Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Czechia Želízy The Devil Heads

The Devil Heads

Two monstrous faces loom over a village in Czechia.

Želízy, Czechia

Annetta Black profile photo
Added By
Annetta Black
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The Devil’s Heads.   Petr1868 – Vlastní dílo/cc by-sa 3.0
An artist’s depiction of the sculptures.   Jedudedek/public domain
The Devil’s Heads.   Richenza/cc by-sa 3.0
Portrait of Vaclav Levi, sculptor of monsters.   Jan Vilímek/public domai
  Nightchild / Atlas Obscura User
  ahvenas / Atlas Obscura User
  ahvenas / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

A disturbing sight awaits hikers exploring the forest above the village of Želízy in Kokořínsko, a protected landscape area in Czechia. There, two enormous demonic faces carved from the native stone stare back with empty eyes.

Created by Vaclav Levy in the mid-1800s, the nearly 30-foot-tall stone heads are known locally as Certovy Hlavy or the "The Devil Heads." They have been a local attraction for generations. Other carvings by the artist, including artificial caves and scenes inspired by fairy tales, adorn nearby rock faces.

Now suffering slightly from the ravages of time and weather, the faces have grown less distinct over time, but no less disturbing.

Places

Discover your next amazing Atlas Place.

Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter.

Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Related Tags

Giant Heads Sculptures Outsider Art

Know Before You Go

You can see the rock faces from the street.

Community Contributors

Annetta Black profile photo

Added By

Annetta Black

vturiserra profile photo G grauls profile photo Sebastian Wortys profile photo vaclavsulista profile photo

Edited By

vturiserra, grauls, Sebastian Wortys, vaclavsulista...

  • vturiserra profile photo vturiserra
  • G grauls profile photo grauls
  • Sebastian Wortys profile photo Sebastian Wortys
  • vaclavsulista profile photo vaclavsulista
  • Nightchild profile photo Nightchild
  • C Cassandrecrz profile photo Cassandrecrz

Published

May 9, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%8Certovy_hlavy
  • http://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A1clav_Lev%C3%BD
The Devil Heads
Želízy
Czechia
50.420371, 14.464596

Nearby Places

Harfenice Cave

Želízy, Czechia

miles away

Melník Chapel of Bones

Melnik, Czechia

miles away

Skalní obydlí Lhotka (Cliff Dwelling in Lhotka)

Lhotka, Czechia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Želízy

Želízy

Czechia

Places 2

Nearby Places

Harfenice Cave

Želízy, Czechia

miles away

Melník Chapel of Bones

Melnik, Czechia

miles away

Skalní obydlí Lhotka (Cliff Dwelling in Lhotka)

Lhotka, Czechia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Želízy

Želízy

Czechia

Places 2

Related Stories and Lists

39 New Places in the Second-Edition Atlas Obscura Book

List

By Dylan Thuras

Curious and Compelling Statues in the Czech Republic

hidden

Sponsored By CzechTourism

Related Places

  • Two Spirits Carving

    Vancouver, British Columbia

    Two Spirits Carving

    A mysterious sculpture is hidden in Vancouver's Stanley Park.

  • Head of Melpomene.

    Yorkshire, England

    'Relics in The Landscape'

    A unique sculpture park that features the works of several famed artists.

  • Sno Giant Head Sculptures

    Georgia

    Sno Giant Head Sculptures

    Georgia’s answer to Easter Island immortalizes the nation’s great poets, artists, and leaders in stone glory.

  • 'Giganticus Headicus'

    Kingman, Arizona

    'Giganticus Headicus'

    A tribute to the statues of Easter Island along Route 66.

  • Bomarzo Monster

    Bomarzo, Italy

    The Monsters of Bomarzo

    A 16th-century horror show built in a lovely Italian garden.

  • ‘La Grande Assiette Brisée’ (‘The Large Broken Plate’)

    La Louvière, Belgium

    ‘La Grande Assiette Brisée’ (‘The Large Broken Plate’)

    This surprising work of art reminds us that La Louvière was once home to one of Europe’s most famous stoneware factories.

  • ‘Black Holocaust Memorial’

    Savannah, Georgia

    ‘Black Holocaust Memorial’

    Papier-mâché folk art recognizing horrors of slave trade.

  • Gene Frankel Theater

    New York, New York

    'Dreams of Hyperion'

    A unique collection of figures perform down the facade of the Gene Frankel Theatre.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2026 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.