Portal to Hell: Haunted Houska Castle

Portal to Hell: Haunted Houska Castle

Houska Castle

In a remote part of the Czech Republic’s vast countryside lies a terrifying secret, Houska Castle. This building holds a mysterious past and is rumored to conceal one of the most frightening things imaginable. Many believe that Houska Castle’s only purpose was to serve as a seal to an ancient portal to hell, that once continuously spilled demonic entities upon the local village. Just how did this sinister legend come to be? Are there more claims of the paranormal surrounding Houska Castle?

Most haunted Place in Czech Republic, Houska Castle.
Standing outside of Houska Castle. One of the most haunted places in the Czech Republic.

Houska Castle: A Portal to Hell

Houska Castle is a gothic construction dating back to the late 1200s. Though the building has a long history, the land on which it stands and the legends suggesting it covers a portal to hell are even older.

Portal to tell in Houska Castle.
A creepy mask displayed on the lower level rooms of Houska Castle. Said to conceal a portal to hell.

It is told that a great hole once existed in the land on which Houska Castle is built. Many locals believed it to be bottomless and many more of them believed it was actually a portal to hell. Stories of horrendous beasts appearing from the hole and terrorizing anyone in its general area exist. Some of these demons are described as being winged with the ability to fly, while others are said to be half human half animal.

Houska Castle, portal to hell.
A fake devil on display inside Houska Castle, rumored to be a portal to hell.

This so-called portal to hell terrified most people and resulted in many avoiding the area. It did, however, intrigue some others. There are legends suggesting that human experiments were conducted on the pit. Most famously, a condemned prisoner was offered the chance to go free if he agreed to be lowered into the hole. At the chance of freedom, the prisoner willing accepted these terms. It is told that he was lowered deep into the hole via a piece of rope. Initially, all seemed normal and the prisoner remained silent for some time. Suddenly though, in the hole’s darkness, the prisoner began to shriek and scream in pain. His screams were so intense that he was immediately pulled up to ground level. It is said that whatever happened to the prisoner within the hole sent him completely mad and aged him at least 30 years, turning his hair completely white. He died days later.

Houska Castle Chapel covers portal to hell.
Inside of the Chapel said to directly cover the portal to hell.

As the stories and claims of demonic attacks around this hole increased, which included people being dragged down within it, action had to be taken. Many believe that Houska Castle was erected directly over the top of this hole to conceal it and protect all who lived around it. Namely, the Chapel is said to directly cover the hole. Many believe that some of the frescoes on the walls of this chapel signify this. In particular a painting of a dragon, which is said to be a medieval symbol of evil, and a left-handed centaur arching a bow and arrow. Left-handedness was apparently associated with evil in medieval times. In addition, many claim the only possible reason Houska Castle could serve is to cover this hole. It is said that the castle isn’t built on any trade routes and serves no defensive purpose.

Fresco inside of Houska Castle's chapel.
Fresco of a left-handed female centaur shooting an arrow on the inside of the chapel’s walls. An uncommon thing to be painted within a church of that time.

Haunted Houska Castle

The main stories and legends that surround Houska Castle are that of concealing a gateway to hell. Since this supposed bottomless pit was allegedly covered, many other claims of paranormal occurrences within the castle have come to light.

Courtyard of Houska Castle.
Looking over the castle’s large central courtyard.

Many people have claimed to hear screams and cries emanating from impossible sources around the castle, especially within the chapel. They claim that these occur mostly at night and seem to reverberate through the chapel’s floor. It is theorized that these are demons and trapped souls crying out from the covered portal, which leads to hell.

Room of Castle Houska.
A plush room within the Castle Houska.

Additionally, many people have claimed to sight a headless apparition wandering through the central courtyard of Houska Castle. Many times this apparition has been described as spouting blood streaming from where his missing head should be attached. In addition to this apparition, others claim to have sighted an ugly beast roaming the area surrounding the castle. This beast has been described as a mix between a human, frog and bulldog. Reports of poltergeist activity within the castle also exist.

 

Taxidermy animals of Houska Castle.
One of the castle’s larger rooms displaying taxidermied animals.

 

Visiting Haunted Houska Castle

Visits to Houska Castle are quite interesting. Especially given the history and rumors that surround the place. It is open every day, during the day, except for Monday. The castle can be explored by paying a small fee to join a group guided tour, which departs from the front gate fairly frequently.

Inside Houska Castle.
The beautiful interior of Houska Castle.

To get to the castle is extremely tricky unless you have access to a car. Driving there is no issue. I would advise organizing transport ahead of time.

Forest around Houska Castle.
Exploring the surroundings of Houska Castle, Czech Republic.

if you enjoyed this article and want to explore more haunted places in the nearby city of Prague. Then check out it’s 5 most haunted places.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

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About Amy

Amy is a world traveller and explorer of creepy locations. She has visited some of the most famously haunted places around the world in search of evidence of the paranormal. Follow Amy's Journey:

Comments (2)

  • cjdigio85Christopher

    Posted by cjdigio85Christopher on July 9, 2019

    Hi Amy,

    Hello there! How are you doing? Wonderful, I hope. So, am I.

    Well, a month ago I watched one of your videos about Houska Castle through YouTube.com with closed captions because I am deaf and it made me motivated and wanted to learn about the castle. I really impressed with you because in your videotape with your bravery especially when you used a “screaming radar meter” device and you put it next to the floor where the pithole was sealed by floor and many half-animal/half-human creatures and other evil demons scream and scratch under the floor to examine how loud it was under the floor. I would very much love to visit Houska Castle one day whenever I am in beautiful city of Prague. However I wonder if I can be possessed there (yeah, I know that the pithole has been sealed for many years to just prevent from half-animal and half-human creatures and other evil demons from flying outside from a deep pithole, but how about ghosts around the castle – from the pithole – just like the movie called “The Amityville Horror” movie and some evil ghosts were around the house there and a guy was possessed by some evil ghosts before he killed his family around 3:15 AM, see my point? I am from the United States. Well, in August 1989, my best friend and I drove to East Hampton, a very beautiful costal town – but too pricey town located on Long Island, New York from Washington, DC and when we were on our way to East Hampton on Long Island Expressway known as LIE, I asked him if we can stop at the house in Amityville because I wanted to pictured the house, but he said that we can’t do that because the evil ghosts could have possessed us if we stopped by even if we were about 200 feet away from the house, so I said “okay”. He told me that a very few houses around the house have been empty for years and years because of eerie and creepy sounds. Oh well…. I am sure you know where Amityville and East Hampton are, don’t you?). Wish me a good luck whenever I go there. LOL! I will appreciate it very much if you reply back to me soon. Thanks. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

    Your new fan,
    Christopher

      Amy

      Posted by Amy on July 9, 2019

      Hi Christopher! Thanks for watching my videos and checking out my blog. Houska Castle is a very interesting place with some interesting history. Definitely worth a visit if you can make it over there. Nothing negative happened to me while I was visiting and there isn’t any way to prove that the stories of the castle are true. I guess it comes down to your own personal beliefs as to whether possession can happen. I don’t believe that a person can become possessed just because they visit a supposedly haunted location though. Please let me know if you are able to visit. I’d love to know how you go. Thanks again!

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