Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Left
The Golem
Centre
One-Armed Thief
Right
Emaus Monastery
Haunted Places
Ghost tour
Local resident Michal Fried
dons a white cloak each night
and leads visitors through an
after-dark ramble around the Old
Town in search of some of
Prague's ghostly nightlife. To join
the tour, look out for the
ghoulish-looking man standing
beneath the Old Town Hall's
Astronomical Clock
(see p16)
.
The Golem
Rabbi Loew created his clay
robot to help out around the
house. When the creature raised
a ruckus on the sabbath, Loew
was forced to deactivate him and
stashed him in the attic of the
Old-New Synagogue
(see p24)
.
The Iron Man
Believing his fiancée had
been untrue, a knight called off
his wedding. After she drowned
herself in grief, he realized his
mistake and hanged himself.
Every 100 years he “appears” in
Platné∫ská Street, hoping to find
a young woman to free him. His
next appearance is due in 2009.
Turk in Ungelt
Among the merchants who
lived in the T†n settlement
behind the Church of Our Lady
(see p14)
was a Turkish
immigrant. When his betrothed
ran off and married another, he
flew into a rage and chopped her
head off. He is said to wander
around the Ungelt courtyard
carrying the decapitated head.
The Drowned Man
When the bicycle was all the
rage in the late 19th century,
young Bobe∫Ωíma stole one and
rode it into the river. If a
soggy young fellow tries to
sell you a bike near the Old
Town end of Charles
Bridge, just keep walking.
One-Armed Thief
Rumour has it that a
thief sought to steal jewels
from a statue of the
Madonna in the Church of
St James
(see p74)
, but
the stony Virgin seized
him by the arm and
local butchers had
to cut him loose.
According to
some, he still
haunts the
church asking
visitors to help
him fetch his
arm, which
hangs from the
wall inside.
Emaus Devil
In an attempt to
bedevil the monks
at the Emaus
Monastery, Satan
took a job there
as a cook and
seasoned their
food with pepper
and other spices.
To this day, Czech
cuisine has few
piquant flavours.
The Iron Man
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