Psychiatric Hospital & Abandoned Cemetery

Far more than any other kind of sickness, mental illnesses have for centuries been subject to prejudices and even brutal treatments. The beautiful grounds of the Bohnice Psychiatric Hospital provide the perfect start for a walk-through time. This journey through the institution’s history will also allow you to explore the origins of psychiatry in Europe.

On this tour, you will be taken to the still-functioning Bohnice Psychiatric Clinic on the outskirts of the centre of Prague. We will provide you with a unique and detailed insight into the establishment’s history and the methods used on patients suffering from mental disorders, which may be seen today as both shocking and incomprehensible. From mystic rituals in Medieval times to more recent treatments such as lobotomies, we will take you on a historical ride into the field of psychiatry. This will also include a reflection on treatments influenced by the financial interests of the pharmaceutical industry, which at times only further enhanced the harm done to patients and their loved ones. This breathtaking walk through the institution’s grounds will allow every enthusiast to be closer to the tragic past of many of Bohemia’s stigmatised patients.

This eerie promenade will also lead you toward the Asylum’s famous abandoned graveyard where patients, criminals, and many other lost souls were once laid to rest. However, tread carefully on the way; the forgotten souls who have never found peace may still roam around the clinic's seemingly tranquil grounds.