The Czech Republic is an amazing country with a rich cultural heritage. In an era of reckless faith in God, Gothic cathedrals and churches were erected across the country, some of which are still breathtaking. In the city of Kutna Hora there is an architectural monument that is amazing on the outside and terrifying on the inside - the Ossuary, a church made of bones. The church was built to remind us of death. All the decoration of the chapel is made from human bones.
A Brief History of the Church on Bones. In 1278, the Polish king Otakar II sent the abbot of Siedlce to the holy land in Jerusalem. The monk returned and scattered a handful of earth over the monastery cemetery; it became popular among the residents. Then Europe experienced plague epidemics, city cemeteries grew in area very quickly, and burials began in several layers. One old monk in 1511 began to transfer the bones taken out to the surface of the ground to the underground part of the church, after bleaching them, he placed them in six pyramids 2-3 meters high. Now on the site of the Sedlec Monastery ossuary there are the remains of 40,000 people. If these monks knew what the pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the storage of bones would turn out to be, they would turn over in their graves.
The idea of decorating the church appeared in the 18th century, when Prince Schwarzenberg, the owner of the monastery land, thought about the eternal. I gave the Gothic work to local woodcarver Frantisek Rint. The carver soaked the bones in bleach and created his creations, which became the basis of the “Church of Bones.”
The chandelier is the most complex work, amazing to the point of horror! The woodworker used at least one example of each of the human bones. The entrance went to the bones of the human skeleton from the phalanx of the fingers to the bones of the coccyx. In Kostnitsa, the chandelier was attached to the ceiling with jaws.
Prince Schwarzenberg immortalized the idea with a family coat of arms made of bones. The coat of arms is skillfully made from a thousand bones. The parts are selected to size and laid out symmetrically on one of the far walls.
The pyramids of bones that the monk built are now behind bars. It’s not the empty eye sockets of the skulls that are frightening, but the sharp alarm siren upon contact with the fence.
The living are no hindrance to the dead. Renovation of a church made of bones.
The second floor of the church in Kutná Hora.
The Gothic chapel and ossuary in Sedlec are surrounded by a small cemetery and a fence. Concrete skulls on pillars and drawings on the sidewalks warn you as you approach where you will end up.
The Czech Ossuary is a must-see place. I guarantee that you will get ambiguous impressions here for the rest of your life: not a drop of fear, only philosophy.
The ossuary in Kutna Hora is the most famous ossuary, a place for storing skeletal remains, in Eastern Europe. In Western Europe, I know about the Parisian catacombs, if I have a chance to return to Paris, I will definitely visit :)
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 landmark 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.
From the inside, the temple looks creepy, it’s better to stock up on valerian if you are impressionable
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, for tourists the church is open 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 instructed to somehow apply 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.
In Sedlec, a suburb of the Czech city of Kutná Hora, there is a Gothic chapel decorated with human bones and skulls - the Cemetery Chapel of All Saints with Ossuary or Ossuary.
In Sedlec, a suburb of the Czech city , there is a Gothic chapel decorated with human bones and skulls - the Cemetery Chapel of All Saints with a ossuary (kaple Všech svatých) or Ossuary (Kostnice). On your very first visit to this attraction, you will certainly be told the story of the local burial of 40,000 people and the Czech attitude to death. Maybe some people will be horrified by the Czechs’ attitude towards death, their preparation of the deathbed, while others will not attach much importance to such a tradition.
It is precisely because of their worldview that the Czech people have a completely normal attitude towards the human remains of the Ossuary. But even among the Czechs themselves there are people with unconventional ideas, for example, those who decided to arrange a marriage ceremony on the bones of the dead.
Inside the Ossuary
When you go down inside, you first get a feeling of numbness from such a large number of human bones, skulls and products made from them (figurines, a huge chandelier and garlands that are impressive in their unusualness). However, the bad feelings quickly disappear, and there is a desire to capture not only these extraordinary decorations, but also to take a photo yourself against their background. But for everyone who wants to take one of the skulls as a souvenir, I will say that it is almost impossible to do this, since all the bones in the ossuary are screwed with wire and bolts. For those tourists who wish to come back here again, it is worth throwing a coin into a specially designated place for this.
Decoration of the Ossuary
Opening hours of the Ossuary
November – February 9:00 – 16:00
April – September 8:00 – 18:00
October – March 9:00 – 17:00
Entrance fees
adult 90 CZK
children's, student's 60 CZK
How to get there
It will be easier to get there by rail: from the main railway station in Prague (Hlavní nadraží) to the Kutná hora station. And there on foot or by local bus. All possible and convenient options can be found on the website jizdnirady.idnes.cz.
How can I save up to 20% on hotels?
Everything is very simple - look not only on booking.com. I prefer the RoomGuru search engine. He searches for discounts simultaneously on Booking and 70 other booking sites.
Every time we were in Prague, we planned to visit the famous Czech Ossuary. But everything somehow fell through and didn’t work out. And finally, in the cold winter of 2017, my friends and I went by car to this, to put it mildly, unusual, but very memorable place.
Not far from Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, there is a small city called. For several centuries it was known for its large silver mines. But these sources of minerals have not been active for a long time, and the city could become a quiet place. But…
But life is in full swing here, and all thanks to the historical landmark, which is known not only in the Czech Republic, but also outside the country - the Cemetery Church of All Saints. A more common name is Ossuary .
From Prague, it will not be difficult to get to Sedlece (a place near the city of Kutna Hora) by car. The distance is about 80 km. The route was suggested to us by the navigator. You can leave your car in the parking lot in front of the Ossuary.
Near the chapel there are souvenir shops and beer restaurants with very good prices for a foamy drink (a bonus for those who do not drive). And a five-minute walk away is another noteworthy attraction - the Church of the Ascension of the Mother of God.
It is worth setting aside a whole day for a trip to Sedlec and Kutná Hora. There is something to see and where to walk, especially if the weather is more lucky than us).
History of the creation of the ossuary and description
So, what did we see in Sedlec and about the history of this mysterious structure. In summer, by the way, it looks less ominous.
In the Middle Ages, human bones were often buried in chapels. But in Kostnitsa they were not just stored, but were used as building material. The interior is made of bones. The church was built at the monastery in Sedlec, a suburb of the town of Kutna Hora. But the historical beginning of this place happened a little earlier.
At the end of the 13th century, abbot Henry, who served in the monastery, brought earth from Golgotha from Jerusalem to consecrate this cemetery. The abbot scattered the brought earth on the burial grounds. Thanks to this, the cemetery has become very popular not only in the Czech Republic, but also in the countries of Central Europe. Therefore, many wanted to find eternal shelter on this holy land.
Notable dead from the Czech Republic and other European countries were buried on the territory of the cemetery. At the entrance to the cemetery there is a plague column, traditional in European cities.
The country was engulfed for many years by a plague epidemic that claimed the lives of millions of people. Numerous wars and floods further increased the death rate of the population. The cemetery quickly expanded its area. The monks decided to free him by eliminating the old graves.
In those days, it was not possible to dispose of the excavated bones, and the remains had to be stored in the cellars of the monastery. These basements became burial grounds - ossuaries. After some time, their number increased to 40 thousand.
They tried to free the territory of the cemetery by reburial several times for all the time. The name of the half-blind monk who deposited the remains remains unknown. It is only known that the monk did not throw the bones into the cellars. He cleaned them with a bleach solution until they turned white. The monk then placed the bleached bones into pyramids.
As a result, two central and four side pyramids appeared in the chapel, crowned with crowns. After the monk died, the pyramids remained intact, but the chapel was abandoned for more than three hundred years.
For a long time the chapel was not used, and the bones that accumulated were burned. At the end of the 19th century, the noble Prince Schwarzenberg bought the church and its territory. When he saw the bone pyramids in the chapel, he was dissatisfied with their appearance.
The prince decided to reconstruct the chapel premises. A local woodcarver, Frantisek Rint, was invited to do this work. He was given the task of changing the interior in the Gothic style.
The master understood the order in his own way. To decorate the church, he decided to use the bones stored in the chapel. Human remains were cleaned in a chlorine solution and then used to create the unique architectural masterpiece of the Ossuary. All the parts made from bones in the chapel have survived in their original form to this day.
In the Ossuary there is a coat of arms of the Schwarzenberg family made of bones.
Hanging under the dome is a giant chandelier made from human remains, which was attached to it with jaws. All the decorations in the temple are made of bones, of which, according to conservative estimates, up to fifty thousand were used.
A large number of skeletons belonged to people who died from the plague. There are also many remains of warriors. The Ossuary displays skulls with holes, which indicate that their former owners probably died during battle from a spear or sword.
Currently, archaeological excavations are being carried out on the territory of the Ossuary. Human remains are still found underground. The bodies of many people were dumped on top of each other in mass graves due to too many deaths. Mountains of corpses accumulated, so it was not possible to perform funeral rituals for each deceased. In addition, not all dead people had families who could take care of their bodies.
The church was the setting for episodes of the films “Dungeons and Dragons” and “Blood and Chocolate”. The temple is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in summer (April to October) and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in winter (November to March). The entrance ticket costs 3.25 euros. Guided tours of the church are available in Czech, English and German, and audio guides are also available in Russian, French and Spanish.
The attitude towards the Ossuary is ambiguous. Everyone decides for himself how to perceive this place: as a religious or tourist site. And everyone’s impressions are completely contradictory. But this building is definitely worth seeing. Moreover, everything there is imbued with ancient history and mysteries.
Of course, this is one of the most interesting places in the Czech Republic. As they say, “MUST-SEE”. Good luck on your travels! Share your impressions of this place in the comments.
Working hours
Open daily except December 24th.
April - September: 9:00 - 18:00 (from 9:00 to 18:00 on Sundays)
October - March - 9:00 - 17:00
The Ossuary in Sedlec, or, as it is also called, the Church of All Saints, is a cemetery church made in the Gothic style.
You can find out what is unique about this architectural structure right now.
It must be said right away that many have their own attractions. But temple of bones, located in, is a completely unique case. It will be all the more interesting to learn about this for those who are hearing about this building for the first time.
Ossuary in Sedlec
If you see a temple of bones from the outside, it will not attract much interest. But going inside this building may take your breath away. And there are good reasons for this.
The fact is that the entire interior decoration of the temple is made of human skulls and bones. According to experts, the decoration of this church took approximately 40,000 human remains. This is the population of a small town. Just think about it!
The history of the bone temple began in 1278. Abbot Henry was sent by the Czech king to. After staying there for some time, he returned back to his homeland, taking with him the earth taken from Golgotha in order to scatter it over the abbey cemetery.
After this unusual ritual, the cemetery became very popular. Residents of Central Europe dreamed of being buried in this sacred place.
A natural consequence of such fame was an extraordinary increase in the area of the cemetery.
Church of bones
In 1400, a Gothic cathedral with a tomb was erected on the territory of the cemetery. The tomb was used to store bones, as there were no longer enough places for burials.
In 1703-1710 the church made of bones was radically remodeled and modernized. It was decided to add a separate entrance to it, and decorate the upper floors in the style.
By decision of the emperor, in 1784 the monastery was closed. Later, the chapel, including all the land surrounding it, was bought by the Schwarzenberg family.
In 1870, the new owners decided to hire a skilled craftsman who could tidy up the piles of human remains that were haphazardly piled up inside the church.
We can still see the result of the work of an unknown master today. Anyone has the opportunity to visit this extraordinary church of bones and see this extraordinary building with their own eyes.
Many visitors are especially attracted by the huge candelabra hanging from the ceiling. It is unique in that it contains at least one fragment of each. In addition to everything, the chandelier is decorated with garlands of skulls.
Looking at the photographs below, think for a second that these are not just some biological remains of animals, but the bones of real people who once lived in European countries.
And now their bones and skulls “decorate” the church, where curious tourists come from different parts of the world every day.
What it is - medieval obscurantism, religious mysticism bordering on the occult, or art for the especially dedicated - it’s up to you to decide. But it seems that these 40 thousand people, whose remains are unceremoniously placed in this temple, would hardly be happy if they were told about this during their lifetime.
Photo of a church made of human bones
The master's signature, also made from human bones