A Legit 16th Century Alchemist Laboratory

In 2002, a flood in Prague caused some streets to collapse into a series of unknown underground tunnels.

And just like that, a for-reals alchemist laboratory was discovered in the 21st century. 10 years of discovery, repair, and restoration later, they’re now open for tours.

On the outside, only a house is visible and it was used as a pharmacy in its time. Alchemists were notoriously secretive, so none but those on the inside knew about the tunnel system below where potions were made. In fact many alchemists even created their own languages so they could keep their knowledge away from prying eyes. There are alchemist languages that have still never been decoded/translated into something we can currently understand. The 4 elements were crucial to alchemist beliefs. Also, these devilish looking faces are actually of Moses.He is on the chandelier because he is considered to be an intermediary between God and the people. Due to a translation error of an early edition of The Bible many people actually believed that Moses had horns.

The entrance to the tunnel system was hidden behind a bookcase with a secret switch. Seriously.

The bookcase is an exact replica of the original, which was too damaged to restore. A statue on the right side (in the dark area on the third shelf from the top) is the door knob/switch to the secret sliding door.

There were lots of stuffed animals, bottles, and books. Since few people in Europe at the time had ever seen alligators/crocodiles, they were said to be the bodies of dragons, and were said to help guard the alchemists.

A staircase led us down to the chambers. We were only about 3.5 meters down, which explains why the floods caused a few of the tunnels to collapse. These were not the only tunnels, but these are the only ones that could be restored. There was a tunnel that once led to Prague Castle that is no longer useable along with a tunnel that leads outside the city of Prague(!). Talk about myths becoming reality.

tunnel-chamber — Well-constructed tunnels and work chambers. They even had ventilation!

A room dedicated to herb storage. Many of the herbs in the potions came from China and India. The house was conveniently located by major trade routes.

You can see an alligator (or croc/caiman) above the left side of this chamber. Most of the glassware is original.

The alchemists were so secretive, they did everything themselves, down to making the glassware to put their elixirs! — The alchemists were so secretive, they did everything themselves, down to making the glassware to put their elixirs.

Left: a stone in the wall that covered a hidden vault. Historians uncovered that it held a single bottle of 'The Elixir of Life' and the recipes for it, and the elixirs of love and memory. The original bottle is preserved in the glass casing on the bookshelf. — Left: a stone in the wall that covered a hidden vault in the underground tunnels. Historians uncovered that it held a single bottle of ‘The Elixir of Life’ and the recipes for it, and the elixirs of love and memory. The original bottle is preserved in the glass casing on the bookshelf.

Alchemy was supported by Emperor Rudolf II in the 16th century. He funded their experiments and work, benefiting from the elixir of life and love in particular, until his death. Once he died, alchemists lost funding and support for their work, and hid all their work.

Luckily, a vault underground held a single bottle of ‘The Elixir of Life’ and the recipes for it, and the elixirs of love and memory. Monks now recreate the elixirs exactly as detailed in the instructions and each of the elixirs (and blends!) are for sale in their shop. The only change is that the Elixir of Life does not contained opium as is instructed, since it’s now illegal.

potions-2 — Elixir on the right is a blend, I think it’s of Elixir of Memory + Elixir of Love. It was Jon’s favorite bottle.

What beautiful souvenirs!!! The elixir on the right, “Aurum potabile” is made of plants that are said to absorb the properties of gold in the land. Those are actual gold flakes in the liquid. It's said to bring the user happiness and luck. — What beautiful souvenirs!!! The elixir on the right, “Aurum potabile” is made of plants that are said to absorb the properties of gold in the land. Those are actual gold flakes in the liquid. It’s said to bring the user happiness and luck.

How I wish we could have taken some home, but alas, it’ll have to wait for another visit.

A Legit 16th Century Alchemist Laboratory

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