Day Trip from Prague to Kutna Hora and Sedlec Ossuary

Kutna Hora and Sedlec Ossuary day trip is a day well spent. Kutna Hora is located 70 km southeast of Prague. This charming provincial town graced with a beautiful medieval centre is a UNESCO heritage site. After the discovery of silver ore in the 13th century, Kuta Hora became the second-richest town in Bohemia. The highlight in Kutna Hora is St Barbara Cathedral. The town’s miners financed the construction of the cathedral and aptly dedicated the church to Barbara, patron saint of miners. Kutna Hora is the perfect day trip if you want a peaceful afternoon in a quiet country town away from the tourist crowd in Prague. 

Kutna Hora Daytrip

Take it easy and book your trip to Kutna Hora online, included are
*Minibus pick-up from your hotel in Prague
*Entrance to St Barbara Cathedral
*Visit of the Old Mint
*Visit of the Sedlec Ossuary
*Guided tour of Kutna Hora

St Barbara Cathedral 

En route to the cathedral you will pass the large former Jesuit College and on your left thirteen baroque statues on the balustrade and from here impressive views of the Vrchlice Valley. The exterior of the cathedral is as impressive as the interior: three-tent roofed spires supported by a forest of flying buttresses are true eye catchers. Exquisite fifteenth-century frescoes grace the chapels. The choir depicts miners at work.

Italian Court

Silver mining brought prosperity in the town. German settlers were the main work force. The Royal Mint employed Italian workers. The Italian Court or Old Mint was closed in the eighteenth century and the town went into decline. Inside the Italian court you can see a display of silver coins. The Prague groschen were hammered out at a rate 2,000 per 12-hour shift in the heydays.

Sedlec Ossuary

Sedlec is 3,5 kilometers north of Kutna Hora and famous for its ossuary or bone chapel. In the crypt of a Gothic chapel you will find a macabre sight: the bone chapel. The cemetery of the church across the road of the chapel was a fashionable burying place for members of the Bohemian nobility. It was so popular that the cemetery became overcrowded. Frantisek Rint, woodcarver and carpenter, was commissioned to use the bones for artistc purposes. He came up up the bizarre idea of making monstrances , chalices, chandeliers and coat of arms using the bones of the deceased.

Tip of Prague-Now: Visit on a weekday because many shops, except those aiming at tourists, are closed on Saturday afternoon and Sunday.

photos: Marianne Crone