The drive to the castle winds through the wooded hills of Bohemia, each bend bringing a sweeping view more beautiful than the last: lush green fields on the flanks, and little villages, roofs covered in terracotta tiles, down in the valleys. The road seems to narrow. This historical region of Czechia feels more remote with each new turn.
And up in the skies, trouble looms. The clouds darken, a storm gathering ahead. Arriving and stepping out of the car at Hrad Svojanov, a hilltop royal castle that dates back to the 13th century, I’m welcomed by a flash of lightning. My vague feeling of dread is accompanied by a long, low rumble of thunder. Surely, it’s a sign of things to come.
Why did I agree to spend a night, alone, in one of Czechia’s most haunted castles?
