Odds are you’ve seen Kutná Hora floating around the interwebs, whether you’ve realized it or not. The Sedlec Ossuary is a fixture on reddit’s r/creepy subreddit cause, you know… it’s creepy as hell.
But beyond the bone church lies a small, ancient town with a history as rich as its silver mines. There’s more to Kutná Hora than the ossuary, so I hope you decide to venture beyond it’s unsettling, bone-covered walls.
Just an hour outside of Prague, Kutná Hora makes for a perfect day trip. However, if you have the time, consider staying the night.
How to Spend 1 Day in Kutná Hora
Map of Kutná Hora
Introduction to Kutná Hora
Czech Republic
Official Language(s): Czech
Currency: Koruna
Emergency phone number: 112
When to Go Kutná Hora
September – November
The early to late fall season is a great time to go. The weather will be crisp and pleasant with much smaller crowds. Not to mention, the leaves changing on the hills is always a sight to see.
How to Get Around in Kutná Hora
Walking
You can easily walk around the city center to get to where you need to be, but be warned the walk from the ossuary will take a bit.
Tram
If you’re not up to it, there’s a tram that leaves from the church to the city center (line 381).
Where to Stay in Kutná Hora
Café Pension Havlicek
Café Pension Havlicek is a super cute and charming hotel located right in the middle of all of the fun. There’s a cafe on the ground floor.
Where to Eat in Kutná Hora
Na Kozím plácku
Na Kozím plácku is the cutest and most pleasant little coffee shop there ever was. It’s on a quaint little street, so I grabbed a latte to go and sipped it while walking through the picturesque area.
- Dačického nám. 10/5, 284 01 Kutná Hora
- Website
V Ruthardce
V Ruthardce is a bit of a play on Kutná Hora’s historic charm. It’s a medieval style building that serves traditional, hearty food.
- Dačického nám. 15/10, 284 01 Kutná Hora
- Website
Café HARMONIA
I loved Café HARMONIA, it felt like home. It’s a cozy little restaurant with an outdoor patio. Czech food is served here, and this is where I got my first taste of Czech goulash.
- Husova 104/9, 284 01 Kutná Hora
- Website
Chocolate Museum
The Chocolate Museum is exactly what it sounds like. A brief history on chocolate itself, and a shop that showcases international brands. Bring your sweet tooth.
- Komenského nám. 72/18, 284 01 Kutná Hora
- Website
Day 1 in Kutná Hora
Sedlec Ossuary
Let’s be real, if you came to Kutná Hora, you came here for the Sedlec Ossuary, otherwise known as the Bone Church. So make this your first stop. Reddit had it right, it’s so creepy and unsettling.
An estimated 40,000 and 70,000 people “furnish” the church, with at least one bone from every part of the human body in the chandelier. Dig it.
- Zámecká, 284 03 Kutná Hora
- Open daily 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- Website
Assumption of Our Lady and St. John the Baptist
Nearby is the Cathedral of Assumption of Our Lady and St. John the Baptist, (or, the Church of the Assumption for the lazy), a UNESCO-listed Catholic church. It’s also known as the Church of Light, for… well, obvious reasons. Giant windows.
You can also climb the rafters for an aerial view.
- U Zastávky, Sedlec, 284 03 Kutná Hora
- Open 9 a.m. -5 p.m. Monday - Saturday and 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday
- Website
Cathedral of St. Barbara
A walk down the cute and charming Barborská Street, with some of the prettiest views you’ll ever see (really), you’ll find yourself at the Cathedral of St. Barbara. Kutná Hora seems to have a formula for creating impressive/terrifying churches, and this one is extra special since St. Barbara is the patron saint of miners. Silver mining is how Kutná Hora made its fortune.
- Barborská, 284 01 Kutná Hora
- Hours vary, generally open daily 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Website
Czech Silver Museum
The Czech Silver Museum is equal parts cool and terrifying (much like the rest of the town, I guess). It’ll explain the discovery of silver in Kutná Hora in a hands off, or hands on way, depending on your preference. You can get a tour through the museum itself, and learn about how the town and its mines came to be.
It’s a pretty fascinating story. There’s evidence of silver as early as the 10th century. From then, up until the early 1500s, Kutná Hora was so wealthy, it rivaled Prague. Then the Black Plague, a fire that damaged the largest mine and a host of other events resulted in mines deserted by the 1800s.
Take a Mine Tour
The museum is really cool, but if you’re short on time, take a tour of the silver mines. (Or do both). I’m a smidge claustrophobic and I was petrified the entire time, but man, it was so cool.
You’ll descend down 40 meters into precarious, slippery tunnels, all the while donned in miner’s gear. The mine has been designed to showcase what miners would usually be up to during their shifts and the tunnels are spellbinding.
- Barborská 28/9, 284 01 Kutná Hora
- Open 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tuesday - Sunday
- Website
GASK – Central Bohemian Gallery
GASK – Central Bohemian Gallery is a modern art museum that didn’t really appeal to me (I’m not one for modern art), but you’re so inclined, I’d give it a go.
- Barborská 51/51, 284 01 Kutná Hora
- Open 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tuesday - Sunday
- Website
Kutná Hora Cost Calculator
Know Before You Go
While the Sedlec Ossuary is a major tourist hub, many travelers will poke through the church and leave the town. I know many of us grapple with busy travel schedules, but this can create a serious strain on the town.
If you have a few hours, spend it in the town center. Eat at a local restaurant, participate in local tours, add to the economy. Cliche to say, but the Ossuary is only the beginning of what awaits in Kutná Hora.
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Safe travels!
-Maggie
