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. Oronto made Houska Castle his primary base for some time. Some notable features of the castle include a predominantly Gothic chapel, green chamber with late-Gothic paintings, and a knight's drawing room. The additional features attributed to Mels Hole were bizarre. In accordance with the castles paranormal origins, one highly significant feature of the castle is its defences. Locals avoided the area near Houska Castle even when it lay completely abandoned. He had been so disturbed by whatever he had seen in the pit, that when he reached the surface, he was still screaming. It is April 8, 2014. It was supposedly built to "keep the demons and monsters from hell" from ever reaching the world. The characteristic of bottomless is associated with the idea that a lake does not give up its dead. Due to groundwater extraction, these spring-fed pools may eventually shrink or dry up. Some caves or shafts are rumored to drop off into a huge cavern. Spence, L. (1917). Ive tried using a well probe to test for depth and you start to lose that feeling of hitting bottom at about 300 feet. But stagnant waters made us uneasy with their silence. Myths and Legends of Our Own Land. The bottomlessness of the various pits, lakes and bogs worldwide is not physically accurate but the concept of the unknown abyss is an essential feature of a mythological and enchanted landscape. Sinkholes, Bottomless Lakes, and the Pecos River. The lake had formed from a cavern roof collapse after an earthquake some 2000 years ago. [4], Houska Castle, and most specifically the chapel, was constructed over a large hole in the ground that is a "gateway to Hell", which is allegedly so deep that no one could see the bottom of it. The glacial cirque black lake bottoms out at about 190 feet (58 m). GHI investigates the Czech Republic's Castle Houska, a structure supposedly built to keep something in. . 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. Where is Houska Castle? houska castle pit explorationbulgarian beauty standards. The weight of the line (at least 40 pounds) would mask the feeling of a weighted end hitting bottom. Philbrook, S. and Burgess, F. (2017). Houska castle is one of the best-preserved castles of the early Gothic era in Czechia, however partially rebuilt in the renaissance era. He succeeded in measuring the depth himself at 102 feet. It revealed a seemingly endless abyss that villagers deemed an entrance to Hell. Legend has it that the sole reason to build this castle was to close the gateway to hell! 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. These legendary spots might hold healing waters or a dragon. 3. According to Bohemian chronicler Vclav Hjek, the first known structure near Houska Castle was a small wooden fort. 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. Said to conceal a portal to hell. Certainly. The castle was originally constructed in the 13th century, between 1253 and 1278, under the reign of Ottokar II. As detailed below, the deepest hole ever made by humans was only half this depth. The famous well to hell hoax came with a soundtrack of voices of the damned. Those waiting eagerly above pulled the man up frantically, and when he came back into sight, he looked as if he had aged around 30 years, just from spending a few seconds in the darkness of the pit. Hydrogen sulfide gas in the water is toxic and can cause dizziness and nausea, disorienting divers. The castle was founded by Czech king Pemysl Otakar I in the 13th century. The goal was to study the lower crust. While evidence is scant, some say that a Swedish mercenary and practitioner of black magic named Oronto inhabited Houska Castle in the 1600s. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'inquisitivewonder_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_9',163,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-inquisitivewonder_com-medrectangle-4-0'); Archeological evidence shows that Celtic people had settled in the area hundreds of years prior to the castle being built, and Slavic tribes had migrated to the area as far back as the 6th century. Indiana State University Folklore Archives. Carbonates and Evaporites 10:225233. 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. It is said that underneath the castle is a bottomless pit filled with demons. Houska Castle. He died in the main hall, and his ghost is still said to roam Houska Castle in anger. Though the hole is often referred to as the gateway to Hell, its also referred to as the Houska Castle pit. Local geologist Jack Powell had heard the radio show. Houska Castle in World War II It was not water-filled. It wasn't near any water, wasn't strategically important, and didn't seem to have anyone living in it. Filling a sinkhole often doesnt work because the fill material collapses into a bigger opening. Another person who claimed to know its location, a man who called himself by the assumed name Red Elk also never demonstrated any genuine evidence of the hole even though he said he had visited it for decades. Many people wonder why Houska Castle was built in such a strange location and odd way. Houska Castle, The Czech Fortress Used By Mad Scientists And Nazis The Eerie History Of Houska Castle, The Gothic Fortress Built To Seal A 'Gateway To Hell' By Cara Johnson Published April 7, 2022 Constructed near Prague in the 13th century, Houska Castle has housed mad scientists, Nazis, and perhaps even "demons." The castle was built in an impenetrable forest that provided no hunting opportunities nor strategic position near a border or any trade routes. The president of koda Auto would have to abandon it during World War II, however, when the Nazis invaded and took control of the fortress. Then we'll return to the fascinating case of Doris Bither, who was the real woman behind the character of Carla Moran in the 1982 horror film The Entity . It was renovated in the 1580s, fell into disrepair by the 1700s, and was fully restored in 1823. Best bet is to rent a car and drive through the countryside. A water fountain at Houska Castle was installed during renovations. The name comes from the old Saxon word nicor meaning water spirit or monster. The castle walls are adorned with numerous fresco paintings that depict St. Christopher, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and a half-animal, half-human hybrid hunting a villager. Thus, people assume it has no bottom at all. (1957). The castle's chapel was dedicated to Archangel Michael. The water conceals the ultimate depth. The castle was built in an area of forests, swamps and mountains with no external fortifications, no source of water except for a cistern to collect rainwater,[5][dubious discuss] no kitchen, far from any trade routes, and with no occupants at its time of completion. With an undeniably eerie appearance, it's what's allegedly beneath it that's far more sinister - a bottomless pit that leads directly to hell. Houska Castle is an early Gothic castle in the municipality of Blatce in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. The Houska Castle Bottomless Pit, the gate of the hell. The Youdig also was home to ghost lights that may be a result of an unknown reaction of swamp gases, though locals thought of them as spirits or fairies that lured people to their doom. The supposed hole at the castle is supposedly beneath the floor of the chapel. Eventually, equipment fails at the pressure and heat at about 12 kilometers. [9][10] Another source states locals believed that the Nazis had been using the "powers of Hell" for their experiments. The light cannot penetrate far into the gloom so the bottom cant be seen. During construction the pit was used as a form of justice in that condemned were . In other ghostly tales, a headless black horse is said to gallop through the surrounding area. Then, check out 33 pictures of Spain's Bellver Castle. There are many names that describe this curious castle. [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". This has raised doubts as to the castles intended purpose, but if it wasnt built to be a fort or residence, why was it built at all? pic.twitter.com/HToGtolrGH. Houska Castle has been open to the public since 1999. Houska Castle includes a Gothic chapel, a knight's drwaing room and a green chamber with late-Gothic paintings. More recently, mysterious holes are endowed with speculative suggestions that they are wormholes or entrances to another dimension. Some believe that an obsession with the occult by high-ranking members was why the Nazis occupied Houska Castle. More creatively, some people thought that a water body without a discernible depth had on its floor an outlet or tunnel to another water body, sometimes hundreds of miles away. The location has no strategic value and is not situated near any trading routes. Houska Castle: Gateway To Hell. Scholars have since discovered cracks in Hjek's histories, and any evidence of Oronto's existence is rather dubious. He recognized the rumor as a folklore motif common in New England. Ghostly figures have also been seen wandering the castle grounds. Its not clear if the knuckers made the holes or just found them convenient to occupy. It is not far from Prague (cca 50 km) in the Central Bohemian region. Western Folklore, 19: 4, 278-280. MYSTERIESRUNSOLVED & MRU MEDIA, 2019-2022. Of geological interest, the area here is limestone so we could speculate that a natural karst feature was the inspiration for the hole. Its in the middle of nowhere. An oil well in Qatar achieved a longer borehole length at 40,320 feet (but did not exceed the Kola reach in depth below sea level) in 2008. The locals ignored the finding. The Scientific Monthly , 84: 6, 302-308. There are no trade routes nearby, and its engulfed by dense forests, swamps and sandstone mountains. Many of the world's so-called gateways to hell amount to nothing more than a creepy setting with a really spooky urban legend attached, but then there's Houska Castle, a 762-year-old gothic castle that was built to seal shut what locals believe is the real-life entrance to the underworld. The location of the castle is also peculiar. Loch Morar, southwest of Ness, reaches 1017 feet. Archaeological evidence has shown that Celtic tribes inhabited the land Houska Castle stands on in antiquity. It was built in the ninth century, before a crack in the limestone appeared which locals believed was a gateway to Hell and allowed inhuman entities to enter our world. 1 / 3 513 104 104 comments Add a Comment AutoModerator Please note these rules: These include a half-bullfrog, half-human creature, a headless horse, and an old woman traversing the grounds. (1896). Legend has it that half-animal, half-human creatures used to crawl out from the pit at night, and those black-winged creatures used to attack locals and drag them down into the hole. The Gateway To Hell - A Bottomless Pit Under Houska Castle: Many people wonder why Houska Castle was built in such a strange location and odd way. It was reported that a beam of black (cant call it light) was seen emanating from the hole. As a folklore motif, the unfathomable hole is ancient. The ocean, while clearly deeper, at least moved, ebbed, and flowed. This particular fresco has left many scholars in awe, as it depicts a centaur from pagan mythology yet adorns the walls of a Christian chapel. After World War II, the castle was returned to its rightful owners, the descendants of koda's president Josef imonek. These internal defences point toward the courtyard. In fact, the aim of the villagers living here behind the construction of this house was to cover the mysterious pit, which has infinite depth, also known as the 'door of hell'. There are numerous mysteries associated with Houska Castle such as why was it built in a place with no strategic importance and without any source of water - away from all trade paths? 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. So, holes that deep will often collect water. A holy chapel was built on the site to cover this "Pit to Hell" and later a castle was constructed to guard against whatever could come out of that hole. Eventually, the hole was characterized by its promoters as a top-secret government project involving an underground alien base. 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. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The Houska Castle Bottomless Pit, the gate of the hell . After the war, the remains of three german soldiers were uncovered in the inner courtyard they had been shot. He allegedly toiled on experiments to find an elixir for eternal life in his laboratory until terrified villagers assassinated him for blasphemy. Standard admission is 135. It was filled only to be restored to its original condition the next day. Houska Castle- located in the Czech Republic, bisected by the Vltava River is one such castle that has always lured lovers of secrets. We have a really hard time creating a super-deep hole because it needs to be reinforced and cooled. sacramento obituaries 2021; apartments on aldine mail route Petr David, Vladimr Soukup, Lubomr ech, Learn how and when to remove this template message, | Haunted Castles Around the World |October 10, 2017, |This castle is believed to be the entrance to the underworld |TravelBook.de |Annette Schimanski |April 24, 2020, |Discover the dark history of Houska Castle |CzechTourism 2017, |The Most Haunted Places in Prague, Czech Republic |Prague Visitor Staff | September 24, 2019, |The Scariest Places in the World |Bob Curran, |Houska Castle Blatce, Czechia |Folklore says this medieval fortress was plopped atop a portal to hell to trap the demons below |29 January 2018, |This castle is believed to be the entrance to the underworld |Travel Book |Annette Schimanski |April 24, 2020, See the castle in Czech Republic, believed to be the gateway to hell with bottomless pit, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Houska_Castle&oldid=1142138997, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing translation from Czech Wikipedia, Articles lacking reliable references from February 2023, Articles with disputed statements from February 2023, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. There are many legends around this Flagstaff pit and it was once somewhat of a tourist attraction. Is a castle in the present-day Czech Republic guarding us against unimaginable evil? It lacked defenses, most of which were built facing inward, and didn't even have stairs. 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. Join. He said locals knew of the hole and would throw garbage in it. Its only about 20 feet deep, the water is recirculated. The castle's eerie history doesn't stop there, though. No modern discussion of weird bottomless holes would be complete without at least mentioning it. In Lyminster, people tried to find the bottom of the local hole by tying the six bell ropes of the church together. The first man to do so happily agreed to be lowered down by a rope but cried out to be raised back up within seconds. (1995). In Sompting, local lore of the 1940s described a very dangerous bottomless hole that swallowed a cart horse and all. A single survivor reports that the black clad men have lead prisoners back to Houska Castle where they are being used as slaves, helping the strange men assemble towers of steel. This wooden structure was mentioned by Vaclav Hajek in his Czech Chronicle which was published in 1541. The castle was built in 1253-1278 and was upgraded to a Renaissance style castle during the 1500's. Houska Castle, an early gothic, was built between 1253 and 1278, and although Atlas Obscura claims (no sources provided) the fortress was built as an administrative center for the king's estates, the folk legends surrounding the castle make for a chilling tale. Slavic tribes migrated to the area that is now Czechia as early as the sixth century C.E. Michel Meurger wrote about the tradition of lake monsters in Europe and North America. There are scores of examples of lakes in particular that, instead of a bottom, they have a monster. Legends and Romances of Brittany. Firstly, most of the windows are not in use. There must be thousands of examples of features around the world that have been at one time called bottomless. According to Castles Today, some believe they needed to secure the 13,000-manuscript library of SS leader Heinrich Himmler, who was obsessed with the occult and believed that its power would help the Nazis rule the world. He had grown wrinkles and his hair had turned white. Locals at the time reported strange lights and horrifying sounds coming from the castle. That is usually more fiction than reality. Houska Castle, Episodes 1 & 2. Houska Castle is said to be the gateway to Hell. Corliss, W. (1988). As the gothic structure today attracts thousands of visitors each year, its reputation has been tainted as one of the most haunted locations anywhere in the world. It is said to be an entrance to hell that swallows damned souls. When he told them the paranormal tales were nonsense but the real hole was a typical mine shaft, they ignored him. Your email address will not be published. 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. Within seconds, however, he cried to be raised up. The gateway to hell a bottomless pit under Houska Castle. It is one of the best preserved castles of the period. Ottokar II of Bohemia, Czech king and warrior, known as the Iron and Golden King. When the construction of the castle began, it is said that all the villages prisoners who had been sentenced for gallows were offered pardons if they agreed to be lowered by rope into the bottomless pit and then to tell them what they saw. Some water bodies eventually have dried up enough to lose the mystique. While he was based there, its said that he was well aware of the stories of the paranormal phenomena that had been reported at the castle. A famous bottomless pit that was said to have released demons and monsters was situated beneath Houska Castle in the Czech Republic. Get notified of the best booming posts weekly. [2], Folklore considers this castle to cover one of the gateways to Hell, built to prevent demons (trapped in lower levels) from reaching the rest of the world. For several hours now, seven people have been driving together in one car to a place that is the dream of most paranormal investigators in the Czech Republic. A depth of 745 feet is seriously impressive. The Central Bohemian town of Mlnk. Firstly, many of the castle windows are actually fake, that are made of glass panes behind which sturdy walls are hidden. There are countless tales of bottomless lakes, pools, and bogs. Continue with Recommended Cookies. The gateway to Hell is allegedly so deep that one can't see the bottom. Most castles have a some kind of valid purpose behind them and are built in the best interest of the people around them. 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. Version B) The year is 1945 and the German war machine is crumbling. This melting of permafrost forms whats called thermokarst. The Nazis used Houska Castle as a magical artifact depository of sorts. Houska Castle, located in Czech Republic, is a castle that was built over a hole so deep, that nobody could see the bottom. The infamous SS chief Heinrich Himmler, was so obsessed with pagan lore and occult teachings, that he made it his personal objective to collect as many books and manuscripts about witchcraft, the occult and the supernatural as he could. from Prague to Houska..you will get the route..basically leave Prague on D8 up to Nova Ves, turn off to Melnik and continue on 273, 259 to Houska.70 kilometres, an hour and a bit. Learn more about your ad choices. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Visitors still claim to hear screams and scratching noises from the chapel at night. Natives thought the lake was bottomless because the bodies of those who drowned were not always recovered. He got to 80,000 feet and gave up. The castle has been open to the public since 1999. Adding to the evil in this old fortress, the Second World War saw the invading Nazis set up base in Houska Castles upon hearing the stories of it. Little of the above information has much credibility and may all be just tall tales. Not only will you have most certainly encountered groundwater somewhere along the way, but the geothermal gradient would make the temperature at this depth very hot and melt the line. Archaeological evidence shows Celtic tribes inhabited the land far before the Middle Ages, and Slavic tribes migrated to the region in the sixth century. In 1990, Rich Buhler, a radio host for Christianity Today, tracked the story back to the propaganda article that was based on a made-up story. Besides this, it is thought to be one of the most haunted sites on Earth. [1] It is one of the best preserved castles of the period. He began screaming in horror and begged to be pulled back up. #OnThisDay 1973: Nationwide reported from a spooky Welsh lake. Nazi experiments took place within its walls during World War II. 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. Treachery of the Long Knives You will have to walk from the parking for about 10 minutes to the castle. Houska Castle is an early Gothic castle in the municipality of Blatce in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. And the second type is a tropical karst feature initially identified in the Bahamas. 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. The chapel in the castle was built over the bottomless well or so the locals claim and it is here that the gateway to hell is said to be located. Listen to this episode from Unexplained Mysteries on Spotify. The investigation at Houska Castle (which today is more of a castle mansion than a . Astonishing Legends podcast https://www.astonishinglegends.com/. The bottomless pit or abyss is mentioned in Revelation 9 in the Bible. Get notified of the best best booming posts weekly. The lake dried up in 1866 and again in 1869 and 1976 proving that it was not bottomless but subject to drought conditions. 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. Bottomless Lakes State Park in New Mexico is over 1600 acres of land with eight lakes available to visitors. Groundwater can be found typically within 300 feet of the ground surface. where the devil meets with his minions and a headless ghost circles the pond after being summoned by hobgoblins, where living things and buildings slip in and are forever lost, giant cracks miles deep or with lava pools, 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, a gruesome legend where a father killed his son and then also drowning himself, Hydrogen sulfide gas in the water is toxic and can cause dizziness and nausea, disorienting divers, Rich Buhler, a radio host for Christianity Today, tracked the story back to the propaganda article that was based on a made-up story, additional features attributed to Mels Hole were bizarre, When he told them the paranormal tales were nonsense but the real hole was a typical mine shaft, The physics of such a hole is quite weird, The Kola Superdeep Borehole is the deepest hole on earth at 40,230 feet. To coincide with the varied nationalities that once held the castle voices and screams in different languages are often heard throughout the castle at night. [7], The pit in the lower levels of the castle is said to be a gateway to hell. Houska, or more specifically, it's chapel, was built over a bizarre hole in the ground that was not only said to be bottomless but was also said to be a literal portal to Hell. 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. Naturally, locals would be concerned about the depth of an open hole or pool that they might fall into. Located north of Prague, the castle sits on a forested hill, perched atop a limestone cliff, and is fabled to be built upon the gateway to Hell. We find many legends of bottomless lakes associated with a resident monster. (13.06.2020) . Despite Oronto's death, locals continued to avoid the area. Caligulas stunning 2,000-year-old sapphire ring tells of a dramatic love story, Evidence of a 14,000-year-old settlement found in western Canada, Archaeologists locate earliest known North American settlement, 2,400-year-old baskets still filled with fruit found in the submerged Egyptian city, 9,000-year-old site near Jerusalem is the Big Bang of prehistory settlement, Oldest stone tools ever found were not made by human hands, study suggests, Mysterious skeleton revealed to be that of unusual lady anchoress of York Barbican. The story was first published in Finland by a Pentecostal Christian journal. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'inquisitivewonder_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_1',162,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-inquisitivewonder_com-medrectangle-3-0'); If youre lucky enough to observe Houska Castle from the outside, youll notice some quite peculiar additions. Lake Dulyn in Snowdonia, North Wales was commonly regarded not that many decades ago as a dangerous bottomless hole where evil creatures would reach up from the abyss and engulf people. Caerlaverock Castle and its 800 years of Scottish history. Bonaparte, M. (1946). It would only be fully restored more than a century later in 1823. Heres where is Houska Castle located on Google Maps: Your email address will not be published. Ottokar II built this castle as an administration center. 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. Houska Castle wasn't near any water, wasn't strategically important, and didn't seem to have anyone living in it. The area in which the castle was built isnt all that strategic. Renovations to modernize the castle after the Renaissance began in the 1580s, with various nobles and aristocrats inhabiting the fortress across the ages. Madonna pond was said to be haunted by the coach and horse that fell in, never to be retrieved. 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. PORTAL TO HELL | Exploring Houska Castle, Czech Republic 286,245 views Dec 16, 2018 7.6K Dislike AmysCrypt 222K subscribers Houska Castle is said to be built on top of a Portal To Hell. This is suggestive of some evil entity or the lake itself as a living thing that takes sacrifices. Locals were terrified of the half-human hybrids that began to crawl out of the hole at night and tear livestock apart. Rather than having defences on the outside to try and stop people getting in, all of its defences were built on the inside, as though they were built to try and keep something in. . The castle is very well-preserved for a castle from that period. These screams may be coming from the prisoners of war that were held captive there, or the local villagers that were taken down into the Houska castle pit by the flying demonic entities. Crossing the bog is dangerous as dry land can suddenly turn liquid. The first of the prisoners who agreed to the terms in order to escape a more severe punishment, was lowered down into the endless pit. In Sompting, local lore of the 1940s described a very dangerous bottomless hole that swallowed a cart horse and all. The first man to do so was young and healthy, and he happily accepted. They tried to block it with stones, but the abyss allegedly gobbled up anything they dropped into it, refusing to be filled.
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