The Real Haunted Castle in the Forest

The area around the Czech Republic is filled with many castles, but there's one in particular that seems to be straight out of a horror film. Around the twelve hundreds, locals spoke about demons and winged creatures flying around a particular area in the forest. Now without much context here, the local duke was ignoring all of this and was determined to build a castle right there. Now. He probably had no idea about the local legend, but he wanted it constructed. Locals did tell him that the hole went on forever, and villagers tried and tried to fill it with stones, but it was never enough. But in his desperation to build his castle, the duke needed to know what was down there. He found men from his local village and gave them a deal they could not pass on. The men were all sentenced to life in prison already, and the duke told them, let us tie this rope to your waist. You will be lowered as far as you can go, and you will be pulled back up to the surface. Tell us what you saw in the hole. Do this and you shall be pardoned. You will be free. Of those who took the deal, none survived, but the Duke kept trying. He found a new prisoner, and like the rest, the prisoner agreed to the Duke's terms. The rope was fastened around the man and he was lowered and lowered until a blood curdling scream was heard. Only a few minutes had gone by, and he was pulled up. When he surfaced, something was wrong. The prisoner had aged thirty years, his dark, short hair was now long and gray, and he told the Duke what he experienced in that hole, a horrible stench, distant screams, and red demonic eyes in the darkness. The prisoner died a few days later, and what he saw was dismissed as just babble. Every prisoner the Duke lowered met the same fate. They either died in the hole or a few days later. The similarities and all of the death could not be ignored. But the Duke did build it, and the Huska Castle still stands. Could it literally be the last stop for the entrance to Hell? My name is Edwin and here's a horror story. There is conflicting stories on the origin of this strange castle. According to local folklore, it was Prince Slavibor who built the castle for his son Hoose. There's claim it was built by Autocar in the thirteenth century, but it was the bizarre location of the Huska Castle that made me want to look into it in the first place. Back then, there was hardly anything there. The Huska Castle is located forty one miles north of Prague in the Libreck region of the Czech Republic. It was built on top of a rocky cliff in the middle of nowhere. There were no water sources near the castle. It wasn't located near any trade routes. When it was first built. It had fake windows and no kitchen, as if it wasn't meant to be lived in. You see, most castles are fortresses, strategically placed and made to defend from intruders. They are made to keep the inhabitants comfortable and safe. There's usually multiple families living in one castle, but this castle's purpose seemed to be the opposite, to keep whatever was there inside trapped forever. The fortifications of the castle all faced inwards, the opposite of regular castles. Usually, guard towers are places on the perimeter of it, facing outward and armed with archers, and that way incoming enemies could be seen and attacked, but Huska Castle did not have this. Instead, it had towers facing its own courtyard. It had no stairs to leave the courtyard and reach the upper levels of the castle. It just seemed like it was missing all these elements that made castles livable. One thing it did have was a chapel. Stone plates were placed over the whole that led to Hell, and the chapel was built over those plates. The chapel was dedicated to archangel Michael. In Christian scripture, when Lucifer and his minions rebelled against God, Archangel Michael raised an army to defeat Lucifer. He was the one who drove Satan out of heaven, and when the apocalypse begins, it is said that he will once again battle against the forces of evil. You've probably seen paintings depicting him holding a sword in one hand and stepping on a pile of demons. The walls of this chapel contained many paintings of Archangel Michael, and some he's fighting a dragon and in others he's weighing the souls of people to be judged on Judgment Day. There's more Christian art on the walls of the chapel like a crucifixion in Saint Christopher. There's one painting that, like the rest of the Huska Castle, just it makes no sense. This painting depicts a female centaur wuilding a bow and arrow in her left hand. The centaur is a half human, half horse creature. This is the only non Christian piece of art inside the chapel. Not only is it not Christian, but it would have been seen as demonic when the chapel was built. The centaur is holding the bow and arrow in the left hand, and the left hand was seen as the mark of the devil during this time. It's just out of place. This centaur painting isn't the only random relic in Huska Castle, though, There's a statue of Saint Lude Mila outside of the remote wooded land surrounding it. She is a patron saint of Bohemia, the historical region of the Czech Republic. Her story is also a tragic one. She was a daughter of Prince Lavivor and sister of Hoseg, whom the castle was originally built. Supposedly is likely she spent time in the original Huska Castle. She and her husband, the first Christian Duke of Bohemia were forced out of the area by Pagans. They had converted to Christianity and were trying to convert others, and this was not well received by everyone else, so they were forced to flee. They did eventually return and rule for several years, though the duke was succeeded by their son after his death. During this time, Ludmila raised her grandson Wenceslaus. After a few years, Wenceslaus was crowned king as his father had died, and Ludmina helped him as his regent. Wanceslau's mother, Drahomira, was jealous of Ludmila and sent two noblemen to kill her. She was murdered by draw Amira, and just a few days later Ludmila was made a saint. There are statues of her all over the Czech Republic, but they're usually in places that make sense, like on the Charles Bridge in Prague. But the statue in Huska is isolated and its placement is random, just like the castle itself. The statue is in the woods, surrounded by nothing but trees, and is facing away from the castle. Those that have seen Ludmilla in person have said that there is an eerie feeling surrounding it. There's nothing else around. Then, what's the purpose of the statue? Is it to ward off the evil in the castle? The prisoners that were lowered into the hole, the villagers and Ludmilla. It seems that those who have spent time in Uska Castle are all met with tragedy. Centuries after Princelavivor Ludmila and the Duke and the prisoners, the area of Bohemia current day central Europe, including the Czech Republic, erupted into the Thirty Year War. This was one of the longest and most disastrous wars in Europe. Experts today compare it to the destruction of both World Wars. It lasted from sixteen eighteen to sixteen forty eight, and this very war brought the next unfortunate soul to set foot in Huska Castle, and this man would also meet the tragic end. As war waged in Europe, armies found themselves traveling deeper into Bohemia. This is how Swedish Commander Ronto happened upon the isolated Huska Castle as he ventured into the woods expecting to find enemy troops. Ronto glanced up and saw the steep rocky hill there sat a castle that would make the perfect command base. Arnto and his army of mercenaries treked up the hill and expected to fight for their new base, but as they entered it was empty. There was a heavy feeling in the air. Something seemed to be wrong with Huska, and Ronto and his army noticed. The feeling didn't last very long, though, and they made themselves comfortable. This was no ordinary army, and Ronto was no ordinary commander. According to the legend, he also had happened to be a black magician and an alchemist. Locals knew Oranto was different, and there were tales about how indestructible he was rumored to be. He was said to own a magic black hen and bullets could not hurt him. He was feared Toronto and his bad of mercenaries would do whatever they wanted to locals. The attacked, robbed and killed the nearby villagers, and when they were done with their tormenting, they marched up to Huska Castle to feast and drink. According to legend, Oranto also spent time doing alchemy experiments. He was rumored to take villagers to help with him, and the villagers grew tired of it. The rumors of Ronto's unshakable strength were not enough to scare them anymore. A reward for whoever defeated Ronto was announced, and two hunters rose to the challenge. They went to a blacksmith well versed in black magic, and he made the hunters a magic bullet, and so they waited for nightfall and rode to Huska Castle. While the band of mercenaries were all inside and Ronto worked on his alchemy, the two hunters shouted for Ronto to come to the door. What do you want Oranto shouted. There was no answer, and for some reason, after waiting for a reply, he grew impatient. He went to the door alone. Maybe he was starting to believe the rumors about himself and really believed he could not be hurt, and so he went opened the door and he was met with armed hunters. One of them pointed a weapon between Toronto's eyes and fired, and Ronto fell to his knees. He called for his magical black hen perhaps in an attempt to save his life, but it was hopeless. He was dead within minutes the rest of his band of mercenaries were captured in the neighboring village. And yet it said that Ronto still hunts the castle today and he's not a good ghost. But the tragedies around Huska Castle do not end there. Karl Heinek Maja grew up in Prague. He studied law but was also a passionate actor. He was a son of a foreman, and unlike his father, Karl couldn't follow a traditional life. He loved to travel, to act, write poetry and walk. Before his wedding and final law exams, he had the urge to travel and went across a country trip by foot. He walked during the day and found places to rest during the night. In eighteen thirty six, he arrived at the strange Huska Castle. It was one of his stops during the cross country travels. From his bed, Karl had a perfect view of the Huska Castle courtyard. As he tried to sleep, he claimed to see disturbing black creatures flying below him. They were winged and huge, but he insisted they were not bats or crows. They seemed to be not from this world. He was scared, but he did eventually fall asleep The sleep he fell into was not RESTful and instead was very disturbing, and his dream, his soul descended into the infinite pit. He eventually reached the bottom, and that's when he was suddenly transported into a hellish future, to the year two thousand and six. He met a girl who showed him moving pictures in a small casket. He followed her into the darkness where he saw high sandstone cliffs with holes, and these holes projected a creepy yellow light and he woke up. Of course, he was scared. Did he really see the future? Those sandstone cliffs with holes strongly resemble the apartment flats you find today in the outskirts of Prague. In the moving pictures that could have been a video on a cell phone, a laptop, or even a television. Carl saw this in Huska Castle in the year eighteen thirty six, when videos, phones and laptops and even TVs didn't exist. Carl left in a hurry the next morning to continue his trip. After all, he needed to get back to his lo exams and to his future bride. But unfortunately, not long after his stop at Huska Castle, Carl died three days before his wedding, He grew ill and just passed away, and no one knows the exact cause of his death. Some sources claim it was pneumonia, while others say it was cholera and he was only twenty five. He lived a short life and died of painful death. He was yet another person to die shortly after a stay at Huska Castle. Huska sat empty again for several years after Karl Maje's stay, and the next occupants were probably the most sinister to set foot in it. On November fifth, nineteen thirty seven, Adolf Hitler announced that taking Czechoslovakia was vital to the German economy. It would increase food supply because Germany did not have enough farms to feed the entire population, and other things. In nineteen thirty eight, Hitler and his Nazi forces invaded what they called student in Land. This is part of modern day Czechia and Slovakia. By nineteen thirty nine, Nazi forces invaded and took control of all parts of Czechoslovakia. As the Nazi forces advanced into the area, they took resources, land, and existing infrastructure, including castles. In this part of Prague, they took over six medieval castles, and in that list was Houska Castle. But what Nazis did in the Huska Castle will never be certain. When they were defeated at the end of World War II, they destroyed a lot of records. No civilian were allowed at Huska Castle, and this probably led to the spread of rumors no one really knew. There are stories from locals claiming to have heard screams and cries from inside of it. They also claimed to see flashing white lights emitting from the top of it. The source of the screams and cries could have been pregnant mothers giving birth. It is believed that Huska Castle was part of the Lebensborn program. This word directly translates to fount of life. The goal of the Lebensborn program was to grow the Aryan race you see. Nazi Germany believe that blond, blue eyed people were racially superior to everyone else. Children who matched this description were stolen and raised by Nazi families. Women were encouraged to birth Aryan babies. These women were taken to places like Huska Castle, where they were cared for during their pregnancy. Then they gave birth at these locations. This one was so remote that it was perfect for the disturbing program. The guy that came up with this program was one of Hitler's most trusted Nazi commanders, and Hitler trusted him so much that he was led to his own devices at Huska Castle. In nineteen thirty five, he started confiscating books related to the occult. These books, containing information on witchcraft and stuff like that, were located in the occupied castles across Czechoslovakia, including Huska. This officer believed that an ancient, magical German race was being oppressed by Christians, and so he founded esoteric Hitlerism. He was combining Nazi beliefs with pagan beliefs in witchcraft. A lot of his interests in the occult were fueled by his discovery of his own ancestor being burned at the stake, and a lot of this occult work allegedly took place right there again at Huska Castle. Now, the Nazi interest in Huska Castle could have been just a strategic one. It was isolated, but there was also a mysterious folklore behind it. This guy that was into the occultant staff his name Heinrich Himmler, was personally invested in the occult, and he was a pretty evil person himself. He personally took part in planning the Holocaust. It's not a stretch to believe that he sought out Huska Castle because it stood over the gate to Hell. There were rumors of Nazis running several experiments in the castle. Some said horrifying experiments were done on people. There were rumors of them trying to create super soldiers to open the portal to Hell, and even time travel experiments. This is all alleged, of course, as there are no records to prove any of it. One sinister finding on record, though, does fuel haunting stories of Huska Castle. A mass grave was found there and the bodies were found to be their officers. They were executed, but no one knows why. They have been a part of sinister exids. There is no doubt that Huska Castle has a dark past and this contributes to paranormal activity today. I have more of that up next. Stay with me. Today, Huska Castle is a tourist destination and venue. There's year round paranormal tours, fairs, fencers, and many cultural events that take place in there. Ever since it has been opened to the public. Strange occurrences have taken place in Huska. People have claimed to see the spirits of a woman in a white dress and blonde hair upstairs. She has been seen standing in the windows. A ghost with no head bleeding from its neck has been seen in the courtyard. A headless horseman has been seen riding around the perimeter of the castle, and some have said that a group of men in black robes and chains with body parts in their arms right outside of who usually they are being chased and attacked by a giant black dog. There's stories of hybrid creatures half man half frog and half man half bulldog. They have also been seen outside of it. Many people feel uneasy as they enter the castle and begin to feel more and more sick as they go deeper into it. Many also say to feel ill inside, and during many wedding ceremonies, brides have been known to faint due to the sick and evil feeling in the castle. People have even heard scratching noises from under the chapel floor. Hannah and Tyler McGee own mcgee'e Ghost Tours in Prague, and while they operate tours in other locations, they had not been to Huska Castle. Yet the first time they went to Huska, Hannah experienced this too. The couple had their dogs with them. As they stepped into the castle, Hannah began feeling strange, but when they got to the courtyard, her uneasiness grew. She wasn't the only one either. While in the courtyard, one of their dogs, Bobo, began barking uncontrollably, as if there was something there agitating him. But nothing was there. Tyler McGee felt like they were being watched or even followed by something dark. They even felt better after they left Huska, but just like others, they had bad luck after their stay. That night, their car was stolen. It was eventually found, but their belongings were gone. This could have been just a coincidence, of course, but it did happen after their stay. During a UFO conference, while the rest of the group sat around a table, one man just wandered away. He walked around, feeling uneasy. There was a dark feeling in the castle at that moment. He found himself in a room and walked to the window, and at the window he saw a dozen eyes and he got scared as he turned around and saw animal busts hanging on the wall behind him, he could breathe again. The eyes in the windows belonged to the animal busts, but as soon as he started feeling better, the lights all went off. He looked at the window and saw a pair of glowing red eyes, and he ran back to his group after that, on another occasion, Jaromir Simonek, the current owner of Huska Castle, was having dinner with guests. They were laughing, chatting, eating, drinking, just having a good time, and then Jaromir set his wineglass down and it levitated a few feet. Everyone stared in shock. He reached for his wineglass and set it down. The moment it touched the table, it slid over several feet on its own, and all of his guests were there to witness this strange occurrence. Couple found themselves at Huska that were having dinner when they heard a sudden loud thump. They turned around and saw nothing. Just as they got ready to start eating again, a black, robed figure materialized in front of them. They described it as a dementor from Harry Potter. The robed figure floated away and as it passed them, it muttered something about killing Little Girls. Different paranormal television shows have traveled to Huska Castle, and while it can be argued anything they have recorded is easy to fake, all have had documented paranormal experiences. Ghost Hunters International, Most Haunted Live Legendary Locations, and a French paranormal show have all aired episodes on the castle. We found a website called My Haunted Life Too dot com and people submit their own personal paranormal experiences to them. On July eighth, twenty twenty three, an anonymous user submitted their own encounter from Huska Castle. They were working on a Discovery Channel show and was filming there, and while they were inside the castle and talking about the murder of Oranto, the Swedish captain had mentioned earlier, they felt a sudden dark feeling and then their voice took on an unnatural echo and the room grew colder. Everything including the anonymous user's voice, had a tiny sound to it. The rest of the crew could hear the echo too. They all walked out of the castle and met out front, and after the filming was over, they asked the rest of the crew again, did you feel that? Was it just my imagination? The crew repeated, They all heard it. This person did not imagine this. The producer then said something even more chilling as you said that, I heard and felt a breath on my neck. I didn't turn around to see what it was because we were filming, but I was against the wall. It was impossible for anyone to have been standing behind that producer. Huska Castle has gone through several remodels since it was first built in the thirteenth century, and a lot of the strange architecture is now gone. We searched the Internet for haunted castles, Huska's usually one of the first results. There's no doubt that there's something strange about this place, but there's also so much that has been lost to history. It will never know what Huska Castle's purpose was when it was first built. Some historians believe it was only an administrative castle, and that all those stories have been embellished and exaggerated over time. We'll also never really know what the Nazis were doing at Huska, or what is legend and what is true when it comes to Toronto. The whole to Hell was covered for so long that we also don't know what is really down there. We're only left with strange paintings in the chapel, the bizarre structure of it, and questions. If this is all rumor and urban legends, then why are so many people experiencing paranormal activity at Housca Castle. Maybe it really is something sinister underneath a chapel, and the castle itself is protecting us from whatever is down there trying to dig its way out. This episode of horror Story was written and produced by Christina Lumagi. To get in touch with us, you can find me at edwin Cove on Instagram that's Edwncov, or over on our website horror story dot com. Up next, check out Scary Mystery Surprise, where Michelle and I talk about stories like these, but more in the style of paranormal comedy. You can find it by searching for Scary Mystery Surprise on your podcast app. Also, you can get these episodes without ads by trying out Scary Plus for free. I'll put a link in the description of this episode. Thank you very much for listening, See you soon.