The small Czech town of Kutná Hora is located 60 kilometers from Prague. This small town was once famous for its rich silver mines. Currently, the mines are not active, and Kutná Hora would be an ordinary quiet town if not for its world-famous attraction - the Ossuary.

Ossuary (ossuary) - what is it?

Ossuary is a church whose interior is entirely made of human bones. This both frightens and fascinates tourists. Few people would dare to visit the Ossuary alone, especially at night, but during the day excursions are constantly held here.

The history of the Czech Ossuary begins in the 13th century, when holy soil brought by one of the monks from Golgotha ​​was scattered over the cemetery of the Sedlec Monastery (a suburb of Kutná Hora).

In 1318, a plague epidemic prompted the monks to expand the cemetery area and free up additional space by eliminating old burials.

The dug up ashes could not be properly disposed of at that time: the dug up remains were simply dumped in the basements of the monastery chapels.

Such basements turned into ossuary burials, and pretty soon the number of those “reburied” exceeded 40,000.

The next cleanup of the cemetery began almost two hundred years later - in 1511. History has not preserved the name of the old half-blind monk who dug up the remains and made room for new burials.

But this time the bones were not thrown into the chapels: the monk bleached them with chlorine and stacked six bone pyramids in the chapel.

Soon the monk died, and his brothers did not destroy these pyramids, but access to the chapel for outsiders was limited: it was locked for three and a half centuries.

Over time, the bones began to be burned, and the chapel was unclaimed until 1870, when Sedlec was completely purchased by Prince Schwarzenberg.

The prince did not like the bone structures he saw, and the entire layout of the chapel as a whole. A local woodcarver was invited to reconstruct the premises. Frantisek Rint, who was tasked with transforming the space into “something more gothic.”

Rint understood this instruction in his own way and used the bones found in the chapel to decorate the interior of the entire church. All bones were cleaned with bleach, after which they were used to create a unique structure - the Ossuary, which has survived almost unchanged to this day.

It is interesting that from the bones (the remains of approximately 40,000 people were kept in the chapel) it was possible to create not only a new interior truly in the Gothic style, but also the family coat of arms of the Schwarzenbergs.

Also, a unique chandelier under the dome of the chapel was created from bones (even the fastenings of the chandelier to the ceiling were made from bones), as well as numerous vases and elements of small decoration.

On one of the walls of the ossuary in Sedlec you can see Rint's autograph - it is also made entirely of human bones.

Many compare the Ossuary in Kutna Hora with the famous Parisian catacombs, the walls of which are also entirely made of human bones.

But if the catacombs, according to eyewitnesses, do not evoke anything other than fear and horror, then the Ossuary really looks like a grandiose work of art, and the origin of the material for decorating the Ossuary fades into the background, giving way to admiration.

The ossuary in Kutná Hora is not the only one in the Czech Republic. The remains of 50,000 people are also kept under the Church of St. James (Brno). This ossuary remained hidden from human eyes for many years - it was discovered only in 2001.

This happened during the reconstruction of Jacob's Square, on the site of which five hundred years ago there was a cemetery. As in the case of the Kutna Hora Ossuary, here, too, the cemetery area was expanded after the plague epidemic and the Hussite Wars.

How to get to Kutna Hora

You can get to the Ossuary from Prague either as part of an excursion group or on your own. The Prague-Kutná Hora route is very popular, and finding the right train at the station will not be difficult if you travel on your own.

The train departs from the main railway station and goes to the station " Kutná Hora hlavní nádraží"about an hour. The first train from Prague to Kutna Hora leaves at 5:16 , the last one is in 23:16 . One way fare is approx. 3 euros.

Taking a special bus to Kutna Hora is cheaper, but the disadvantage of such a trip is that the bus stop in Kutna Hora is quite far from the Ossuary itself.

How to visit the Ossuary

The Ossuary is not closed for seasonal maintenance work and is open all year round. You can view the Ossuary from 9.30 before 18.00 daily except Monday.

The entrance fee for an adult is 60 CZK(approximately $6), discounts available for students and children.

Discounts are also available for groups: the more people in the group, the cheaper the entrance ticket. Discounts start when visiting in a group of eight or more people. Groups of more than 25 people are not formed.

However, in Kutna Hora you can purchase several tickets at once to visit other attractions: such a “wholesale” purchase allows you to save a lot of money, as a result, visiting each attraction (including the Ossuary) will cost about three times less.

If you wish, you can book an excursion, during which you will see not only the Ossuary, but also some other interesting sights.

Such excursions are offered by many tour operators; their cost can range from 50 to 150 dollars.

This price includes bus rides, stories from a guide and the opportunity to take photographs and videos of many objects (but not all).

What else can you see in Kutná Hora

In addition to the Ossuary in Kutná Hora, there are several other attractions that deserve attention. In fact, there are a lot of interesting places and historical monuments in this small town, but some of them are worth visiting first.

Map of Kutna Hora with attractions

Cathedral of St. Barbara

This is a unique structure that began to be built back in the 14th century. The cathedral is an excellent example of late Gothic architecture.

Saint Barbara is the patroness of all miners, so it is not surprising that there is such a church in the former city of silver miners.

Žleby Castle

The castle is not located in the city itself, but 25 kilometers from it. However, large groups of tourists come here every day.

The castle was once the residence of the Lichtenbergs, a noble Czech family. But the castle was named after the architect’s surname – Zhleby.

Currently, almost all the premises of the castle are occupied by museum exhibits: here you can see a huge collection of bladed weapons, paintings by famous artists, objects of medieval life, and at the end of the tour you can go up to the observation deck of the castle and explore its surroundings.

The castle itself was built and rebuilt over hundreds of years - it all started with a defensive fortress that stood here back in 1289.

The fortress underwent a number of major rebuildings and reconstructions, and since 1427, Žleby Castle was rebuilt and expanded four times.

Jesuit College in Kutna Hora

The building was built in 1667 by the architect Giovanni Domenico Orsi. This building might not have existed if not for the enormous influence of the Jesuits on the city authorities.

As a result, the college building stands slightly asymmetrical in relation to other nearby buildings, but this position was chosen by the Jesuits themselves.

The Jesuit Order was abolished in 1773, but the college building was not demolished, but was used for military purposes. Since 2004, the college has become a European Center for the Arts.

Stone well

This ancient structure is nothing more than one of the main parts of the old Kutna Hora water supply system. The well was built at the end of the 14th century, but currently it is not functioning and is a historical monument.

Excursion to the Ossuary on video:

The sights, and specifically the ossuary in Kutna Hora, are worth a visit. As they say, it is better to see once than to hear a hundred times. Have a nice holiday!

The Ossuary in the Czech Republic is a unique, but very frightening place, which is located on the outskirts of the city of Kutna Hora in the town of Sedlec. The history of the church made of bones dates back to the end of the 19th century, but now it is the center of the tourist business in Kutna Hora. In the city of Sedlec, in addition to the church, there is the Assumption Cathedral, which was included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in 1995. Every year, 250,000 tourists come to Sedlec every year to see with their own eyes the confrontation between life and death. It is in this eerie place that you can feel the transience of life. Therefore, there is no need to consider the Ossuary from the point of view of morality or religion; the idea is completely different.

The ossuary in the Czech Republic is the main ossuary of the country. More than 40,000 skeletons were needed to decorate the inside of the church. Here, the entire interior is made of bones: chandeliers, ceilings, wall decorations, even cups and vases are made of human bones. This place is definitely not suitable for the faint of heart, or small children. The Sedlec Ossuary is the only one in the world, so thousands of tourists visit this place every year.

History of the bone church in the Czech Republic

It all started in the 13th century, when a Cistercian monastery was located on the site of the church. At that time, Henry was the abbot. At the direction of the king, the monk went to the Holy Land. A few years later he came back and scattered the earth from Golgotha ​​throughout the territory. From that moment on, Henry's abbey was called a saint, and only historical figures and officials, as well as representatives of noble families who could afford it, were buried in the cemetery. The holy abbey was known not only in the Czech Republic, but also abroad, so the cemetery quickly expanded. In the 15th century, Europe was hit by a plague that quickly swept across the continent. The Black Death and constant wars caused there to be no burial places left. Therefore, they began to practice secondary burial. The remains of human skeletons were moved to the chapel, and in the free space they re-buried people. From that moment on, all the chapels were turned into ossuaries.

Not all ossuaries have gained such popularity as in Sedlec. The monk who lived in this area bleached all the bones dug up due to the need for a secondary burial. All skeletons had the same appearance and were folded in the form of a pyramid. Over the course of his entire life, he created six pyramids, their height reaching several meters! After the death of the monk, his brothers did not destroy these pyramids, but only closed the ossuary so that the local residents would not know about it. And only at the end of the 18th century the new owner instructed his subjects to do something with all the bones. The craftsmen did not dare to bury the bones in the ground again, so it was decided to decorate the ossuary with them and make this place unique in its kind. All bones have been re-bleached. And six pyramids have remained to this day. This is the legacy of the first monk who started doing this.

Incredibly, all the bones that were used in the interior of the ossuary are real human skeletons. Here, absolutely everything is made of bones: the iconostasis, arches, garlands, a huge chandelier, even crosses. The chandelier is made up of all the bones of the human skeleton and is attached using the jaw. The columns of skulls reach one and a half meters and are made in the form of bells. But the masters did not stop there and even created the coat of arms of the city and the monastery from human bones. And the main master who developed the project left an autograph made of bones. Although outwardly the church is absolutely unremarkable and was built in the Gothic style with high spiers and straight lines. This is a unique place, because there are no other ossuaries with so many decorative elements made of human bones and with such pyramids of bones.

Reconstruction of the Ossuary in Kutna Hora

Since 2015, reconstruction has been taking place in Kostnice. According to the local authorities of the city of Kutna Hora, the work will last 5 years. In just a few years, the façade of the building will be completely restored and the roof of the building will be put in order. Due to the fact that only external work is being carried out, the Ossuary in the Czech Republic remains open to tourists. The reason for the reconstruction is that the land of the cemetery adjacent to the church is subsiding. Several centuries ago, silver was mined here, so there are tunnels and catacombs underground, which are eroded by underground water over time. The buildings are beginning to sink into the ground, and this is unacceptable for such a historical place as the Ossuary.

The ossuary in the city of Kutna Hora attracts tourists from all over the world with its uniqueness, so even during reconstruction it continues to be open to travelers. Possible changes can be found on the official website.

Address on the map

• Zámecká, 284 03 Kutná Hora, Czech Republic

How to get there from Prague?

You can get to the Ossuary in Kutná Hora from Prague from the Florenc bus station by bus to Sedlec. Another option is to take a direct train from Prague to Kutná Hora station, then to Sedlice.

You can travel by car along the E67 highway to the town of Kolin and then follow road 38.

There are also excursion groups from Prague to Kutná Hora, and then back to Prague. The cost is 26-35 EUR. Night excursions to the Ossuary are especially popular.

Cost of visit

The cost of visiting the crypt is 90 CZK (full), 60 CZK (reduced). The cost of visiting the cathedral is 50 CZK (full), 30 CZK (reduced).

Opening hours

The crypt is open daily (except December 24), but opening hours vary depending on the season:

• November-February – from 09:00 to 16:00;
• April-September – from 08:00 to 18:00;
• March, October – from 09:00 to 17:00.

The cathedral operates in the same mode on all days except December 24, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

The Ossuary in the Czech Republic is one of those attractions that evoke mixed and very ambiguous feelings. On the one hand - delight, genuine interest, the desire to take a selfie against the backdrop of a pile of bones. On the other hand, incredible horror and awe. What will you feel after visiting the crypt?

General information

The Ossuary or Cemetery Church of All Saints is a small medieval church located on the outskirts of Kutná Hora, 80 km from Prague. It was once famous for its rich silver mines, but after their closure, the only tourist attraction in the city remains this church, created from 40 thousand human bones.

Of course, in the Middle Ages, chapels in which the remains of deceased people were kept were the most common thing, but we are sure that the Czech Ossuary would have resonated even with ancient people. And all because in this temple the bones are not only preserved, but also act as the main elements of the interior. Due to this feature, few people dare to visit the ossuary in the town of Sedlec in the Czech Republic one at a time, and even in the dark. But during the day, organized tourist excursions regularly take place here.

Historical reference

The history of the Ossuary in the Czech Republic began in the 13th century, when one of the abbots scattered the earth brought from Golgotha ​​over the cemetery of the Sedlec Monastery. After this event, the place began to be called sacred, and being buried on its territory was considered an honor. The fame of the monastery cemetery became so loud that the dead began to be brought to its territory not only from the Czech Republic, but also from neighboring countries.

When, in 1318, the plague epidemic destroyed a significant part of the European population, the monks decided to expand the territory of the churchyard, eliminating almost all the old burial grounds. And since the ashes in those days could not be processed properly, the dug up bones were simply thrown into the basements of the monastery chapels.

The next cleanup of the Sedlec cemetery began in 1511. Then the digging of human remains was entrusted to an old and practically blind monk. However, this time the bones were not “buried” in the basements: the monk bleached them with bleach, sorted them by type and put them in 6 pyramids. This is how the Ossuary in Kutna Hora was born, which was closed for 350 years after the death of the elder.

Over time, people's attitude towards the dead changed somewhat - bodies began to be burned, so the chapels in Sedlec remained unclaimed for many years. The situation changed only in 1870, when the territory of the monastery came into the possession of Prince Schwarzenberg. Unsatisfied with what he saw, the new owner decided to completely redo everything. Frantisek Rint, a local woodcarver, was invited to reconstruct the chapel. He understood the task set - to turn the church into something Gothic - in his own way, so instead of carved panels, pilasters and capitals, the interior of the chapel was decorated with remains found underground. It is in this form that the Church of the Ossuary in Sedlec has been preserved to this day. Now it is one of the most popular tourist sites not only in the Czech Republic, but also in Central Europe.

Architecture and interior

Externally, the Ossuary in Kutna Hora looks like one of the many churches in the Czech Republic - a strict Gothic temple with arched windows, several towers and the usual geometric shapes. But the interior of the church is truly amazing. But first things first!

In addition to the huge bone bells located on either side of the crypt entrance, bone vaults, arches, decorations and vases can also be seen here. Other interior elements were made from skeletal human remains. Among them, the church iconostasis, monstrances and vestments at the main altar, and a huge candelabra decorated with garlands of skulls deserve special attention. If you look closely, you will notice that not only the chandelier itself is made of bones, but also the bases for the candles, as well as the fastenings that hold it.

The Schwarzenberg family coat of arms, which is crowned with a crown of bones and a cross, is also made using the same technique. Moreover, the carver Rint even made his own painting from bones. It can be easily seen on the wall at the entrance to the temple.

The basement tomb deserves no less attention, near the doors of which there are several bone elements - sculptures in the form of huge goblets, a decorative cross and pillars made of skulls and two crossed bones.

Practical information

The Ossuary is located at Zamecka 279, Kutná Hora 284 03, Czech Republic.

Opening hours of the Ossuary in Kutna Hora:

• October – March: 9.00-17.00;
• April – September and Sundays: 9.00-18.00.

Ticket prices (in Czech crowns)

Tickets can be purchased at the box office near the information center, located literally 200 m from the crypt (Zámecká street 279). The ticket office is open until 15.00. Both cash and bank cards are accepted for payment.

On a note! You can check the relevance of prices and opening hours on the official website of the Ossuary - www.sedlec.info/en/ossuary/.

Prices and schedules on the page are for May 2019.

Find out PRICES or book any accommodation using this form

If you decide to visit the ossuary in Sedlec, listen to the advice of tourists who have been there.

Related posts:

If you are going to Prague, I advise you to add the famous Ossuary in the Czech Republic to your list of attractions you plan to visit. This is a Gothic church, also known as the Sedlec Ossuary or the Church of All Saints. Recently, the church was recognized as the most terrible attraction in the world for the peculiarity of its interior decoration: it is made of almost 40 thousand real human bones. Although unremarkable in appearance, the Ossuary excites the imagination with its interior decoration.

The temple looks creepy from the inside; impressionable people should stock up on valerian

It’s difficult to convey the atmosphere with just one photo, so I rummaged around on Google and found a panorama of the church from the inside:

Ossuary in the Czech Republic: open and working!

There is incorrect information on the Internet that in 2016 or 2017 the Ossuary will be closed for renovation and it is unknown when it will open. In fact, this is a myth; the church is open for tourists now and will always be open. Of course, adjusted for force majeure. Yes, reconstruction work is being carried out, but it is happening in stages and does not interfere with visitors.

Story

Until the 13th century, on the site of the Ossuary in Sedlec there was an unremarkable monastery. In 1278, one of its abbots went to the Holy Land (part of the territories of the modern State of Israel), brought some earth from Golgotha ​​(the place where Jesus Christ was crucified) and scattered it over the monastery cemetery. This gave the monastery cemetery a special status, and all members of the nobility wanted to be buried there. Thanks to epidemics and wars of that time, the cemetery very quickly increased in size. At the same time, the practice of repeated burials appeared. Old bones were dug up and placed in chapels (ossuaries), and new graves were made in place of old graves.

The ossuary became famous thanks to a half-blind monk who dug up bones from graves, bleached them and put them in pyramids. In total, he managed to build six pyramids with a height several times higher than human height. Afterwards the monk died, and his brothers did not destroy these pyramids, but the chapel itself was closed. It remained closed until the end of the 18th century, until the noble Schwarzenberg family became the owner of the chapel and the surrounding lands. They found a master who was tasked with somehow using these mountains of bones. He, without hesitation, decided to decorate the chapel with them. His work glorified the church and still excites the imagination of impressionable tourists.

Ossuary in the Czech Republic: where it is and how to get there from Prague

The church is located in Sedlec, a suburb of Kutná Hora, 60 kilometers from Prague. If you don’t have your own car, then it’s better to travel from Prague by train. It goes from the main station, tickets can be bought on the spot. Your goal is the Kutna Hora station. For convenience, it is better to choose a train that goes directly to Kutna Hora (there are options with transfers). Minibuses run from Kutná Hora station to Kostnica.

Another option is the bus. It goes from the Floren bus station in Prague to the same railway station as the train.

Address: Zámecká, 284 03 Kutná Hora, Czech Republic
Telephone: +420 326 551 049

Point on Google maps.

Attention to the faint of heart, defenders of the faith and moralists - to correctly understand this place, you need to know its history!

Ossuary in the CZECH REPUBLIC - church made of human bones (SEDLEC, KUTNA HORA)

On the outskirts of the city of Kutna Hora in the town of Sedlec in the Czech Republic there is a unique structure - a holy cemetery with Bethlehem soil and the famous Kosnitsa Temple. An ossuary is nothing more than a chapel of a Catholic church with a ossuary. But that's exactly what The ossuary is unique and the only one in the world. This is a kind of tribute to the death and historical memory of local residents, a reminder of the frailty of all things, the transience of our lives and the day of judgment. The temple is decorated with the remains of 40 thousand people - there are human skulls and bones everywhere...

From the street, the building of the Ossuary does not particularly stand out; behind the monastery fence, near a modest cemetery, there is a small church entangled in scaffolding.

After the plague epidemic and the religious wars of the Hussists, there was a catastrophic shortage of space, the cemetery grew, but the number of dying was still much greater than the territory of the monastery land could accommodate. Then it was decided to build a church with a tomb here - the so-called ossuary. In fact, the tomb was an ordinary warehouse of bones that were removed from old graves, and the free space in the cemetery was used for the second and third round... After some time, the space in the ossuary ran out, and then one of the old half-blind monks decided to put in order the piles of accumulated bones , bleached them in a special disinfectant solution and carefully folded them into four huge pyramids.

This was the case until 1870, when the land with the Ossuary became the property of the Schwarzenberg family. They decided to tidy up and improve the old warehouse of bones and hired a talented woodcarver, Frantisek Rint, whose main task was to create the interior of the church from the accumulated bones. The four now symbolic pyramids remained in the center of the temple, as a reminder of the past merits of the caring monk.

The results of Frantisek Rint's work have been impressing visitors for many years: garlands of bones and skulls hang from the ceiling...

In the center of the church, a huge bone chandelier descends from the ceiling, in which all the bones of the human skeleton are involved in full:

To the left of the entrance to the crypt there is a large Schwarzenberg family coat of arms, also made of bones, of course:

Initially, the coat of arms was missing a detail in the lower right corner - the head and raven appeared later, by order of a family, one of whose members saved the country from the invasion of the Turks by tracking down and killing a Turkish spy. It is his skull that now adorns the family coat of arms, where a raven rather symbolically pecks out the eyes of an enemy spy.

On the sides of the stairs there are vases and columns made of human bones...

Even the city's coat of arms, the monastery's coat of arms and the master's autograph on the wall are made of the same material. That is why the Czech Ossuary is unique and the only such structure in the world. Ossuary deposits can be found in other countries and cities - mountains of skulls, mountains of bones... But nowhere else in the world are there such a large number of interior items created from human bones.

Many consider this attitude towards the remains to be barbaric and sacrilege, but the temple is located below ground level, which means that the bones are actually in the ground, in a crypt, and buried according to all church canons, plus they were buried according to all the rules in the cemetery earlier. The room is well lit and ventilated, services are regularly held here and candles are always lit in memory of everyone who is buried here. Anyone can leave 4 crowns in the donation box and light their own memorial candle.

The impressions, of course, are mixed. But as for me, I personally would prefer to be such an ornament after death than to simply rot in an earthen pit. And I don’t see anything offensive here at all.

It is not recommended for particularly impressionable people, pregnant women and people with a delicate mental structure. For others, the chapel is open 7 days a week, from morning to evening and seven days a week. The cost of an adult entrance ticket is about 100 CZK. You can take as many photographs as you like, but without flash. Here you can also buy historical brochures, magnets, coins, T-shirts and other souvenirs with the symbols of the Ossuary.

ATTENTION! The ossuary will soon be closed for several years for reconstruction!
The church itself and the lands of the adjacent cemetery are actively subsiding underground. But there is no mysticism in this. Like most of the buildings in Kutná Hora and Sedlec (more details in the next post), these lands stand on hollow mines, silver mining was carried out here for several centuries, and almost all the surrounding areas are dotted with underground tunnels and empty cavities that are actively eroded by groundwater. Therefore, over time, the land and the buildings built on them settle. And if you are going to visit this unique place, I recommend doing so in the near future.

Operating mode: November - February from 9:00 to 16:00, October and March from 9:00 to 17:00, April - September from 8:00 to 18:00.

HOW TO GET FROM PRAGUE TO KUTNA HORA?

* BY TRAIN: From the main railway station to the Kutná Hora hlavní nádraží station is 73 km, which is approximately 1 hour. According to the schedule, the first train leaves Prague at 5:16, and the last at 23:16. In the opposite direction - at 5:00 and 22:24. The ticket costs approximately 3 euros (if you buy it in advance). You can check the schedule, cost and buy a ticket through a single service idos.cz

* BY BUS: from the bus station ÚAN Florenc and metro station Praha Háje to the bus station Kutná Hora autobusové stanice routes daily from 6:00 to 22:00. In the opposite direction - from 4:50 to 20:22. Some routes require 1-2 transfers, this is about 65 km, travel time is approximately 1.40-2.00 hours. The price of a ticket for a direct route one way is about 2.50 euros, a trip with a transfer is 2.2 euros. Schedule, route type, ticket price and purchase are also possible through the single service idos.cz.

* WITH EXCURSION: at agencies near the Olroy clock in the center of Prague, an excursion in a small group for 15-20 people with a Russian-speaking historian guide for the whole day, with a visit to Kutna Hora, the Ossuary in Sedlec and some Czech castle will cost about 35 euros .