houska castle pit exploration houska castle pit exploration

It can be difficult to measure a true bottom if a cavern extends into a deeper karst system. As legend has it, Ottokar II of Bohemia ordered the castle built to seal the gateway with a fortress for good. While Houska Castle now welcomes countless tourists from around the world, the limestone cliff on which it sits has drawn people in since antiquity. They are usually around 20 feet across and remain at the same level suggesting a large or distant recharge area. 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. 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. 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. (1995). So why was this random fortress built? The castle's chapel was dedicated to Archangel Michael. Spirits and beasts from the underworld escaped to torment the locals. The castle was built in an impenetrable forest that provided no hunting opportunities nor strategic position near a border or any trade routes. It was as if the purpose of the castle wasn't to keep invaders out but rather to keep something trapped within. Its impossible to discuss the bottomless pit or pool without its connection to hell. Some are just open void and darkness. It represents something dark, spooky, and unnatural. It lies about 47km (29mi) north of Prague. 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! This ancient stone structure has for centuries held certain notoriety in the region of northern Bohemia in the Czech Republic. In Lyminster, people tried to find the bottom of the local hole by tying the six bell ropes of the church together. 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." According to the legend, local villagers claimed that demonic half-human and . Houska Castle: The tale of the gateway to hell is not for the faint of heart! It was said he toiled night and day to discover an elixir for eternal life. His hair had turned white his skin now wrinkled. The glacial cirque black lake bottoms out at about 190 feet (58 m). It was not water-filled. (1957). They immediately started to pull him out. And the second type is a tropical karst feature initially identified in the Bahamas. It is believed that this was ordered to be built by Otto Karll of Bohemia, who reigned as ruler from 1253-1278. 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. Treachery of the Long Knives There are many legends around this Flagstaff pit and it was once somewhat of a tourist attraction. Its highly likely this was a glacial feature but without a detailed location, I cant tell. Required fields are marked *. Bottomless Lakes of the Pacific Northwest. Corliss, W. (1988). By 1639, the castle was occupied by a Swedish mercenary named Oronto. Spirits and beasts from the underworld escaped to torment the locals. But stagnant waters made us uneasy with their silence. The Golden Legend. As of 2020, it was owned by his descendants. Built in the latter half of the 13th century, it is thought to have been constructed on the orders of Ottakar II, known as the Iron and Golden King. Despite Oronto's death, locals continued to avoid the area. When we cant readily discern the depth, the hole begets additional legendary characteristics, including that of being bottomless. The lake has high peat content turning the water black and the pH to around 5, so its too low for fish. Toggle navigation. Natives thought the lake was bottomless because the bodies of those who drowned were not always recovered. Your email address will not be published. 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. Most castles have a some kind of valid purpose behind them and are built in the best interest of the people around them. A century later, Josef imonek, president of koda Auto, purchased the castle for himself. Others claim to hear a chorus of screams coming from beneath the heavy floor. Version B) The year is 1945 and the German war machine is crumbling. Even today, some people remain imaginative enough to think that they found some secret military project, an ancient city or even evidence of a Hollow Earth. The goal was to study the lower crust. This makes it clear that Houska Castle was not built as a protective sanctuary or a residence. There is mention in places that a natural crevasse existed at the site and people disappeared (Fallen in or dragged in? Visitors still claim to hear screams and scratching noises from the chapel at night. In The Mabinogion, translated by Lady Charlotte Guest [1877] it was said that fish in the lake are deformed and odd and that birds do not visit it. Its not clear if the knuckers made the holes or just found them convenient to occupy. 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. They would logically attempt to plumb it with an available oar or long tree branch or sapling. But the supernatural stories are used as a tourism ploy and mainly appeared after 1994. This melting of permafrost forms whats called thermokarst. Craters forming in Siberia, in particular, look very much like a bottomless hole. Houska Castle Country: Czech Republic Built: 13th century Haunting: Located in the forests north of Prague, Houska castle was never a strategic battle location. Visitors have also reported seeing a line of ghostly people, all chained together each one with an injury or disability walking towards the castle. Houska Castle is located in the eastern part of the Kokon Forest, 47 km north of Prague and about 15 km from Bezdz, another ancient iconic castle of Central Europe. 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. 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. 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'. The gateway to Hell is allegedly so deep that one can't see the bottom. It depends on the storyteller.) As the first gothic-style castle known to exist here, Hrad Houska was constructed between 1270-1280 during the reign of King Otakar II. Volcanic crater lakes often have the folkloric feature of being bottomless. 1 / 3 513 104 104 comments Add a Comment AutoModerator Please note these rules: Houska Castle looks just like any other ordinary medieval castle but upon closer inspection, one can notice a few strange features. The chapel was dedicated to the Archangel Michael who led God's armies against Lucifer's fallen angels, leading some to believe the gateway truly existed or still does. 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. The castle was founded by Czech king Pemysl Otakar I in the 13th century. According to one source, there were "multiple myths about their supposed occult involvements there". Some say it wasn't built to keep evil from entering but to prevent it from spilling out. Vouliagmeni is a lake in Greece that was said to suck people in via a whirlpool, or they could be nabbed by the evil fairy folk living at the bottom. Houska was built by Pemysl Otakar II as a remarkable royal castle, but was soon sold to a noble family, which continued to own in until after WWI. She noted a correspondent told her of Welsh legends where the lakes had their own personalities and resented being measured. The Dozmary Pool in Bodmin Moor, Cornwall was said to have an outlet to the sea which was 10.5miles (16.9 km) away. The Prague Daily Monitor reports that many visitors are baffled by its counterintuitive architecture and unnerved by the fresco paintings in the chapel. The term bottomless has been applied to open dry holes, and water-filled depressions like lakes, ponds, pools, or bogs. While it was unheard of at the time to include depictions of pagan mythology in a church, even more staggering is the fact that the centaur is using its left hand to shoot an arrow as left-handedness was associated with service to Satan in the Middle Ages. Nazi experiments took place within its walls during World War II. The earth occasionally does open up dramatically such as when huge sinkholes collapse. When the construction of Houska Castle began, the intrigue of the locals got the better of them. These legendary spots might hold healing waters or a dragon. The men saw the muddy bottom but simply assumed the monster was hiding under the mud. Considering this claim that he measured a depth to 15 miles, we know Waters is bluffing. Their research into the paranormal was at times both extreme and desperate, and with a reputation such as Houska Castles, it wasnt long before the Nazis decided to take it for themselves and put the local theories to the test. No single person can hand-measure that depth its entirely impractical as, at that length of line, you could not feel youve reached the bottom. The Houska Castle Bottomless Pit, the gate of the hell. In his vision, a girl came to him, and continued to show him a series of moving pictures in a small casket, before finding himself walking along some high sandstone cliffs in complete darkness, that were riddled with holes that projected an eerie yellow light. Mammoth cave in Kentucky has a bottomless pit that is 105 feet deep. To fall into the pit is symbolic of the descent into hell and damnation. Constructed between 1253 and 1278 during the reign of Ottokar II of Bohemia, the castles original purpose has become the subject of many dark and terrifying stories. The French team of paranormal investigators, R.I.P recherches investigations paranormal, investigated the Castle in 2013 in their episode "The Hell Gate" (Episode 3, Season 2).[13]. Heres where is Houska Castle located on Google Maps: Your email address will not be published. As a folklore motif, the unfathomable hole is ancient. Constructed between 1253 and 1278, the majestic Houska Castle is said to have been built specifically to cover a hole which led straight to Hell, said to have spontaneously formed in a limestone cliff and to be a bottomless pit full of tormented souls, which would vomit forth all manner of horrific creatures birthed from the underworld. Years later upon its renovation, skeletons of several Nazi Officers were discovered. Divers eventually discovered it was about 30 feet deep but that didnt squelch the more impressive rumor. That is usually more fiction than reality. Started in 1970, the drilling of this hole in the Kola peninsula of Russia, near the Norway border was shut down in 1992. This is entirely unsubstantiated, and the bay is not bottomless but has a strong current that may have prevented accurate line measurements. To the famous castle from the middle of the 13th century, with the name: Houska. These include a half-bullfrog, half-human creature, a headless horse, and an old woman traversing the grounds. Houska Castle. [6][11], The Travel Channel series "Legendary Locations" covered several sites in Season 2, Episode 4, including the castle "said to protect a portal to hell". Possibly. You can visit this location during the kosher tours with Kosher River Cruise to the gems of Central Europe! Filling a sinkhole often doesnt work because the fill material collapses into a bigger opening. This list now takes us to a remote part of the Czech Republic's countryside and to an actual port to Hell. Haunted? First, a less formal connotation is used to describe a deep pond that seems out of place in the wildlands of southern New Jersey. Czech poet Karel Hynek Macha visited Houska Castle in 1836, and spent a night there during his walking tour of the region. The castle was originally constructed in the 13th century, between 1253 and 1278, under the reign of Ottokar II. 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. And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts: Hidden by thick forestry, Houska Castle in Czechia is shrouded in nightmarish myth and occultist legend. . If bottomless represented the unknown, its a very small leap of thought to assume there were monsters in this abyss. 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. A large gash in the limestone rock opened up a "bottomless pit" sometime in the 12th century. The castle is perched on a rock and encircled by mountains, forests, and wetlands. Wabash Valley Visions and Voices Digital Memory Project. The seemingly bottomless hole swallows all the seawater that flows in, appearing to drain the ocean! The location has no strategic value and is not situated near any trading routes. Workers on a drilling project in an unnamed place in Siberia sunk a hole 14.4 kilometers (8.9mi) deep before breaking through to a cavity from which they heard and recorded screaming voices and measured searing heat. (1896). jolene_fleur/InstagramThe castle's chapel was dedicated to Archangel Michael. This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 18:46. Mylroie, J.E., Carew, J.L. [3], Houska Castle was built in the second half of the 13th century probably on the orders of Bohemian ruler Ottokar II of Bohemia during his reign (125378) to serve as an administration center from which the extensive royal estates could be managed. (13.06.2020) . He died in the main hall, and his ghost is still said to roam Houska Castle in anger. It was reported that a beam of black (cant call it light) was seen emanating from the hole. First up, we'll be discussing the mysterious Houska Castle, a 13th-century Gothic structure in the Czech Republic which was supposedly built over an actual gateway to Hell. No modern discussion of weird bottomless holes would be complete without at least mentioning it. Sigils adorn the interior courtyard banisters. Knucker holes are springs. Unreliable citations may be challenged or deleted. June 4, 2021. The lake dried up in 1866 and again in 1869 and 1976 proving that it was not bottomless but subject to drought conditions. Locals avoided the area near Houska Castle even when it lay completely abandoned. The area in which the castle was built isnt all that strategic. In the summer, the cold water under the warm surface can shock swimmers. The light cannot penetrate far into the gloom so the bottom cant be seen. Some say the Wehrmacht occupied this castle precisely to investigate whether the gateway to Hell was real, as feverish occultism had consumed its higher ranks. Houska Castle, Episodes 1 & 2. https://aforteantinthearchives.wordpress.com/2020/09/27/the-lake-that-has-no-bottom/. The Swedish Commander was also known to be carrying out inhumane experiments on prisoners of war. They tried to block it with stones, but the abyss allegedly gobbled up anything they dropped into it, refusing to be filled. A man calling himself Mel Waters appeared on Art BellsCoast to Coast AMradio show in February of 1997. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. (1960). They acquired their name when local herdsmen could not discern the bottom via ropes. Residents reportedly went missing in the forest surrounding the pit, and were thought to have been dragged to hell by the winged beasts. Renovations to modernize the castle after the Renaissance began in the 1580s, with various nobles and aristocrats inhabiting the fortress across the ages. Now guests are welcome to come visit the castle in the scenic forest and check out all of its strange features, including fake windows that are actually just a painted faade. The prisoner's traumatizing descent allegedly saw him driven into an insane asylum, where died within days. The castle's eerie history doesn't stop there, though. Exaggerated legends say that one who made it out was aged 30 years after only being in the hole for a short while. Swimmers were warned that an icy cold swell or sucking whirlpool would imperil them. The most well-known story stemming from the legends of Houska Castle is that of the convict. Wikimedia CommonsSkeletal remains of Nazis were purportedly found in the courtyard of Houska Castle. Knucker or knacker holes are bottomless ponds that do not freeze or dry up. 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 Demonic Abysse of Houska Castle 2016. Houska Castle is generally known as the most haunted castle in all of Bohemia. There are scores of examples of lakes in particular that, instead of a bottom, they have a monster. He recognized the rumor as a folklore motif common in New England. 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. Sorbian prince Slavibor. No wonder, all the prisoners agreed. 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. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. The Legend of the Unfathomable Waters. 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. Houska Castle, located in Czech Republic, is a castle that was built over a hole so deep, that nobody could see the bottom. The Frightening Legend of Houska Castle by Prague Morning June 4, 2021 In the second half of the 13th century, a mysterious Gothic castle was built. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Legends and Romances of Brittany. Meurger, M. (1988). Fearful of turning into these demonic entities themselves, villagers avoided the rocky entrance. In the 1930s, the Nazis conducted experiments in the castle of the occult variety. Though the hole is often referred to as the gateway to Hell, its also referred to as the Houska Castle pit. A young and healthy man upon descending, his hair had turned white when he emerged with his face having aged decades in mere moments. Others will try a weighted line. In accordance with the castles paranormal origins, one highly significant feature of the castle is its defences. Indeed, to this day, visitors claim to hear screams and scratching noises from beneath the chapel floor. Best bet is to rent a car and drive through the countryside. I wish I had more info on this citation from Corliss. Locals were said to fear the endless abyss so much, they believed that they would be turned into the demonic creatures it spawned themselves. 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. Spence, L. (1917). Blatce, Czech Republic Houska Castle (Ghost Hunters International) Most castles are defensive fortifications, meant to keep people out. The castle was built in 1253-1278 and was upgraded to a Renaissance style castle during the 1500's. Please help this article by looking for better, more reliable sources. Check out the video at the end of this post to hear the so-called screams from hell. Some people trying to explore the underwater caves have perished. In other ghostly tales, a headless black horse is said to gallop through the surrounding area. He reigned from 1253 to 1278 and ordered the castle to be made as an administration centre for his royal estates. Houska castle is one of the best-preserved castles of the early Gothic era in Czechia, however partially rebuilt in the renaissance era. Gas release may also account for the tales of the swamp boiling and bubbling. Eager to know what was below the surface of the Houska pit, local authorities agreed to pardon prisoners if they agreed to be lowered by rope into the gateway to hell. Oddly, the original construction omitted stairs from the courtyard to the upper floors, and most of the structure's defenses were built facing inwards. In this special Halloween season bonus episode, Ryan brings us just outside the North of Prague in the Czech Republic, to a 13th century castle with an ominous and extremely dark history.