Prague is a beautiful city all on its own, but it can feel overrun with tourists. This is especially true if you stick to the main tourist road between the Prague Castle and Old Town Square. You can venture off this road in Prague or you can escape tourists by doing a day trip. I chose to day trip to Kutná Hora, a small town that’s only an hour away from Prague.
But Kutná Hora is not the only day trip from Prague. Karlovy Vary and Česky Krumlov are also popular day trip options. Česky Krumlov looks beautiful, but it can be a long day trip and it is arguably the most popular. Kutná Hora, while still a popular day trip, felt a world away from Prague.
There’s several things to do in Kutná Hora, but my main reason for visiting was to see the Sedlec Ossuary, which also gets referred to as the “Bone Church”. I had seen photos online and was fascinated. I knew that if I went to Prague I would have to go and see it. Besides the Sedlec Ossuary, there are a few churches to visit and a nice old town. In fact, Kutná Hora’s old town, with the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady and St. John the Baptist and the Church of St. Barbara, is recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site.
Getting to Kutná Hora
Getting to Kutná Hora can be straightforward if you pay attention. Trains run approximately every hour between Prague and Kutná Hora. But not all trains are equal because only every other train is direct. According to the current schedule, the trains at 5:59 am, 7:59 am, 9:59 am, etc. are direct. The trains departing at 6:38 am, 8:42 am, 10:42 am, etc. have a connection in the town of Kolin. Direct trains take just under an hour, while connecting trains take just over an hour. So there’s not a big time difference between a direct and a connecting train, but it’s good to be aware of which train you’re taking.
The next important thing is knowing which station in Kutná Hora to go to. Kutná Hora is a town of 20,000 people, yet it still has four train stations. Depending on which train station you use, you may need to transfer trains once you arrive in Kutná Hora.
Kutná Hora Hlavní nádraží – This is the main train station and if you are coming from Prague, you will end up at this station. You can either walk from here or transfer to another train to get closer to your destination.
Kutná Hora Sedlec – This train station is closest to Sedlec Ossuary. If you buy your ticket from a counter in the Prague Train Station, this is probably the ticket they think you want. When I bought my ticket, I asked for Kutná Hora, and this was the station they tried to sell me.
Kutná Hora Mesto – This train station is on the west side of the town, but it still offers convenient access to some of the other sights in Kutná Hora.
Kutná Hora Predmesti – This train station is the furthest west and while it can be close to some sights, it’s unlikely you’ll utilize this station.
What I Did
I bought my return ticket to Kutná Hora Hlavní nádraží station. I took the direct train from Prague to Kutná Hora and then walked about twenty minutes to the Sedlec Ossuary.
On the train, I met a few people who all transferred and continued on to Kutná Hora Sedlec. These travelers also went straight to Sedlec Ossuary, but I completed my visit by the time they were first walking up the path to buy tickets.
Things to Do in Kutná Hora
Sedlec Ossuary
This is the reason most people come to visit Kutná Hora. The bones from more than 40,000 human skeletons decorate the interior of the chapel, making it one of the most unique chapels in the world.
The history of this ossuary dates back to the 13th century. It started as a burial space in 1278, but as the Black Death spread in the 14th century and Bohemian Wars broke out in the early 15th century, the space had to expand because so many people had died. So, the skeletons began to be exhumed. In the late 1800s, František Rint made order out of all of the skeletons, leading to what we see today. It’s estimated that the bones of between 40,000 and 70,000 people decorate the chapel.
While pictures of Sedlec Ossuary can look amazing, it’s smaller than many people believe. A visit here can be fast, but that just means there’s plenty of time for other sights.
Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady and St. John the Baptist
Originally built from 1290 to 1320, this cathedral stands tall near the center of Kutná Hora. This cathedral was destroyed in the 15th century, but was reconstructed in the 17th and 18th centuries. While not my favorite Cathedral I’ve ever visited, entry is included when buying a combo ticket for the Sedlec Ossuary and the Church of St. Barbara. Since it’s just across the street from the Sedlec Ossuary, it’s worth a quick visit.
Church of St. Barbara
The church sits on the far west side of Kutná Hora. Construction on the church began in the 14th century, but it wasn’t until the 19th and 20th centuries that the church was transformed into what we see today. While the Church of St. Barbara is massive, it’s only half the size of what was envisioned. The town’s silver mines were less productive, so there was less money and the planned size of the church shrunk.
Old Town
The Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady and St. John the Baptist and the Church of St. Barbara are two of the centerpieces of this historic old town. However, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t more to see in this old town. Wander the streets and enjoy how much less crowded it feels than Prague.
Silver Mines
Kutná Hora is historically a silver mining town. It was this industry that helped to fund the building of the cathedrals and help the town thrive. For those wanting to learn more, you can book tours that will not only teach you the history, but also take you into the mines.
Buying Your Tickets
You can book tickets online or buy them at the sites. I chose to buy a combo ticket at my first stop (Sedlec Ossuary). I wanted to see Sedlec Ossuary and the Church of St. Barbara, but the combo ticket I bought also included the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady and St. John the Baptist. If you are short on time, I would skip the cathedral and focus on Sedlec Ossuary and the Church of St. Barbara. Both of these sites were more interesting than the Cathedral.
I debated about doing a tour of the silver mines, but by the time I was finished at the Church of St. Barbara I was tired. I chose to skip it.
How Long Do You Need in Kutná Hora
While you could make it a short day trip, I recommend giving yourself a full day. You will have a one hour train journey each way, so you should make your trip worth it. On my visit, I took the 10:00 train from Prague and the 5:00 train from Kutná Hora. I started at Sedlec Ossuary when I arrived and then walked to Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady and St. John the Baptist. After lunch, I wandered the old town, checked out the Church of St. Barbara, and returned to the train station.
Getting Around Kutná Hora
When I did this trip, I walked everywhere, but I’ll be the first to admit it was a lot of walking. It’s also the reason I didn’t have the energy to tour the silver mines at the end of the day. Below are some walking time estimates.
Kutná Hora Hlavní nádraží to Sedlec Ossuary: 15 to 20 minutes
Sedlec Ossuary to Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady and St. John the Baptist: 5 minutes
Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady and St. John the Baptist to Church of St. Barbara: 40 to 45 minutes
Church of St. Barbara to Kutná Hora Hlavní nádraží: 1 hour
If this seems like too much walking to you, consider only walking part way and utilizing other train stations. This can be particularly helpful at the end of the day when you are trying to get to the train station to return to Prague.
Kutná Hora Sedlec to Sedlec Ossuary: 10 minutes
Church of St. Barbara to Kutná Hora Mesto: 20 minutes
Other options for getting around Kutná Hora include bike rental, city bus, and taxi hires. I can’t speak much to these options as I did not use them, but I wanted to include them because they are valid options for saving your feet.
Is It Worth Visiting Kutná Hora?
Overall I would say yes. It was a great break from the crowds of tourists in Prague and I got to explore a bit of a UNESCO town. I also got to see the “Bone Church” in person, which while cool, didn’t quite live up to the hype I had built up in my head. It is a lot smaller than you are likely envisioning. The Church of St. Barbara was beautiful though and it was my favorite site of the day.
That all said, I don’t think you need more than one day here. While there are a few cool sites, one day is enough time to see them all.
Continue Your Adventure
Prague: If you’re in the Czech Republic, you have to add on a visit to the capital city of Prague.
France: I combined my visit to the Czech Republic with a visit to France. Spend time touring the grand sights of Paris or exploring the chateaux dotting the Loire Valley.
Spain: If you love smaller cities with great sites, check out some of Spain’s great sites. You have the Alhambra in Granada or even the town of Segovia.