Houska Castle Pit

The Chapel of the Houska Castle in the Czech Republic is supposedly constructed over a bottomless pit that is allegedly a “gateway to Hell.” The castle was built with no fortifications, no water, no kitchen, near no trade routes, and with no occupants at its time of completion. Legend has it that when construction began in the castle, death row inmates were offered a pardon if they consented to be lowered by rope into the hole, and report back on what they saw. When the first person was lowered, he began screaming after a few seconds, and when pulled back to the surface he looked as if he had aged 30 years. He had grown wrinkles and his hair had turned white.