The Mystery of Komorní hůrka

An adit opens on the slope of this extinct volcano (503 m), dug at the instigation of J. W. Goethe and K. Šternberk to investigate its geology. People say the son of the king of the dwarfs once came from the far north, settled on Komorní hůrka and lit a fire. But his cauldron overturned, spilling boiling water in every direction and creating the local mineral springs. The underground fire then erupted, destroyed the dwarfs’ palace and burned for a long time through an opening in the summit. As punishment for their carelessness, the dwarfs could not build a new palace and lived only in dark caves. People described them as good beings who richly rewarded services with gold. Otherwise shy, they entertained themselves with singing and dancing, especially on moonlit nights. They supposedly remained until the noise of machines and church bells drove them away.