Kutna Hora Tourist Attractions
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The town of Kutna Hora is a welcome diversion from Prague. It is a living, working city with no pretensions and it has much to offer visitors. Some of the main attractions are an old silver mine, spectacular architecture, and the appropriately named Bone Church.Kutna Hora has a rich past. Up until 1700, the town contained Europe's largest silver mine and was responsible for minting much of the European coinage. The city became a royal city in 14th Century and with this wealth came extravagant building projects and monuments.St Barbara's Cathedral is a fine example of what wealth can create. A UNESCO world heritage site, the cathedral should be on every visitors list of sights to see. Another UNESCO world heritage site, The Cathedral of our Lady at Sedlac, also speaks volume of how proud and showy this city once was. Both buildings were restored in the Baroque fashion and scholars credit their beautiful architecture with influencing building design throughout central Europe.So, take some time and wander around this undiscovered gem of a town that is an easy day trip from Prague.
St Barbara's Cathedral
Founded in 1338, St Barbara's Cathedral is a showpiece to the former wealth of Kutna Hora. An extravagantly decorated interior has unusual frescoes featuring mining and minting. Added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1995 this cathedral is a must see during a visit to Kutna Hora.Done up in the Baroque style, the cathedral is responsible for influencing architechture throughout central Europe. The cathedral commands a large presence up on the hill above the town.One of the highlights of the cathedral is the mural of the Vision of St Ignatius. It is located in the Northwest Chapel.
Italian Court
Located next to the oldest church in Kutna Hora, the Gothic Church of St James, the Italian Court (Vlassky dvur) is the former mint and also the former residence of the Bohemian King Vaclav IV. Responsible for producing much of the coinage of Europe up until the 1547, the former mint makes an interesting stop for visitors to the city. Note that the "Taller Coin" was minted here which later gave rise the "Dollar".Of particular interest in Kutna Hora is the old medieval mine located beneath the foundations of the Hradek or Small Fort. Interesting tours of the mine and its exhibits are available on site and provide a good overview of the extraction process.Also located in the Hradek or Small Fort is a museum of coinage and minting.
Kacina Chateau
Considered the most important building in all of Bohemia built in the Empire Style, the Kacina Chateau is a sight not to be missed. Located approximately 1.5 hours from Prague and 7km / 4mi from Kutna Hora, the chateau makes a pleasant stop.Begun in 1802 and completed 20 years later in 1822, the Kacina Chateau was constructed for Count J R Chotek. Contained within the chateau is a theatre, pharmacy, library, and picture gallery.Tours are available and highlight the lifestyle of the Bohemian aristocracy in the 19th and 20th Centuries. The grounds of the Kacina Chateau feature a beautiful park laid out in the English style and is a great place for a picnic.
Surroundings
Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Sedlec
A gruesome sight awaits visitors to Sedlec. Not the town itself, which is a pleasant place located 3km / 2mi from Kutna Hora, but the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (Kostel Nanebevzeti Panna Marie). The church is also known by its nickname the "Bone Church of Sedlec". Designed by Giovanni Santini, the church is an interesting sight on its own, but the real attraction is located across the road in the Gothic Chapel.Here visitors will find the bones of 40,000 people who died during the Hussite war of 1421 and the onslaught of the Plague in 1380. Many of the bones show the fatal injuries from the war. In 1526 overcrowding was becoming an issue, so an unusual commission was awarded to woodcarver Frantisek Rint. He was granted permission to remove some of the bones and use them for artistic purposes.Mr Rint arranged the bones in many curious ways including a coat of arms of the Schwarzenburg family, a functioning chandelier, bells, and chalices. The theory behind such a gruesome display was to impress upon the public the shortness of life and how important it is to live in harmony, less your bones be used in a chandelier!
Map - Kutna Hora
