Mysterious catacombs of Jihlava. Underground Czech Republic: the mystical catacombs of Jihlava The legend of a strange radiance

The Czech Republic is not only home to amazing natural attractions and unique architectural structures containing echoes of various centuries and human destinies, but also an underground world that beckons with its mystery and mysticism. The underground attractions of the “land of castles” are represented not only by the numerous caves of the Moravian Karst, but also by the unique catacombs of Jihlava, an ancient town whose history dates back to the Middle Ages. This place is located just 100 km from Prague, so if you want to come into contact with unsolved medieval mysteries, you should definitely visit Jihlava and its catacombs, considered one of the most mysterious underground labyrinths in the world.

The creation of the Jihlava catacombs dates back to approximately the same period as the emergence of the city itself - the beginning of the 13th century. But this is where the first mysteries arise. For what purposes and by whom these tunnels were built - historians have never been able to give a definite answer. The most plausible version of the origin of the Jihlava catacombs connects their appearance with silver mines, because in the Middle Ages this Czech city was considered one of the largest silver mining centers. Some believe that these underground labyrinths arose as a result of the need for numerous warehouses.

Whatever the goal of the creators of the Jihlava catacombs, they managed to create a real underground kingdom of the Czech Republic, the scale of which is simply amazing. The total area of ​​the underground labyrinths is at least 5 hectares, while their length is 25 km. The entire old part of the city is literally crossed by underground tunnels located in three tiers at a depth of 4 to 15 m from the surface. The figures characterizing the Jihlava catacombs are impressive, but only a small part of this underground world is accessible to the excursion route. In total, about 10 km are available to tourists, which cover 2 excursion routes. A walk through the Jihlava catacombs provides a dose of unique underground experiences, including the opportunity to admire a museum exhibition dedicated to the working life of medieval miners.

But this underground world would not be so attractive if not for numerous mystical stories in which the truth is so subtly intertwined with fiction and guesswork, which turns excursions through the Jihlava catacombs into one of the most fascinating options for getting to know the legends of the Czech Republic. The thrill of listening to these chilling legends while being in a gloomy medieval dungeon is simply off the charts. Here, willy-nilly, you begin to believe in everything that the guide talks about so enthusiastically.

Most of all, the Jihlava catacombs keep mystical stories about those buried alive, and no one knows how many people actually found their last refuge here. One of the most famous legends is the tale of a young musician walled up alive in the walls of the catacombs, whom the “holy fathers”-inquisitors accused of conspiring with evil spirits. It is here that the mystical component of the Jihlava catacombs creeps in, because they say that the sounds of music are still heard from time to time in these underground tunnels, and it is simply impossible to explain this phenomenon from the point of view of sound logic.

Even more impressive is the story of a glowing staircase and a shimmering tunnel that were discovered by archaeologists while exploring these Czech catacombs. The staircase, emitting a bright orange color in the dark, seems like a bold game of lighting engineers, but in fact none of its contemporaries had a hand in lighting it. Studies have shown the absence of any substances that could cause such a strange glowing effect. Legends say that such light is emitted by the relics of monks buried alive. But recent research has shed a drop of truth on these mysterious emissions from the Jihlava catacombs. It turned out that the walls of the shimmering tunnel were covered with an unusual chemical solution. But who and why gave one of the labyrinths such an effect is a mystery covered in the medieval darkness of the Jihlava dungeons.

In the southeast of the Czech Republic there is a beautiful town called Jihlava. It is literally crammed with attractions - there are the most beautiful churches, the famous Town Hall, and the Gate of the Mother of God. But the greatest interest among tourists is caused by a mysterious place filled with a huge number of rumors and legends. These are catacombs dug many centuries ago that run through the entire city. Many of the visitors claim that strange phenomena occur in the dungeon.

The mysterious history of the catacombs

It has not been established exactly when the first catacombs appeared under the city. According to the latest version of scientists, they were dug at the turn of the 13th–14th centuries.

Most likely, a rich and prosperous city needed large warehouses to store food. According to historians, local residents hid barrels of beer and wine in the catacombs, fruits and vegetables were also stored here, and some rooms were even workshops in which artisans worked.

The underground corridors, dug at a depth of 12 meters, stretch for 25 kilometers and pass through the entire city.

During the Second World War, local residents used these catacombs as a bomb shelter, although the Germans who occupied the city tried to close most of them for their own safety, because they also mastered these underground passages.

Since the second half of the last century, the Jihlava Dungeon attraction has become accessible to tourists. Visitors can explore several kilometers of underground corridors, which were previously reinforced with concrete to ensure safety and prevent destruction.

Every half hour, tour groups depart from the main entrance to the catacombs, located in the courtyard of the Church of St. Ignatius. To add to the mystery, the workers of the “underground museum” at some point turn off the lights for visitors. Fortunately, only for a while. Moving lights add mystery.

For several decades now, the most incredible rumors have been circulating about the Jihlava catacombs. These legends are passed down from mouth to mouth.

Ghost Legend

Some say that these are the souls of the dead, others that they are terrible vampires. And although there is not a single person who has actually seen these ghosts, especially impressionable people still believe in them.

The Legend of the Young Organist

But the townspeople immediately found an explanation for these sounds. After all, according to one of the urban legends, five centuries ago in the city there lived a young man who played the organ amazingly beautifully and masterfully. He produced such unearthly sounds on this instrument that the inquisitors considered his talent a “gift” of evil spirits. The musician was walled up alive in one of the underground corridors, and now the spirit of the deceased allegedly continues to make organ sounds, wandering through the labyrinths.

The Legend of the Strange Light

The most mysterious attraction of the Jihlava dungeons is the glowing corridor. This phenomenon was first discovered in the catacombs by amateur speleologists in 1990. This short section of path emits a greenish light even when the electricity is turned off.

For a long time, the cause of this glow was considered to be mystical forces, but later an analysis of the floor and wall coverings showed that it contained phosphorescent substances. Another corridor - which is rumored to glow even brighter than the first - was discovered under the city library building, but tourists are not yet allowed into this place. It was in this room, according to some sources, that the Nazis set up barracks for soldiers during the war.

One of the stairs in the catacombs also glows, but the reason for its glow has not yet been established. By the way, the shade of its glow is not greenish, but red-orange.

One of the legends says that Nazi researchers conducted some scientific experiments in this place during the Second World War. A chemical analysis of the coating of one of the luminous corridors, carried out by Czech specialists, showed the presence in its coating of a mixture of barite and wurtzite (a phosphor that accumulates energy and gives a glow). And since part of the premises was occupied by German anti-aircraft troops during the war, the Nazis could well have used it as illumination or actually experimented with applying some kind of luminous information signs.

But the story does not hide any mysticism. It was built by an ordinary peasant. True, how he was able to create such a masterpiece is amazing in itself.

The catacombs of the small town of Jihlava, located in the southeast of the Czech Republic, are a place shrouded in many mysteries and secrets that modern science has not yet been able to solve.

Three-tiered dungeons, the total length of which reaches 25 kilometers, pass under the entire historical center of the city. According to researchers, the construction of the Jihlava catacombs began in the Middle Ages, at the end of the 13th - beginning of the 14th centuries. The reasons why these mysterious dungeons were built are still controversial.

Perhaps these are traces of the activities of miners who extracted silver ore, or a unique system of shelters in which city residents hid during wars and fires. In any case, the construction of the catacombs was hard and dangerous work, and who knows how many medieval builders were buried alive under granite collapses. It's no surprise that this gloomy place has given rise to many ghost stories.

Today, like many years ago, the phenomenal events taking place in the Jihlava catacombs continue to excite the imagination of lovers of adventure and mysteries. To the legends about the mystical events that took place in the catacombs that have been preserved since ancient times, eyewitness accounts who encountered inexplicable phenomena continue to be added today.

They say that at midnight in one of the corridors of medieval underground passages the sounds of an organ are heard; ghosts and other supernatural phenomena have been observed here. Scientists who previously rejected ancient legends about mysterious dungeons as “anti-scientific” are forced to pay attention to more and more reliable testimony.

So, in 1996, a group of archaeologists conducting research at a depth of ten meters heard the sounds of an organ absolutely clearly. A thorough search confirmed that there was not a single room nearby that could contain a musical instrument. Psychologists who subsequently examined the eyewitnesses ruled out the possibility of massive auditory hallucinations.

Local residents explain what happened in their own way. There is a legend about a brilliant young organist who lived in Jihlava in the 15th century. The Inquisition explained the young man’s amazing skill as a deal with the devil and, as a result, the talented musician was walled up alive in one of the dungeons. It is believed that sad organ music can be heard every year on the day of the organist's death.

The main sensation was the discovery by archaeologists of a “luminous staircase” in one of the least explored underground passages, the existence of which even local old-timers did not know. The samples taken did not confirm the presence of phosphorus. According to eyewitnesses, at first glance the staircase does not make an impression - nothing special, but gradually it begins to emit an increasing reddish-orange light. Even if you turn off the lantern aimed at the stairs, the glow of the stairs does not stop, its intensity does not decrease. In attempts to explain the nature of this glow, a version was put forward about secret scientific research carried out in the dungeons by the Nazis during the Second World War.

In addition, in one of the remote branches of the metro, passing through the catacombs, a unique corridor was discovered, the walls of which emit a soft greenish light. The mystery of the green glow of the walls in this corridor has been partially solved. Chemical analysis of the samples taken confirmed the presence of a small amount of willemite (zinc silicate), which is characterized by bright green luminescence. This rare mineral, which crystallized on the walls, after illumination also creates a special pattern reminiscent of numbers and letters.

Photo: Lubos Pavlicek/itras.cz

In the 60s of the last century, certain sections of the catacombs were so destroyed that some streets in the city center simply began to collapse. The need for restoration of the catacombs became obvious, so the walls of many dungeons were strengthened with concrete. Since 1990, the professionally fortified part of the tunnels has become accessible to tourists.

So why were the mysterious Jihlava catacombs built? For what reason does music sound and strange light emit in the depths of the dungeons? There are still no reliable answers to all these questions. There are only legends, assumptions and hypotheses.

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The small town of Jihlava, located in the southeast of the Czech Republic, or rather its catacombs, is a place shrouded in many mysteries and secrets that modern science has not yet been able to solve.

Catacombs are the artificial underground structures of the city of Jihlava in South Moravia. The construction of the catacombs began in the 13th century. They say that sometimes in the medieval corridors of underground passages the sounds of music are heard, the presence of otherworldly forces is felt and supernatural phenomena occur.

Scientists who previously rejected ancient legends about mysterious dungeons as “anti-scientific” are forced to pay attention to more and more reliable testimony, which cannot but be alarming.

In the summer of 1996, an archaeological expedition worked in Jihlava and came to the conclusion that the local catacombs hide secrets that science is not yet able to unravel. Scientists have testified that several times in the place indicated by legends they clearly heard the sounds of an organ.

The underground passage where this happened is located at a depth of 10 meters and, as they have precisely established, there is not a single room near it where such a tool could be located, so the possibility of an accidental error is excluded. Psychologists who examined eyewitnesses reject the possibility of a mass auditory hallucination.

The main sensation was the discovery by archaeologists of a “luminous staircase” in one of the least explored underground passages, the existence of which even local old-timers did not know. The samples taken did not confirm the presence of phosphorus.

According to eyewitnesses, at first glance the staircase does not make an impression - nothing special, but gradually it begins to emit an increasing reddish-orange light. Even if you turn off the lantern aimed at the stairs, the glow of the stairs does not stop, and its intensity does not decrease. Many people are concerned that the source of the strange light has not yet been found.

There is also an opinion that the Jihlava Catacombs are not as uninhabited as they were originally thought to be. One of the local old-timers convinced the expedition that his grandfather, here in South Moravia, encountered a real vampire and only a miracle helped him escape from his pursuer. Perhaps there, deep underground, in some undiscovered dungeon, something intelligent still lives and unknown organ music is proof of this...

Photo - Catacombs of Jihlava

Video - Catacombs of Jihlava

The city of Jihlava is located in the southeast of the Czech Republic. At first glance, an ordinary administrative facility located on the river of the same name is no different from other similar regional centers in the republic. But there is one peculiarity. Under this town are hidden mysterious underground passages built during the Middle Ages. The construction of the dungeon dates back to approximately the 13th-14th centuries.

Tell me, what's remarkable here? Maybe these are mines or shelters? You never know what can be built underground! Maybe. But the Czech catacombs are causing more and more controversy and speculation every day. And all because inexplicable phenomena occur here. Which? Let's go further, I will tell you about the five secrets of the Czech catacombs.

Mystery No. 1. Organ sounds

Eyewitnesses claim that at midnight in the dungeon you can hear the sounds of an organ. For a long time, these stories were refuted, but after a scientific excursion in 1996, a group of archaeologists personally encountered this amazing phenomenon. Scientists were discouraged. The catacombs are located 10 meters underground, so sounds from outside could not be heard. And there were no separate rooms from which the melody could be heard.

Of course, this can be explained by mass hallucinations. But there are several BUTs.

Firstly, the psychological state of the researchers was checked by specialists and any deviations were excluded.

Secondly, how can one explain the absolutely identical nature of hallucinations. As they say, people go crazy alone. Yes, and in different ways.

Third, scientists are not ordinary visitors expecting miracles and mysticism. These are, first of all, skeptics who want to dispel myths. It is unlikely that the incomprehensible sounds can be explained by the imagination of these people. After all, it usually seems to us what we want to see. Here everything is the other way around. Which is strange. Is not it?

The Legend of the Czech Catacombs

Legend has it that in the 15th century in Jihlava there lived a talented young man who captivated the townspeople with his playing of the organ. His music so captivated listeners that the Inquisition considered it a gift from the underworld and a deal with an evil spirit. The young man was convicted. The reprisal against the musician was extremely cruel. He was walled up alive within the walls of the catacombs. Since then, the sad sounds of the organ have been heard here at night, reminiscent of medieval injustice and ignorance.

Mystery 2. Encounter with ghosts

Czech catacombs scare visitors with ghostly shadows. Many eyewitnesses claim to have seen ghosts in the dungeon. These statements can neither be refuted nor proven. However, this place is really very dark. Especially if you imagine how many builders could have been buried alive here during the construction of the catacombs. At that time, such work was a very risky undertaking.

Mystery 3. Glowing staircase

This discovery was not a guess from curious tourists or locals. The “luminous staircase” was noticed by scientists while exploring underground passages. Surprisingly, at first the staircase makes absolutely no impression, but gradually when observing it, it begins to emit a reddish-orange color. Do you think phosphorus? But no! This chemical element was not detected in the samples taken. Then scientists began to look for the reason... They searched for a long time, but to no avail. Everything had to be attributed to secret scientific research by the Nazis during World War II. But the secret remained unsolved.

Mystery 4. Green corridor

The Czech catacombs are also famous for their unique corridor, emitting a soft green tint. When lighting the walls of the corridor, a special unusual pattern is created that resembles letters and numbers. True, this mystery has found its explanation. Analysis of the samples taken showed the presence of the rare mineral willemite. This chemical element is characterized by green luminescence. But why did he appear only in this place of the catacombs? It's not clear yet. For me personally. And you?

Mystery 5. Why were the Czech catacombs built?

The mystery of the origin of the catacombs will probably remain unrevealed. They could be a mine, a shelter, or even a place of residence. What people can think of about this place in their spare time. Everyone will have their own answer to this question. What do you think?