a strong protector made from mud. The rabbi formed the golem from mud of the nearby Vltava River.

Eventually, the rabbi had to deal the golem away as it became too powerful to control. The golem was sealed in the attic of the synagogue. Some say that when the Nazis invaded Prague they tried to enter the attic, only to be pushed back by the golem who killed the Nazi agent trying to get in. Luckily, the Old New Synagogue wasn’t destroyed during the Nazi occupation of Prague.

To this day, the synagogue remains a place of worship for the local community. According to legend, the golem still lies somewhere in the attic ready to be brought back to life to protect the community once more.

That’s it for our most haunted places recommendations. What ghosts will you find? Discover even more unusual things to do in the Czech Republic on our map!

For more scary places near the Czech Republic...

We have a frightful round-up of other haunted spots that are scattered all over the continent. Check out our spooky dwellings in the Netherlands like run-down monasteries and a bloody alley, or the Gate to Hell opened by witches in Norway in our scariest places in Europe list, or what makes Belgium so haunted to explore. Go on, click on them and prepare for a chill to run down your spine.

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