A day in Kutna Hora.

The day before I left Prague I decided to make a day trip to Kutna Hora to visit St. Barbara's Church and the Sedlec Ossuary, a chapel adorned with human skeletons. I decided to take the train to change it up a bit and to get another perspective on European travel.

I woke up early in the morning and walked to the station. The city felt as though it had just awoken, ready for its first cup of coffee.

At the train station I purchased a ticket from a kiosk and boarded the train for the 75 minute journey. We passed fields both empty and full, one of sunflowers that blurred as we sped by.

The station in Kutna Hora was small, on the outskirts of town. I alighted with a number of people there to tour the town. We passed a building near the station with a cool mural before continuing down a non-descript road towards the ossuary.

The Sedlec Ossuary is a Roman Catholic chapel, located beneath the Cemetery Church of All Saints and is known for the way in which it incorporates skeletons into the architecture. No photography is allowed, but you can watch some videos of the interior on their website.

Outside the ossuary I admired the building and the small cemetery that surrounded it. A huge tour group entered as I did and so I minimized my time inside, opting to enjoy the outdoors.

I walked back towards the main road and the Cathedral of Assumption of Our Lady and St. John the Baptist. I stopped in to take a peek and walked the aisles gazing at the relatively sparse decor inside.

I walked further down the main road towards the city, through the modern town before reaching the old quarter. It was a pleasant walk and interesting to view what the town had become before venturing into what it once was.

At the edge of the historic center I took a minute to step into the St Mary's Church on Náměti. It was a beautiful, seemingly seldom-visited chuch made of stone with a simple but elegant altar. I had debated making the short detour, but ultimately was glad I had.

From there I continued onward towards the main attraction, St Barbara's Cathedral. I approached from below, wandering down a stone path down and around the cathedral before a dirt path brought me back up to the entrance. Ultimately, I was happy I did so as I found myself with views of the building I would have missed othewise.

I entered the church from the front and was immediately awed by its cavernous interior, craning my neck to be able to see the shields that adorned the ceiling.

Climbing up to the second floor I took the air outside before returning to admire the church from the galleries. Across the way I watched other tourists as they looked down below or across towards me, reading guidebooks or lost in thought, before making my way back down to the ground floor.

I exited the church into the hubub of the main path back towards the town. It ran beside a small vineyard and a small stall sold glasses of wine made from the church vineyards. Thankfully I had a few crowns left over after using the restroom. I selected a light red, handed over the last of my crowns, and walked the length of the vineyard, plastic cup in hand.

Leaving the historic center behind I found myself once again in the modern section of town. I selected a smaller road running parellel to the main street in order to see a little more of the town and was rewarded with interesting architecture and cute window dressings.

I arrived at the train station early and asked if I could change my ticket to the next train that was arriving. The cashier told me it didn’t matter. I could board and use my ticket and I would be fine. I thanked her and walked to the platform to wait.

Back in Prague I began my walk home then decided to revisit the Park Legií. The sun was setting and the city glowed. I found a spot to sit and watch the sun as it bathed the city in the last of its warmth.

Once the day turned blue I found my way to the main tourist thoroughfares to soak in a little more of the atmosphere before heading home and hunting for dinner. I walked along the river towards the Charles Bridge, crossing there back into Prague 1 and my apartment, feeding my eyes until they were full of the sights of the Czech Republic. 🇨🇿