Away from the overtly touristy crowd of Prague is the beautiful quaint town of Kutna Hora, an ideal getaway from Prague for a day of sightseeing.
Before visiting Prague, I'd read some exciting things about this town of about 21,000 inhabitants that houses the famous Bone Chapel made with 40,000 human bones!!
And this fact is sure to catch anyone's fancy......
A roadside bistro welcoming guests with a human skeleton on its entrance!
About Kutna Hora
Kutna Hora is more than just the Bone Castle. As the legend goes, towards the end of the 13th century, a monk discovered a silver stick jutting out of the ground. He covered it with his habit and ran to spread the word around that he had spotted silver deposits in the town.
Kutna in Czech means a monk's habit and Hora means mountain, thus, the town came to be called Kutna Hora.
Soon, German miners from the neighbouring states started pouring in to work in the silver mines.
By the turn of the century, Kutna Hora had become a prominent silver mining hub and a very prosperous town in the Kingdom of Bohemia. Over the years, the town witnessed many wars and political upheavals and exchanged hands between dynasties.
By the end of the 18th century, the mines were abandoned and the town of the 'Silver Rush' had lost its power and charm.
But even when you visit it today, you can see a reflection of its prosperous past in the beautiful Gothic and Baroque architecture of its buildings.
Some valuable tips on Kutna Hora
- Direct trains for Kutna Hora leave Prague every two hours every morning. You can easily buy tickets on the day of travel. Tickets cost about 120 CZK one way.
- The train ride takes about an hour to cover a distance of 83 kilometres.
- Remember, if you buy a return ticket from Prague for a day trip to Kutna Hora, then you can use the local transport in Kutna Hora free for a day.
Make it a point to enquire about Prague Integrated Transport tickets (PID) at the ticket counter in Prague while buying tickets.
- We contemplated going with a tour operator to save time but then decided against it. And gladly so! Because then we would have missed the leisurely loitering around in this quaint pretty town that is an attraction in itself.
The town lacks a touristy vibe, it's quiet and laid back, which translates into lesser crowds.
- Once you reach Kutna Hora, get down at the main train station called Kutna Hora Hlvani Nadrazi with the acronym hl.n. This station falls on the main line.
- If you want to go to the city centre first, then you will have to take a connecting local train to Kutna Hora Mesto or Town. This ride will be included in your ticket.
- I'd read on many forums about changing trains at the main station to go to Kutna Hora Mesto or Town which is the city centre, from where most people start their sightseeing.
I feel that changing trains to go to the city centre first is pointless when one can start sightseeing by getting down at the main train station. This way you save valuable time.
- Get down at the main station and start walking towards the city. A 15-minute walk through the city will take you to the first point in your sightseeing itinerary i.e. The Church of the Assumption of our Lady or the Sedlec Cathedral.
- Right across the road from this church is the booking centre where you can buy combined tickets for the church, the Bone Chapel and St. Barbara's Cathedral. Also, there are toilets and drinking water available here. You can see many tourists filling up their water bottles for the day ahead.
There are 5 important sights to see if you have a day at your disposal.
- Sedlec Cathedral and Ossuary, popularly known as the Bone Chapel
- The town boasts a beautiful Historic Town Centre with the imposing St. Barbara's Cathedral
- Plague Column of the Virgin Mary Immaculate
- Stone Fountain on Rejsek Square.
- Czech Silver Museum
Around Kutna Hora
Sedlec Cathedral or The Church of the Assumption of Our Lady
This church will fall first on your way if you plan to walk from the main train station into town as I've mentioned earlier in this post.
The church is 700 years old and very well maintained for that. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is fairly simple to look at from the outside.
The church combines Baroque and Gothic architectural styles with beautiful frescos adorning its ceiling.
My Tip -
This is an active community church, nothing spectacular but a nice way to start your day in Kutna Hora.
As we entered the church, a detailed pamphlet was handed over to us with details of its history and many baroque vaults. I found this quite insightful. It was a very peaceful place, we saw a lot of people sitting inside enjoying the serenity.
Sedlec Ossuary or Bone Chapel
Just about a 10-minute walk away from the Sedlec Cathedral is the Bone Chapel, the highlight of your trip to Kutna Hora. It falls within the Sedlec Abbey below the Cemetery Church of All Saints.
You will see many tourists walking towards the church in an otherwise quiet town. The structure of the church looks unassuming from the outside. There is a cemetery on the top. A broad staircase will lead you into the chapel.
The story behind this church goes back to the 13th century when a monk went to Jerusalem and brought back some sacred soil to Sedlec. This miracle soil was believed to decompose a human body within 3 days after burial. As the word spread, the cemetery became a popular burial ground. Thousands of burials took place here during the plague.
In the late 19th century, the local community started building a church. As they started digging, thousands of human bones started piling up.
A local woodcarver started to arrange these bones in decorative patterns that slowly took the shape of what the church looks like today.
There are strings of human skulls adorning the gateways, a chandelier that has every possible human bone and even a family crest made of bones can be seen.
My Tip -
Many people might think that an old Gothic church decorated with human bones located below a cemetery might be creepy. On the contrary, I think it was really artistic. We have never seen anything like this before.
There is a calmness around this place. At the most, it can make some people morose.
This can also be attributed to the fact that this place does not have any dark sinister history. No wars and no bloodshed behind this cemetery.
Photography is strictly prohibited. The personnel at the counter at the entrance keep a strict vigil on the tourists. No Photographs, no touching the bones and nowhere are you allowed to sit.
I took these photos from the gallery on top of the church where an AV plays on a loop about how the church was built.
For me, seeing the Bone Chapel was totally worth the visit.
St. Barbara's Cathedral
Once you're finished seeing the Bone Chapel, walk back in the direction of the Sedlec Cathedral.
Once you reach the road, turn left towards the Bus stop.
There are buses to the City Centre every 15 minutes. Your ticket PID should be valid on all local buses.
St Barbara's Cathedral is close to the City Centre. Its Gothic spires are visible from a long way off as you make your way uphill to reach it.
The baroque interiors of the cathedral are exquisite with its large stained glass windows that are a sight to behold. Be prepared to be awed by its majestic frescos.
St. Barbara is the Patron Saint of miners.
Construction of this magnificent church started in the 1300s when the town of Kutna Hora was at its peak of prosperity because of its silver mines.
It took 600 years for this church to be completed.
My Tip -
This church should be on your must-see list of attractions. Architecture-wise, it's easily comparable to the iconic St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague.
Just keep a few things in mind before your visit though.
Opening timings of the church keep changing if there are any cultural events taking place. Please check the official website of the parish before your visit.
If you want a guided tour, then you have to make bookings at least 2 weeks in advance. If you land there just as we did, you can rent an English audio guide or there are descriptive pamphlets available. We took the pamphlets. They were not as much fun as the audio guide but served the purpose of providing information.
Plague Column of the Virgin Mary Immaculate
Just a 10-minute walk away from St. Barbara's Cathedral is the Plague Column.
This beautiful column is very close to the main square. It was constructed in the 18th century in the memory of plague victims.
There is a nice cafe around the corner here with benches for people to sit. One can spend some quiet time looking at the intricate carvings on the column.
Stone Fountain on Rejsek Square
Walk onto a street called Husova for about 4 minutes to reach this beautiful Gothic fountain.
It was used as a water reservoir in the 15th century.
If you have time, stay till sundown when the fountain is lit up.
Czech Silver Museum
The museum is located in the Hradek building, also called Little Castle.
There are two routes available for tourists to explore - The Town of Silver and the Journey of Silver. The former route tells you about the history of silver mining in Kutna Hora and the latter route takes you through the medieval silver mines.
My Tip -
A little way up from St Barbara's Cathedral is the Czech Silver Museum.
But we were not aware of this museum before our visit. I learnt only later that this was another not-to-miss experience in Kutna Hora. We reached the museum after a whole day of wandering around the city. The last English tour of the day had left by then and we were too tired for any adventure. It was disappointing, to say the least.
In case you're interested in seeing the silver mines, then make prior bookings for the tour of your choice. The only thing one needs to keep in mind is that underground silver mines can be quite claustrophobic for some people.
So, this is Kutna Hora for you. This small town will not disappoint you. You can take my word for it!
There are some more attractions like the Italian Court which served as a mint in the Middle Ages. It is also a popular tourist destination for its demonstration of the process of coin-making.
If you have time and the inclination, then go for it and share your experience with me.
I'll be happy to hear from you!
And if you're interested in getting some practical and useful travel tips, click here