Kutna Hora Travel Guide – Bone Church

November 25, 2020

Kutná Hora, the city of silver, rightly earned the second nickname “treasury of the country”. The wealth acquired through silver mining in Kutna Hora helped to bring about an economic boom
for the Kingdom of Bohemia.

A unique structure which will ensure that your visit to this royal
city is a memorable experience is the Late Gothic Church of St. Barbara, dedicated to the patron saint of miners. This architectural and ecclesiastical jewel was constructed by master builders over a period of more than 500 years and is a symbol of the power and importance of this mining town. Another architectural gem is the Cathedral of the Assumptionof the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist in Sedlec, known as the “cathedral of light” due to it has huge windows. The prominent Czech architect Jan Blažej Santini Aichl took part in its reconstruction the Baroque-Gothic style.

Not to Miss in Kutna Hora

On a visit to the city, make sure not to miss the magnificent Stone Fountain and the Italian Court, which served as the central mint and a residence of Czech kings.
At the Czech Museum of Silver, a lively presentation will acquaint you with the history of silver mining here. As part of the tour, you will descend – equipped only with a portable light, a helmet and a miner’stunic – through a 250-metre corridor of a medieval mine.

Why you should visit Kutna Hora?

Kutná Hora has an ossuary which is unique in the world. Its decoration was created from the bones of nearly40,000 people from a liquidated cemetery. The ossuary is located in the underground part of the church in the Sedlec district of the city. After the abolition of the local monastery, the church and the ossuary passed intothe possession of the Orlík branch of the Schwarzenberg family, who initiated the modification of the underground chapel’s decoration into its present form.