Prague is a city steeped in the alchemical arts. The first time I ever visited, I knew right away there was something a little different about this town’s history. You can sense it in the air and in the eyes of the mysterious gargoyles staring down at you from their high up perches. Many tourists seem to glance right by these clues hidden around the city, but diving deeper into this alternative history of Alchemy in Prague is what makes travelling so enjoyable!
The Slavs of Bohemia were slow to accept Christianity. They kept their Pagan spirituality strong for years despite the rest of Europe converting. These new Christians were repelled by anything mystical. Anyone wanting to preserve these practices moved to Bohemia, creating this powerful force amassed inside an otherwise small town. It is perhaps this connection to their nature-based spiritual roots, which strengthens Prague’s enchanting atmosphere. But what really ignited a fire for the mystical arts inside the walls of Prague was the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II in the 16th century. He would forever change the future of Prague and alter the alchemy of the city itself.
This guided tour takes you across the entire city of Prague to all the different alchemical hot spots and historical markers. Get immersed in this city’s mystical nature and find out all the various myths and legends that hide behind closed doors.
The best time to start this tour is in the midafternoon. This gives you enough time to visit the museums and enter into Prague Castle. But allows for the remainder of the tour to take place at night when darkness creeps over the rooftops. Changing the appearance of the city, which is perfect for exploring these enchanting places.
If you’d rather skip the spots in Mala Strana and stick to the city’s eastern side, you can quickly start the tour on the Charles Bridge. The second portion of the tour is located in one of the more touristy areas, so leaving it until later in the day always means fewer tourists.
In 1576, Emperor Rudolf II of Habsburg moved his court to the city of Prague. But why Prague? Well, Rudolf was drawn to the city’s mysterious past and mystical origins. He was a man obsessed with magic. Rudolf was a lover of arts, astronomers and alchemists. And he was obsessed with the idea of being the man who would discover the Philosopher’s Stone. With Rudolf’s obsession with alchemy, he invited some of Europe’s best magicians, astronomers, and alchemists to help him. These men of science and magic would not only change the course of Prague’s history but the course of the world itself, in their amazing discoveries.
Many people blame this obsession of his with the downfall of his empire. But modern historians have actually applauded these efforts to create an artistic and scientific Renaissance in Bohemia under his rule. But despite any hindsight analysis, Rudolf’s empire would crumble beneath him. He was thrown out of Power by his brother in 1611 and died soon after.
Emperor Rudolf II was a huge patron of the alchemists, albeit perhaps not for the right reasons. He was obsessed with reading books on magic and the occult. He thought alchemy was more than just a science, but something that could turn fantasy into a reality. Rudolf became obsessed with the idea of discovering the Philosopher’s Stone. Rudolf had both personal and financial reasons for wanted to discover the stone. His empire was going bust, and he needed money quickly. And rather than acquire it by keen rule, he tried to acquire it by divination. Rudolf built his own laboratory on Prague hill. He performed his own experiments and invited astronomers, alchemists and even occultists to help him in his search for the beyond. This reputation soon earned him the nickname of the “Mad Emperor” or “Mad Alchemist.”
Alchemy originated in Egypt and Arabia and moved throughout the continent, finally landing in central Europe. The word is derived from the Arabian phrase “al-kimia,” which they coined for their elixirs. “Kimia” referred to the Nile delta soil, where many of their beneficial compounds would be obtained. Alchemy was one of the original branches of natural philosophy. Alchemists attempted to transform matter through purification, maturation, and perfecting certain materials.
People in medieval times, however, viewed alchemy as a magical and mystical discipline. But, in reality, many alchemists were just modern-day scientists. They used techniques like distillation, and sublimation and would even record their experiences with hefty documentation. In fact, the word ‘alchemy’ is where we get the word ‘chemistry.’ Chemistry is the same kind of practice but using more advanced and systematic techniques.
The earliest alchemists were responsible for creating fundamental discoveries such as phosphorous, zinc, metallic arsenic and even the big moneymaker – porcelain! But the alchemist had one main goal, to discover the Stone of Knowledge (better known as the Philosophers’ Stone.) This powerful alchemical substance was thought to provide eternal youth and could transform any metal into gold. But since science was such a widely misunderstood practice, many people thought alchemists were nothing more than charlatans. And truthfully, many of them were, but there was also an equal number of incredible discoveries made by men like Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler, and Isaac Newton.
You might think the Philosopher’s Stone is just a creation from the Harry Potter novels, but its history goes back much further than that. Elias Ashmole and the anonymous author of Gloria Mundi (written in 1620) claim that its history goes back to Adam in the Garden of Eden. There, he acquired the knowledge of the Philosopher’s stone knowledge directly from God himself. It is mentioned throughout history by Plato, greek philosophers, Byzantine and Muslim alchemists, and the Arab emperor.
In the 16th and 17th century a symbol was even devised by the alchemists trying to discover the secret of the Philosopher’s Stone. 16th-century Swiss alchemist Paracelsus believed in the existence of alkahest, which he thought to be an undiscovered element. He believed alkahest was what all the other elements (earth, fire, water, air) were derived from. Paracelsus believed that it was this element, in fact, the was the Philosopher’s stone. He invented the ‘Squared Circle,’ which illustrated the four components’ interplay as one element.
The Great Work (or Magnum opus) was the alchemical term for the process of working with “prima materia” to create the Philosopher’s Stone. It has been used to describe personal and spiritual transmutation in the Hermetic tradition. The original opus had four stages, but the alchemy trail was better known to have seven steps.
The first step was calcination or blackening. This happens when the prima materia is burned to ashes. In alchemy, when you change a physical material, you are not only changing the raw substance but also changing your own psychology. This stage is meant to represent the destruction of your inner self. In this blackening, you are left with no ego and can step into a new spirituality level.
The next step is dissolution, where the ashes are turned into a fluid. Being fluid is akin to meditation, as it allows us to move in different directions. The third step is separation. By separating the elements, we can further study them and understand their true nature. This allows us to understand our true feelings once we can see the root of thought.
The fourth step is Conjunction, where other materials are added to the raw elements. This is seen as the marriage of man and woman, moon and sun, which creates the perfect spiritual balance. The fifth step is fermentation. After marriage, traditionally, we have a pregnancy, represented here by fermentation. Distillation is the sixth step. This is achieved by boiling the elixir to make the mixture purer. Just as a newborn baby is the purest form of humanity not yet touched by evil or sin. The final stage is coagulation, where the new creation is formulated in a physical state. This is the extended version of our better self, and maturity has been achieved. Through all these steps, we have been reborn through this alchemical process.
To start your tour magic and alchemy tour of Prague, I would recommend visiting the Museum of Alchemists and Magicians. Usually, these walking tours don’t include anything indoors. You can definitely skip this if you’re looking to avoid spending extra money or are short on time. But I think this quirky and fantastical museum is an excellent introduction to everything alchemical. It provides a beautiful visual window into Prague’s mysterious past.
The museum is relatively small, located on two levels inside what used to be Edward Kelley‘s old alchemy lab. Sir Edward Kelley was an English Renaissance alchemist, occultist and self-declared spirit medium. Kelley professed that he could summon spirits and even speak to angels. But perhaps the most exciting claim of his was that he possessed a red chemical that could turn base metals into gold. Upon hearing this, Emperor Rudolf II snatched him right up for his Royal Court and moved him to Prague. He gave Kelley large sums of money, land and even had him knighted. But by 1956, when Kelley hadn’t produced any of his promises to the Emperor, Rudolf had him imprisoned, where he died only a few years later.
Inside the museum, you’ll find replicas of alchemical artifacts and dramatic scenes featuring statues of Prague’s alchemists themselves. There they stand, in-situ, reenacting historical scenes of their excellent work in the field of alchemy. This is a fantastical museum leans on legends as well as the facts. Just as the alchemists themselves were showmen, so too are these exhibits.
On the second floor of the building, you’ll climb stairs called the “spiral of life.” This staircase was built by Kelley in the 16th century as his “stairway to heaven” where he would sit and contact the angels. Stacks and stacks of grimoires line the walls. You’ll see how alchemist filled their laboratories with furnaces, retorts, bellows, animal skeletons and more!
Adults: 220,- Kč ($10 USD), Students: 160,- Kč ($7 USD), Child and seniors: 90,- Kč ($4 USD). Open Mon – Sun 10:00 – 20:00
After touring the museum, stop at Alchemical Pub, Kellyxir, to set the walking tour’s mood. This over-the-top cocktail bar is themed to look like an unbelievable alchemy lab inspired by Edward Kelley’s works. The building itself is a sight to behold. The ceiling dates back over 420 years. Bartenders hands out drinks served in tall glass beakers covered with dry ice. The smoke fills the room and creates a moody and mysterious atmosphere.
You can partake in a game that lets fate decide on your drink of choice. ‘Choose your Fate‘ is a game where you pick one of twelve tarot cards, and you will get a drink inspired by your chosen tarot card. This is a great way to get a pleasant surprise and let the bar lead you on your magical journey!
On your way towards Prague castle, take a walk along Nerudova Street. If you look above the doorways, you’ll see that many houses have carved reliefs or symbols placed above their entrance. This is because, before 1770, there were no house numbers used in Prague. Instead, the way in which you would find where you were supposed to be going was to look for the house symbol. This started simply with tradespeople, a blacksmith for example would have a hammer and tongs, whereas the violin maker would have the image of a violin above their shop. But some of the symbols have a deeper meaning, with alchemical significance. There are still 264 buildings in Prague with symbols marking their location (although modern-day numbers have also been installed)
The first house we’ll stop by is the house At the Two Suns. This buttercream baroque facade is a new addition to this renaissance built house. Famously, this was were writer J. Neruda lived, for whom the street is named after. A large memorial tablet dominates the front of the building to commemorate his lifes work.
But for our purposes, take a look at the two golden suns which are to be found in a cartouche above the doorway. Each of the suns bears the image of a human face within them, but they don’t look too happy about it. Their eyes are looking in opposite directions, almost as if they are keeping guard. In tiny gold writing are the initials “IHS,” which sit above the image of a heart on fire. These initials represent the first three letters of the Greek name of Jesus, iota-eta-sigma, or ΙΗΣ. But curiously, the shape of the “H” looks like it is also forming a triangle. The triangle is the symbol in alchemy for fire, and the suns represent the symbol of gold. So perhaps the house is telling us this is the place where fire meets gold.
This baroque facade dates back to 1726, but the building itself is much older. The house At the Red Lion portrays a fierce lion with a golden chalice clenched in its paw. The house sign dates back to 1608. The chalice in the lion’s paw is thought to represent the elixir of life or the Philosopher’s stone. The red hue painted onto the lion also hugely significant in alchemy. Red refers to “rubedo,” which means “redness.” Rubedo is the fourth or final stage in the magnum opus, which is the recipe for the Philosopher’s stone recipe. The chalice is also thought to represent the alchemical pot in which all the ingredients are mixture to form the elixir of life.
At #28 we find the house At the Golden Wheel. The building is an original Renaissance house with a baroque facade but the signage above the door is from 1634! The golden wheel represents the full cycle of the magnum opus, of turning base metals into gold. The wheel also represents the year’s life cycle, just as the earth rotates, so does the golden wheel. In alchemy, the positioning of the cosmos is of the utmost importance, perhaps suggesting that the achievement of the elixir of life is only obtainable at certain times of the year.
Across from the Golden Wheel, we also find the house At the Golden Key. The house dates back to the Renaissance but the cartouche above the doors is from 1844. The key symbolizes the fact that without the “right knowledge” the clues to unlocking the secrets to the Philosopher’s stone will be locked forever.
The renaissance house At the Golden Eagle once belonged to the Astralis family. In alchemy, eagles represent renewal or rebirth. In many different parts of the world, eagles were released at a ruler’s funeral to symbolize their soul’s departure to the gods above. One of the tenets of alchemy was the transmutation of base metals or liquids. To transform these materials into purer versions of themselves, you needed to destroy them for them to be reborn better.
The House At the Red Lamb is a neo-barque building built n 1891. The power pink facade is being held up but the bulk stone archway. Above the door is a stone symbol of a lamb, painted in red. Once more the red lamb here calls back to the Magnum Opus stage of rubedo when the raw materials are transmitted. Red can also symbolize the red powder, which Edward Kelley was so famous for using. Kelley claimed this red powder was the secret tincture to turn base metals into gold.
Now a souvenir shop the house At the Golden Cup was once a renaissance goldsmiths’ workshop dating back to 1660. Gold was the end result of the magnum opus and although most goldsmith didn’t magically create gold, during the middle ages, any goldsmith was a suspected alchemist, especially the successful ones. The chalice represented in the doorway not only refers to the elixir of life but also the Holy Grail. Many people think that the Philospher stone is in fact the Holy Grail itself. From here, head up Zámecká street and up the Zámecké schody pathway towards Prague castle.
Golden Lane is a street located inside Prague castle. You need a ticket to explore this historic area of town during the day, but after 4 pm, the castle complex exterior is open to the public. The buildings themselves in Golden Lane are closed, but you can still wander the streets and admire the facades. On either side of the narrow road are various colourful houses. This area wasn’t just for anyone; here, Rudolf II housed his most prized possession, which was, in fact, people.
Despite much controversy, the street gets its name from a famous goldsmith who once lived along the lane. But legend has it that an alchemist did live on Golden Lane. In the 20th century, an old doctor of philosophy spent his life savings, collecting old books on magic and went about secret experiments in the same house on Golden Lane. One day, neighbours heard an explosion and came running. His home was on fire, and when firefighters finally extinguished the blaze, they found the old man dead inside, clutching a large piece of gold in his hand. Perhaps he finally accomplished what all those alchemists before him attempted. As the philosopher had spent his life savings on this home, no one could understand how else he would have come to possess such a large piece of gold…
While inside the castle, take a walk and see if you can spot the circular tower’s round red roof to the north of the Cathedral of St. Vitus. This is the Mihulka Tower or the first Powder Tower. The name comes from the fact that this tower was once an old storehouse for the city’s guard and their gunpowder. Mihulka Tower was where Edward Kelley worked on experiments for the Emperor. This laboratory was much closer to the Emperor’s residence, and therefore he could better study the alchemist’s progress. It was here that Kelley was to work on the discovery of the Philosopher’s Stone. After months and months, and no results, Rudolf had Kelley arrest and imprisoned in Krivoklat Castle and eventually in Golden Lane’s White Tower prison.
Tycho Brahe was a Danish nobleman, astronomer, and writer but made most famous for his astronomical observations. His work with Johannes Kepler on the laws of planetary motion would forever change the way astronomers saw the universe. Prague wasn’t just a hub for mystics. Real scientists worked here as well. Tycho Brahe lived in Prague at N° 1 Nový Svět. This road was one of the most famous streets for alchemists. So many of them lived on this narrow lane, it was almost like a defacto fraternity. Brahe had been exiled by the King of Denmark after the two had a fevered disagreement.
Seeing an opportunity to invite a real scientific celebrity to town, Rudolf II jumped at the chance to meet Brahe! Brahe went on to become the official imperial astronomer and Rudolf built him an observatory at Benátky nad Jizerou but he also worked out of the royal observatory inside the Royal Summer Palace of Queen Anne.
What initially drew Brahe to Prague was the invention of the sextant by Erasmus Habermehl housed in a lab in Prague in 1600. Brahe was obsessed with precision and these sextants allowed him to measure the angular distance between objects to the precision of 2 minutes of arc. Brahe was a well-known member of the royal court, perhaps too well known for his own good. One of the things which Brahe is most famous for is how he died. His death caused a massive uproar in the city. When dining at a large banquet, it was rumoured that he was poisoned, as the otherwise healthy astronomer died only 14 days after the public festivities.
Many townspeople and noblemen thought he had been poisoned, possibly by his good friend Kepler himself! Hundreds of years later, when his body was exhumed and analyzed, they discovered he had died of nothing more than a kidney inflection. But hundreds of years ago, the rumour went wild and poor Kepler suffered at the hands of bad press.
A huge funeral was arranged for Brahe, including a procession down the streets of Prague towards the Týn Church along the ‘Royal Way’. The procession included armed guards, banners flying high with his coat of arms emblazoned on them and a velvet-covered casket. Brahe was buried in Tyn church under the tombstone, which read, “Neither power nor wealth, only Art and Science will endure.” The old tombstone had to be replaced with a minimal black slab of stone with gold lettering. It can still be found on the church floor near the altar. If you’re interested in staying inside the house, his studio room has been transformed into a modern Airbnb rental!
Right near the tram stop, Pohořelec is a statue of the two great astronomers . Both men once lived in a house on this very spot. The old house has since been destroyed, but this statue was made to mark the site. Take a close look at Brahe’s nose. Notice anything peculiar? If it looks strange, this is because Brahe himself wore a fake nose. Brahe lost his nose in 1566 in a duel with his cousin. He fashioned himself a prosthetic nose made of brass, which he would glue on every day.
From the highest point in town, Petrin Hill, you can look down at the city’s layout. King Charles was one of the first of Prague’s rulers obsessed with the mystical arts. So much so that the city was planned out using the advice from alchemists, astrologers and numerologists. These men provided the king with their predictions. They identified the converging ley-lines upon which the city should be built. A ley-line refers to straight alignments drawn between various historic structures and prominent landmarks.
Some people believe that such ley lines demarcate “earth energies.” These divinations decided where the greatest points of power were in the city. Upon these sites, places like Prague Castle, the old town square and the King’s residence were built. Take the funicular down from Petrin Hill station down to the Újezd station. From here, make your way to the Charles Bridge to reach the eastern part of town.
The original Charles Bridge, built in 1357, was a stone bridge. Its location was precisely designed by the royal astrologers to ensure that the bridge was laid on exactly July 9th at 5:31 in the morning. If you write out these numbers in the sequence, they go 1-3-5-7-9-7-5-3-1, which is a palindrome. A palindrome is a word, number, phrase which reads the same backward as forward. For numerologists and alchemists, these kinds of numbers held great power. This date was almost significant to the astrologers as the sun was in the zodiac sign of Leo. Leo, or the lion, is the heraldic symbol for Bohemia, which was thought to be advantageous to the celestial seers.
Johannes Kepler once lived right near the Charles Bridge at #4 Karlova street. What is now a street hounded with tourists was once the refuge of this famous stargazer. Kepler came to Prague under the tutelage of Tycho Brahe, who also was set up in Prague. Kepler had heard of the Emperor’s love of the sky and anything mystical and would serve as one of the royal horoscopes seers. Just as some people do today, the Emperor employed their advice with the utmost diligence. Kepler would go on to reveal the evolutions of the planets in their ellipse formation. Which was a departure from the previous research done on the planets, which assumed them moved in a circle around the sun. Although Kepler is most famous for this discovery, at the time, people relied on his for his astrological readings more than his scientific research.
Albrecht Wallenstein, the Bohemian general, also employed Kepler as his personal horoscope writer. Kepler wrote in his book Harmonics Mundi, “The soul of the newly born baby is marked for life by the pattern of the stars at the moment it comes into the world, unconsciously remembers it, and remains sensitive to the return of configurations of a similar kind.” So despite being a man of science, he firmly also believed in the significance of the stars.
Kepler was so talented with his astrological predictions that he is rumoured to have predicted Wallenstein’s death, down to the very month it happened. Kepler predicted that the great general would be assassinated in 1634. On February 25th, 1634, Wallenstein was attacked in his house and subsequently killed. But many people wonder if this was a self-fulfilling prophecy. Would the general have fought back if he hadn’t thought that this was his impending death? We shall ever know.
The Klementinum is a large complex of buildings with an enormous baroque library and observation tower beside the Charles Bridge. Initially, the building was a Jesuit college built in the 16th century. But in the 17th and 18th centuries, with the dissolution of the Jesuit Monasteries, the building was used by the court astronomers. Inside the library are some of the historic celestial globes which the court astronomers used. The Meridian Hall is still an active meteorological station. Originally it was used to monitor the planets’ position in the sky and identified 12-noon. A bell would be rung from the Klementinum to alert the public to the fact that it was now midday.
In Prague’s Jewish cemetery, you can find the headstone of the famous Rabbi Judah Loew. But since the cemetery is only accessible with a ticket, we are instead going to wander the Jewish quarter’s streets and end up at the Old-New Synagogue. Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel was a scholar of Judaism and served as rabbi of Moravia and Prague during the 16th century. He was a fierce protector of the Jewish faith and its people. His name, in fact, comes from the Hebrew word for lion, the most fearsome protector. Legend has it that his defence of Prague’s Jewish people went much deeper than just his teachings. The story goes that he worked with the alchemists of Prague to create a legendary golem.
In Jewish folklore, a golem is a magical creature created from clay or mud by a powerful ritual. In 1389, over 3,000 Jewish people living in Prague were murdered by Catholics in a devastating event. Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel feared for his people after these attacks and decided he needed to do something drastic to protect them. He went to the banks of the Vltava River to collect some mud. With this natural material in hand, he brought it back to the alchemy lab to perform the secret Hebrew incantations. This mystical combination of natural materials and magical practices was almost the definition of alchemy in the 16th century. Rabbi Loew implored the golem to defend the Prague ghetto from antisemitic attacks. The golem was placed inside the old synagogue’s attic, and it remained there in silence until his time of need.
Hundreds of years later, during WWII, a nazi agent came to the synagogue with plans to destroy it. The main entrance was blocked, so he entered by the exterior stairs on the building’s facade, which led right into the attic. It was there he encountered the golem. The great golem rose from his slumber and quickly took care of the intruder. Today, there is a set of iron stairs on the exterior, the same ones which the nazi used to enter the synagogue. The last few rungs have been removed to prevent anyone from entering the golem’s resting place, in case they awaken him once more.
Deep underground, just off the main streets of Prague’s old town, in the Jewish quarter, is a secret laboratory called the ‘Speculum Alchemiae.’ This underground lab was walled up for hundreds of years, discovered only in 2002. That year, a flood forced the owners to dig down into the basement where they found the remnant of the old laboratory. Upon making this discovery the owners brought historians into the home who degreed the house to be the oldest in Prague.
But why were these alchemists hidden underground when Rudolf II seemed more than happy to officially employ many other alchemists? Perhaps because these were not “officially” sanctioned and unlike the more scientific leaning alchemists of his court, these men dove in the dark arts. In the buried workshop, they discovered many different pieces of ancient equipment and some potions still on the shelves.
Most curious was the series of underground tunnels that connected this building to the Old Town Hall, the royal barracks, Tyn Church and Prague Castle. This meant that whoever was working down here had direct access to the king and his court. It is doubtful this was unknown to the royal guards, so clearly something was going on down here the king was involved in but wanted to keep hidden from the general public. You can still enter the Speculum Alchemiae by purchasing a ticket to the museum tour.
The underground laboratory consists of a drying room, where plants would have been treated for use in elixirs. Then there is the instrument room where the equipment was stored for use in distillation and transmutation. And finally, the glass oven, where alchemists would have blown their own glass instruments like beakers and vials. Since this was a secret lab, they perhaps needed to produce all their own materials down here so as not to cause suspicion.
One of the discoveries made down here was a large green concoction containing “the elixir of youth.” The elixir of youth, also known as the elixir of immortality and sometimes equated with the philosopher’s stone, is a potion that supposedly granted the drinker eternal life and/or eternal youth. Modern analysis of the liquid discovered that in addition to many herbs, opium was added, which would have no doubt caused the drinker to feel a myriad of “magical” sensations. Perhaps even giving them a sense of feeling more lively and youthful. Today, if you visit the museum, you can try one of their historic “elixirs”, albeit the hallucinogenic properties have been removed for obvious reasons.
At #8 Celetná Street, you will find a large early gothic house with a beautiful baroque facade. The wooden doorways are surrounded in a sturdy stone arch. Above the archway is the relief, which gives the place its name, “The ‘Black Sun.” As a symbol, the Black Sun would be coopted by Prague’s nazis hundreds of years later. But, initially, when it was carved here, the sign had a very different meaning. In the early medieval period, the ‘black sun’ referred to the first stage of the alchemy trail, called the “blackening.”
Along Staroměstské nám street, stop at #551 where you’ll find the house At the Stone Lamb. This house is located on what was once the ‘Royal Way.’ The Royal Way was the pathway that Czech kings would walk or ride along during their coronation. The route starts at the Republic Square and passes many of Prague’s most impressive sights, ending at Prague Castle. Many prospective alchemists came to the city of Prague, in the hopes of meeting the Emperor. They would often stay in this house, previously a hotel, as its proximity to the royal way was thought to revere the Emperor.
The house which contained the hotel went by two names, House At the Stone Lamb or House At the Stone Unicorn. Both titles came from the relief carved on the building’s front located between the first and second floors. The carving indeed looks like a lamb, but the single horn on its head would denote a unicorn. No one seemed to have been able to agree on one answer, so it is known interchangeably.
While the building to the left of the House At the Stone Lamb is seemingly much more visually appealing, take a closer look at the capitals on either side of the imposing stone entrance. In the tiniest of details are carved is a series of mystical symbols with alchemical interpretations. On the capitals are images of the sun and crescent moon with human faces superimposed inside them. Above the faces are sweet carvings of fruits and flowers with oak leaves intertwining around them. The crescent moon was a common alchemy symbol for the metal silver. The sun, on the other hand, was the symbol of gold and spiritual perfection.
The Astronomical Clock is perhaps Prague’s most famous attraction. It garners thousands of viewers a day in the peak of the tourist season. The clock is housed on the southern wall of the Old Town Hall and has been there, in part, since 1410. Legend says that if something terrible were to befall the clock, Prague itself would fall. Although it is just a superstitious rumour, it’s been enough to keep the clock well protected and preserved after all these years.
For our purposes, the most crucial part of the Astrological clock is the dial. The dial has images of the Sun and Moon on each hand. As they move, they imitate the position of the sun and moon in the sky. This replicates an astrolabe’s mechanisms, a device used in medieval astronomy and a primitive planetarium that displays the universe’s current state.
The outer dial of the clock is a giant calendar. It is surrounded by different medallions representing the various months of the year and their corresponding astrological signs. The clock could then be used by astronomers and astrologers to predict horoscopes and the universe’s fate. The clock’s design was so revolutionary and perhaps secretive that the engineer Master Hanuš was blinded after its construction to ensure no replica could ever be produced.
The House of the Two Golden Bears on Kožná Street dates back to 1403. The wonderfully detailed stone portal was designed by court architect Bonifaz Wohlmut in the 16th century. The two bears, one light smaller than the other, are said to represent the Great Bear (Ursa Major) and Little Bear (Ursa Minor) constellations. Beside each of the bears is a knight that kneels beside them, holding a branch in their hands.
The man on the left is slightly larger than the man on the left. These two figures represent old age and youth. The branch the older man is holding is beginning to dry out while the branch in the younger man’s hand was once painted with green paint to show off its new growth. You can read this as an interpretation of the cycle of life. But there is another reading of this house sign, which symbolized the alchemist’s creation of the elixir of life. Perhaps the young man isn’t ageing at all, but the old man is becoming young again after drinking the elixir of life!
Today, this house is filled with bricked up archways and walled up rooms. Where did they once lead? And what is hidden behind them? No one knows… It was a commonly known rumour that there were underground passageways all over Prague. But what dark accesses were so evil they needed to be locked away, behind brick walls? In 1930, a journalist ventured down into one of the blocked tunnels here in the House of the Black Bears. The poor journalist didn’t reappear for over a week. He had gotten lost in the labyrinth below. When he finally resurfaced, he wouldn’t speak of what he saw, but his dark hair had turned bright white from fright. The house is located right near the Prague Meridian, which was used to determine twelve noon. Any spot near these energetic astrological positions is thought to be a place where great power was practiced.
Despite the name, the Faust House, this house once belonged to naturalist and avid alchemist Prince Vaclav of Opava. It was built especially for him in the 14th century. The name comes from the play Doctor Faustus whose life seems to reflect the stories of those who lived inside these walls. Dr. Faust was an unhappy man who sold his soul to the devil in exchange for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. “Faust” and the adjective “Faustian” implies a situation in which an ambitious person surrenders moral integrity to achieve power and success but at a great cost to their soul. Prince Vaclav, influenced by Emperor Rudolf II, was obsessed with black magic. Even after his death, it seems this house was a draw for anyone involved in the mystical arts.
One of the most famous people rumoured to have lived here is John Dee. Dee was the astrological adviser to Queen Elizabeth I. Before, he was the horoscope writer for Queen Mary but thrown in prisoner as she found astrology to be akin to heresy. But when Queen Elizabeth came into power, she released Dee and had him imployed in her court. Dee’s first task was to go about predicting the most powerful and auspicious day and time for the queen’s coronation. Dee was an important figure in court, and was known to have coined the phrase “the British Empire” and signed his letters with the secret code, ‘007’. A number that would go onto inspire the James Bond novels. But Dee wasn’t satisfied at court. He was obsessed with the idea of contacting angels.
He used crystal balls and spirit mirrors, hoping that these creations could allow him to peer into the unknown. Through this research, he got looped in with our friend, Edward Kelley. Kelley himself had boasted his connection with the godly planes to Dee on multiple visits to England. At the time, Edward Kelley was known as more of a rather unbecoming con-artist and coin forger, so Dee was hesitant to get in bed with him.
Despite his hesitation, curiosity got the best of him. Kelley and Dee would take part in seances where they would claim to speak to the angels. Dee would translate what Kelley would repeat after hearing it from the apparent angel. Dee wrought it all down in a book, and he claimed this language they overheard was the voice of God and the dialect of the angels.
It was the creation of this book of angelic translations that drew Emperor Rudolf’s interest. Dee practiced fasting as a means to contact the beyond, and it was perhaps in these states of vitamin deficient hallucinations that he was able to produce these texts. Rudolf wasn’t a fan of the idea of fasting, but when he heard Dee’s other means of contact, he was more intrigued. Dee also practiced sex rituals, which would put him into a state of ecstasy, during which he could see beyond the veil of reality. Now, this the emperor was keener on.
But it would be just these sex rituals that would end the relationship between Dee and Kelley. One day Kelley came to Dee, stating that he had had a conversation with an angel. She told him that the two men should not just share their experiments but also share in their wives. Dee wasn’t keen on the idea, nor his wife, but Kelley, as a charlatan, was very persuasive. After laying with Dee’s wife, she became pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy, which Dee raised as his own despite clearly being Kelley’s child. Dee left Prague soon after his son’s birth, unable to look at Kelley after what he had done. He went back to England, where Queen Elizabeth made hin warden of Christ’s College, where he served until his death.
It is widely rumoured that John Dee was the inspiration for Shakespeare’s character of Prospero in the play the Tempest. Dee and Shakespeare knew each other from the court of Elizabeth I, and their relationship is something which is legend in the field of mysticism. Dee was described as “tall and slender. He wore a gown like an artist’s gown, with hanging sleeves, and a slit…A very fair, clear sanguine complexion… a long beard as white as milk.” A perfect description of what would become the staple image for mystical wizards in tales to come.
After Dee, astrologer Jakub Krucinek moved into the house with his two sons. The youngest son killed the elder when he discovered the elder son had hidden a secret treasure inside the house. The house was eventually sold to alchemist Ferdinand Antonin Mladota of Solopysky. Famously Mladota would perform experiments inside the house, which would explode and leave holes in the ceiling. A student who moved into the house years later found a book hidden in the walls, which apparently has many references to summoning the devil.
Another quirky resident of the house was Karl Jaenig, who painted the walls with funeral text and slept in a coffin. So something more than fishy is definitely going on here. People speculate the house is a portal to hell, but no one will ever know for sure.
Ema Destinnová, or as she was better known, the Black Lady of Stráž, was a famous Czech opera singer. She made her singing debut in 1898 at the Berlin opera house. Her voice was so beautiful that she travelled worldwide to preform, going as far as the New York Metropolitan Opera house! She is such a pride to the nation that her portrait was even printed on the 2,000 kronor back in 1996. But perhaps unknown to some in these modern days is that she famously dabbled in the occult and loved spiritualism and fortune-telling! Her library featured books on alchemy, astrology, witchcraft, books on herbs, and occultism. She even had a set of tarot cards painted by the artist Robert Schlosser made just for her.
Destinnová bought a chateau for herself in the South of Bohemia. The main reason she was drawn to the castle was because of the spooky book collection. The old owner has amassed a collection of books on the occult. Apparently, Destinnová would host seances in her “ghost room” above the old castle dungeon. When Destinnová died, all her books were auctioned off. The details of her torrid collection were finally revealed but covered up to ensure her legacy was untarnished. She was born here at #7 Kateřinská, now a restaurant. One can only imagine how beginning your life in a city steeped in mysticism would influence your future. After all, she was born a mere few blocks away from the famous Faust house. Was it fate? Or does this city weave a spell over all those who walk its cobblestone streets? You decide.
This brings us to the end of the tour. Hopefully, you enjoyed learning all about the mysterious and mystical history of Prague’s alchemists. I know one of my favourite parts of travelling is learning about these oddities and strange stories. Let me know in the comments what your favourite locations or tale was!
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