Great Things To See In Kutna Hora From Prague On A Day Tour + The Unique Bone Church

Best Things To See In Kutná Hora

Sedlec Ossuary - Bone Church

I wanted to visit Kutná Hora to go inside the Roman Catholic Sedlec Ossuary. Its obscure bone chandelier, candlesticks, and wall decorations, made from over 40,000 human bones, were something I had to see.

It is not the only ossuary in the Czech Republic. Another one can be found in Brno, the country's second-largest city. I have visited the Brno Ossuary, and although not as ornate, there are hundreds more bones in the underground tunnels. That said, the Sedlec Ossuary in the sleepy town of Kutná Hora is far more famous.

In fact, it is nearly as popular as the Paris Catacombs, which are the world's largest ossuary. They attract thousands of visitors each year. I have also visited them - you see, I am a sucker for bones!

The origin of this unique chapel is interesting.

In the 13th century, an abbot brought back a small amount of earth from the burial place of Jesus. He sprinkled the soil over the Sedlec cemetery, making it holy ground. Suddenly, it became the most popular place to be buried in town.

The burial business was booming from the 13th to the 14th century until the cemetery ran out of room.

The solution? Human remains were exhumed from their final resting place to free up graves. The graves were then sold to incoming guests!

The old bones were piled high, and no one knew what to do with them. Not until a local woodcarver, František Rint, was employed in the 18th century to redesign the church interior.

Objects Made From Bones

Rint decided to string together skulls, femurs, humeri, and spinal cords to create obscure items for decorating the church.

The unique centrepiece is a giant chandelier, using every bone in the human body. It is suspended centrally in the chapel. A bone-encrusted coat of arms hangs on a wall, and soulless eye sockets peer at you from every direction.

I wasn't sure how I would feel seeing human remains used in this fashion. But, due to their sheer quantity, it dehumanises the situation. Honestly, it felt more like a film set for a gothic horror film than the interior of a religious building.

No photography in the Ossuary

The irony of the chapel is that you are asked not to take photographs out of respect for the dead. Let's face it, that's what everyone wants when they come here. They want a picture to show friends of one of the weirdest places on earth.

I feel double standards are at play here. You have to pay to enter (while most churches are free) to see human remains that have been used to create art in a most undignified, although creative, manner. I'm not sure there's anything more disrespectful than ending your days as a candlestick or part of a chandelier!

There are also artificial skulls available to buy in the gift shop to take home as souvenirs. Let's hope none of the real ones have slipped through!

Be respectful of the bone church

Everyone on my tour took a few discreet photos, and no disrespectful selfies were involved. In past years, this has led to the current photography ban.

Some visitors put baseball caps on the skulls and touched the bones to have their photos taken. Sadly, it's idiots like these that ruin it for others.

Visitors can request official permission to take photographs by contacting the church at least three days in advance of their visit.

So, would I recommend visiting the Sedlec Ossuary from Prague? If you are only coming to see the bone church, then maybe not. It will take less than 15 minutes to walk around it. However, if you come as part of a tour of Kutná Hora, the town offers plenty more attractions to enjoy.

Angie's Travel Tip: Opposite the Sedlec Ossuary, a small cafe serves the most delicious ice cream. Try the pistachio and vanilla; it's lovely.

Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist

The UNESCO-protected Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist is also located in Sedlec, but unfortunately, it was not included on this tour.

It is the oldest Cistercian abbey in Bohemia (circa 1142) and, together with the bone church, forms a complete complex in the oldest part of Kutná Hora.

Visiting the Church of St James

Leaving the Bone Church, we took a short drive across town and arrived at the 15th-century Catholic Church of St. James, the oldest church in Kutná Hora. It was built in the centre of the medieval city and is the most prominent landmark in Kutná Hora.

Original designs indicate that the church should have had two towers, but due to underground silver mining, the area was not stable enough to support the weight.

Inside the church (admission is free), the Gothic architecture is visually stunning, as are the important works of art on the walls, including the Holy Trinity painting from 1734.

There is also a nod to the mining workers, as shown by statues of miners in their white robes and leather aprons, carrying rocks containing silver.

You can almost feel the weight of his load from the carved expression on his face.

I, for one, have never seen statues within a church that aren't of a religious form, and so this was interesting and a bit whimsical to see in St James.

St James sits behind the Italian Court, once used as a palace for Bohemian royalty, then as the Royal Mint and now as a town hall and museum dedicated to the historic silver mining and minting industry in Kutná Hora.

I didn't go inside the museum, but the information my tour guide gave me was enough.

Angie's Travel Tip: Opposite the entrance to St. James' church is a viewpoint from where you can take fantastic photographs of St. Barbara's Cathedral and the former Jesuit College.

Take a look at the beautiful scenery in my video.

Learning about Kutná Hora from our tour guide

We continued walking away from St. James' Church, up the steep, cobbled path through the town, and towards St. Barbara's Cathedral.

Our tour guide pointed out several historic buildings on the way, indicative of the central Bohemian region of Czechia that we were visiting.

One was the Czech Silver Museum, which runs tours for visitors to see a medieval silver mine underground. Other museums in town include the Alchemy Museum and the Chocolate Museum.

I glimpsed the town's beautiful Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque buildings as we walked along.

I would have loved to explore Kutna Hora in more depth, but that would mean an overnight stay, which wasn't part of this tour, so maybe next time!

Has this post inspired you to spend longer in town? If the answer is yes, there are plenty of places to stay in Kutná Hora.

As we passed the Silver Museum, we walked along a beautiful pathway lined with statues of saints. Countryside views to one side and the Jesuit college, now home to the GASK art gallery, on the other.

Once again, our guide was a font of knowledge, sharing with us information about the statues. It was great that she provided us with just enough useful information without overwhelming us.

The Cathedral of St Barbara

At the end of the saintly walkway stood the stunning Church of St. Barbara, majestically overlooking Kutná Hora.

St Barbara was the patron saint of miners, and this church/cathedral was built and dedicated to her by the mining community of Kutna Hora.

Even before the roof went on, the miners would come and worship here, praying for safety and guidance in the mines.

Construction of the church started in 1388 but wasn't finished for another 500 years.

You can see evidence of how long it took to build by the differences in the architecture and art inside the church.

Much like the miner statue in St James, a larger version can be seen here.

The figure is dressed in white miners' robes (so as to be visible in the dark). He wears a leather skirt/apron, which was used to help workers slide down into the mines.

The tools of his trade can also be seen in his hands and standing on a pile of rocks.

Other mining imagery within the church includes wall frescoes and stained glass windows that depict life in this mining town.

St Babara's interior is incredible

You will love the Gothic frescoes, Renaissance paintings, and ornate Baroque ceilings, all of which are breathtaking and showcase the church's evolution over the centuries.

If you have a head for heights, you can take the stairs up to the gallery and get a bird's-eye view of the church interior from the heavens.

There is also an outdoor balcony with views across to the Jesuit College art gallery.

Angie's Travel Tip: The sweeping views back towards St James Church are incredible from the viewpoint beside the church (up the stone steps by the empty chapel).

Watch my video of the view from St. Barbara's Church across to St. James' Church.

Kutná Hora Sculpture Park

As a wanderer, I can never wait for a tour group to reform. Instead, I prefer to continue exploring my surroundings, and in this instance, I am glad I did.

My regular readers will know that I am passionate about contemporary art, street art, and 21st-century art. A small garden behind the GASK art gallery had some entertaining exhibits on show, so I was in my element.

I loved the skeletal hand with the pointing finger, possibly a nod to the Sedlec Ossuary. Or maybe a guiding hand pointing towards the heavens.

Who knows what went through the artist's mind when he created this piece? I liked it and thought the modern art juxtaposed in a medieval setting was visually stunning.

The second piece left me baffled as to its meaning, and I'm still none the wiser, whereas the sculpture, consisting of half a robin and half a car, may have been a nod to the Reliant Robin car of the 1970s.

I would have loved to spend a little longer in the sculpture garden. Still, this little detour was not part of the Kutna Hora tour I was on, so I quickly rejoined my group to head back to Prague.

Angie's Travel Tip: The sculpture garden is up the stone stairs opposite the church entrance. This is also an excellent spot to photograph St Barbara's Cathedral.

Traditional Czech Lunch

Our time in Kutná Hora had come to an end. We piled into the coach and headed back to Prague making a stop for a late lunch on the way back.

Lunch was included in this tour. It consisted of a starter of soup. The main course was grilled pork, chicken, cheese, or sausage. It was accompanied by potatoes or dumplings and served with wine, beer, or a soft drink. As with most Czech food, it was basic but filling and pretty tasty.

Is it worthwhile to visit Kutna Hora from Prague on a tour?

As an independent traveller, I usually baulk at joining a tour group. I don't particularly enjoy sticking to regimented timings.

In this instance, it was much easier to be picked up from my hotel. I was taken straight to Kutná Hora. This way, I didn't need to change trains on the route from Prague. I also didn't have to walk into town.

It also struck me that this Kutná Hora from Prague tour was good value for money, considering all that was included - travel, entry fees, a guide, and lunch.

If you are curious to see a chandelier made from bones, visit a church dedicated to miners and experience a beautiful small town in the Czech Republic, then Kutná Hora is perfect for you.

Please Pin for Future Travel to the Czech Republic

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