This is an elixir of love, made to the specifications of King Rudolf II’s alchemists in Prague
Walking towards the Old Town Square in Prague
A bizarre shop window display near a 16th-century alchemy lab
In Prague’s Old Town, there’s a place most tourists walk right past without ever knowing what lies beneath. Thanks to a flood in 2002, a hidden 16th-century alchemy lab was uncovered—sealed for centuries, untouched, and still holding bottles, books, elixirs and tools from the days of Emperor Rudolf II (1576 to 1612).
Would you buy an elixir of love? How about immortality?
Today, it’s open to the public as the Speculum Alchemiae Museum, and yes—they’re still selling elixirs made from centuries-old recipes from 1583, when Rudolf moved his court to Prague.
A plaque dated 1593 drops us right into the reign of Emperor Rudolf II — the eccentric, alchemy-obsessed Habsburg ruler who turned Prague into the mystical capital of Europe.
- Rudolf invited astrologers, alchemists, magicians, and scientists from all over to work in the city.
- Alchemy labs, like the one in Speculum Alchemiae, often had official patrons in government — city councillors, noblemen, or even imperial appointees.
This is the original alchemy lab in the catacombs under the city
This original furnace once burned day and night as alchemists tried to turn ordinary metals into gold
Walk through the catacombs on a guided tour
Latin translated to English:
“Whoever you are, senator, entering the council chamber for the sake of duty, before passing through this door cast aside all private feelings—hatred, affection, flattery. Submit yourself to the care of the commonwealth and its interests. For as you have been fair or unjust to others, so too shall you expect or endure the judgment of God. In the Year of Our Lord 1593.”
Check out this amazing attraction if you find yourself in Prague: Speculum Alchemiae Museum
Shelves are filled with glass bottles labeled in Latin, just as they might’ve looked in the 1500s.
- Elixir of Love – meant to boost attraction and romantic passion
- Elixir of Eternal Youth – inspired by the alchemists’ quest for longevity
- Elixir of Memory – for clarity of mind and sharpness
- Elixir of Gold – a radiant blend meant to energize and protect
Shelves with various elixirs for sale, including youth, immortality, memory and love
According to legend, in the late 1500s, Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel created a golem—a giant creature made of clay—to protect the Jewish Quarter from persecution
Close up of a love elixir
The entrance of the museum
Behind these doors lies the entrance to Prague’s hidden alchemy lab. What looks like an ordinary bookshelf conceals a secret passage; give it a push, and it swings open to reveal a narrow, spiraling stairwell plunging into the stone catacombs below.
