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 - beginning of XIII 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.
Water Paradise is a water park in Jihlava, open all year round. In cold weather, there is an indoor water park, which offers visitors a variety of water attractions: a 108-meter slide, a wild river, an outdoor heated pool, a children's pool, massage jets, a jacuzzi, bubble baths, waterfalls, a solarium, a massage room, a sauna and a Russian bath. bathhouse On the territory of the water park there is a cafe and a playroom for children.
In the summer, in addition to the water park, there is also an outdoor swimming pool, which has an 85-meter slide, a castle on the water and a wild river. Outdoors there is a multi-purpose sports court where you can play tennis, football, volleyball and a beach volleyball court.
The ticket price includes a sauna, steam room, water attractions and water slides. Massage and solarium operate at a separate price list.
Fortress wall
The fortress wall in Jihlava was erected during the formation of the city in the 13th and 14th centuries. They performed a defensive and military function; the city had a strategic position on the border of Bohemia and Moravia. The walls represent stone structure, six meters high and an external ditch, the depth of which reached seven meters. The walls had five gates, which were equipped with complex drawbridges across the moat.
Since the 18th century, the walls gradually began to be dismantled; at the beginning of the 19th century, four gates were demolished; their narrow passages did not allow the movement of transport. Only one gate of the Mother of God was preserved, which became the hallmark of the city of Jihlava.
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Catacombs of Jihlava
The city of Jihlava was founded by German colonists back in the thirteenth century during the Middle Ages. The city has its own secrets and mysteries, the source of which is the Jihlava catacombs.
One version claims that they arose during the development of silver mines by German colonists, another - that they were dug by city residents to hide there during fires and during wars. The enemies who entered Jihlava found the city deserted, as all the inhabitants took refuge in the dungeon city.
The network of underground corridors with an area of more than 5 hectares stretches 25 km long and is not 12-12 m deep. On the first of the three floors of the catacombs, supplies of water and food were stored, which allowed people to hide underground for a very long time and come to the surface at night, attacking enemies by surprise.
During the construction of the catacombs, some of the miners died under the collapses, and who knows how many of them were buried alive under Jihlava... In the middle of the last century, the catacombs collapsed so much that some city streets simply began to collapse, then some of the walls were strengthened with concrete.
Archaeologists conduct research in the catacombs, and sometimes they have to deal with mysterious and inexplicable phenomena. During one of the expeditions, the sounds of an organ echoed through the corridors. According to legend, an overly virtuosic young organist was walled up alive in a dungeon by the Inquisition, allegedly selling his soul for talent. Organ music now sounds underground on the day of his execution.
Archaeologists encountered another mystery at a depth of eleven meters in a remote corridor of the catacombs, discovering a luminous staircase emitting a red-orange light. In addition to the stairs, an entire corridor was found, the walls of which glowed with a luminescent greenish light, so bright that one could read with it. Immediately, theories began to multiply, explaining the phenomenon of glow in different ways, but why the walls of the catacombs and stairs glow, from where organ music sounds at a depth of ten meters, and in general, who and why built the catacombs in Jihlava has not yet been established.
The Gate of the Mother of God in the center of Jihlava is the remains of the medieval city wall and the only one of the five gates that has survived. The gate is considered a symbol of the city, and its image is often used on tourist postcards.
The Gate of the Mother of God is a 24-meter-high stone tower with interior spaces, the facade is decorated with a clock. The fortress wall and gate were erected in the 13th century; the gate was rebuilt and repaired several times.
Here it is information Center for tourists, as well as an observation deck. In addition, art exhibitions are held in the gate premises.
Gustav Mahler House
The Gustav Mahler House in Jihlava presents an exhibition dedicated to the world famous Austrian conductor and composer Gustav Mahler (1860-1911), considered one of the greatest symphonic composers and conductors late XIX– beginning of the 20th century.
The house museum recreates the environment in which Mahler spent his youth and formation. The exhibition is divided into several parts:
Family of Gustav Mahler - where antique furniture, interior items, musical instruments, photographs and other things.
Gustav Mahler - Czech, German and Jewish culture, mainly featuring printed materials, interactive displays and documentary film.
Alma and Gustav – an exhibition-narrative by Alma’s wife about her husband Gustav.
Church of St. James
The Church of St. James is the largest church in Jihlava. It is located in Jacob's Square.
The church was originally built during the founding of the city as a Romanesque basilica. But after some time it was demolished and a new building was built in the Gothic style. In 1257, the church was consecrated, in the 14th century one tower was completed, and a century later - another, in which a bell was placed. In 1523, the church was badly damaged by fire; its restoration took 40 years. The new look of the church became baroque. In the Church of St. James there is the second largest bell in Moravia, its height is 1.82 meters and its weight is 7 tons.
One of the church towers, 63 meters high, serves as observation deck, overlooking the city square and main attractions. Since 2008, the temple has been declared a national cultural monument of the Czech Republic.
Gustav Mahler Park
Gustav Mahler Park is located in the historical center of Jihlava and extends over 6 hectares. Gustav Mahler (1860-1911), a native of Jihlava, is a world-famous Austrian conductor and composer, considered one of the greatest symphonic composers and conductors of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In the center of the park there is a bronze monument to the composer, surrounded by stone birds and fish, symbolizing Mahler’s music. Ten jets of water represent the number of symphonies he wrote. The park itself is beautiful and unusual in appearance; there are soft lawns, a pond, intricate stone elements, beautiful flower beds and fountains. The foundations of a former synagogue burned by the Nazis have been preserved in the park.
The park was opened in 2010 on the 150th anniversary of the birth of Gustav Mahler.
Miroshov Castle
The Baroque Mirosov Castle is the jewel of the village of the same name, near the town of Jihlava. The estate was built at the beginning of the 18th century and is a rectangular two-story building with a mansard roof and balconies. There is a park next to the castle.
During the Second World War the castle was used by the Nazis, and during the communist period the castle was destroyed. Only in the 70s of the last century did the restoration of the building begin.
Currently, the main wing of the castle is open to tourists; on the ground floor there is an exhibition on the history of the estate. Wedding ceremonies are held in the castle.
The most popular attractions in Jihlava with descriptions and photographs for every taste. Choose the best places to visit famous places Jihlava on our website.
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
In the 1270s, silver ores were discovered in this part of the Czech Republic, silver miners immediately flocked here and, by order of King Otakar II, built a city next to the mines. Very soon it became one of the largest and richest cities in the Czech Republic with developed crafts and trade. After a couple of hundred years, the silver deposits were depleted and the “silver rush” in the city came to an end. It is known that by the 18th-19th centuries Jihlava was settled by the Germans, but after a while they were again replaced by the Czechs.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, in the catacombs local residents barrels of beer and wine were hidden, 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
Since during the construction and subsequent expansion of the catacombs several centuries ago people periodically died under the rubble, there are still rumors among the local population about ghosts wandering through the underground labyrinth.
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
Some visitors to the catacombs claim that they clearly heard the sounds of an organ in the tunnels. The testimony of archaeologists who worked in the catacombs in the 1990s added fuel to the fire. Then the whole expedition stated that they heard organ music in one of the underground corridors. Since the experts who studied their testimony immediately ruled out mass insanity, and there was nowhere to find an organ at a 10-meter depth, no one understood what exactly the archaeologists heard.
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 subsequently 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.
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.
Mysterious story catacombs
In the 1270s, silver ores were discovered in this part of the Czech Republic, silver miners immediately flocked here and, by order of King Otakar II, built a city next to the mines. Very soon it became one of the largest and richest cities in the Czech Republic with developed crafts and trade. After a couple of hundred years, the silver deposits were depleted and the “silver rush” in the city came to an end. It is known that by the 18th-19th centuries Jihlava was settled by the Germans, but after a while they were again replaced by the Czechs.
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
Since during the construction and subsequent expansion of the catacombs several centuries ago people periodically died under the rubble, there are still rumors among the local population about ghosts wandering through the underground labyrinth.
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
Some visitors to the catacombs claim that they clearly heard the sounds of an organ in the tunnels. The testimony of archaeologists who worked in the catacombs in the 1990s added fuel to the fire. Then the whole expedition stated that they heard organ music in one of the underground corridors. Since the experts who studied their testimony immediately ruled out mass insanity, and there was nowhere to find an organ at a 10-meter depth, no one understood what exactly the archaeologists heard.
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.
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...
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