Not far from Prague, the small town of Kutna Hora quietly sits. Unlike in Prague, this town didn’t constantly go through changes with the times. When the silver ran out, the town turned from a major power player in Europe to a sleepy hamlet with a great story to tell. Because of its historical significance and remnants of days gone by, Kutna Hora boasts World Heritage status. My aunt and I took a day tour to this lovely place including two very differently decorated churches.
Sedlec Ossuary
A long time ago, a person of the cloth brought some special dirt back from the Holy Land. This dirt was said to be sacred and special for burial and the resurrection. This caused many people to want to be buried at a small chapel near the big cathedral. Then, tens of thousands of people died very quickly from the plague. They needed burial somewhere. Then, there was this war, the 30-years war, when thousands more were killed in a relatively short period of time. The keepers of this small chapel took the bones of all of these casualties and beautifully arranged them in their crypt.
In the four corners of the basement, four pyramids of bones from tens of thousands of people fill the space. They reach high to the ceiling. They piled other bones in beautiful stacks in just about every corner they could find. These artists hung other bones as a chandelier, as garlands, and a coat of arms with a bird plucking the eyes out of an enemy. Large chalices were made. The result, a stunning yet creepy display.
St. Barbara’s Cathedral
At the other end of the town, a magnificent gothic cathedral crowns the top of the hill. St. Barbara’s is large as it is, but it is only half the size it was supposed to be, kind of like St. Vitus for most of its history. The architectural details are spectacular, especially its flying buttresses. Inside, light pours in from massive windows above the galleries. Altar pieces, some grand and others simple, sit in niche chapels around the back of the nave. A handful of original, beautiful frescoes grace the walls. Stained glass filters the light in brilliant colors on the lower windows.
At the rear of the nave, a magnificent baroque organ reigns from the loft. I climbed the stairs to the gallery and got a great view of the musical angels from many angles. I also loved seeing the buttresses out the windows supporting the building.
A Walk through Town
From the cathedral, we followed our guide down through the town to some scrumptious eats. We passed the entrances to medieval mines as well as palaces built by the mine owners. We saw the Bohemian mint, which made this one of the most powerful places in the world at the time. Meandering through the cobbled streets, we learned about the town and why not much has changed over the last few centuries.
