Mysterious Kutná Hora

Kutná Hora: Historical Town Centre with the Church of St Barbara and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec

Kutná Hora

Kutná Hora, a silver town, deserves its second title “the country’s treasure chest”. Its silver mining wealth helped the Czech kingdom to flourish. Its mysteries include cathedrals, monasteries, noblemen’s houses, mysterious corners, vaulted cellars and gems of Gothic and Baroque architecture, urban planning and sculpture. In the Middle Ages silver was mined there, coins were minted, trade blossomed and it was even the seat of Czech kings. Standing beneath the arches of the Church of St Barbara, one of the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals in Europe, is an awe-inspiring experience. You can also stroll through the courtyard and chambers of the Italian Court, once the palace of King Wenceslas IV, or descend with bated breath into the ossuary of a Cistercian monastery, taking in with a mixture of awe and unease its altars, coats of arms, chandeliers, pyramids and obelisks made from the bones of plague victims. Another attraction is the unique Gothic Stone House, where you can become a medieval craftsman or cook for a while…

Alongside the Church of St Barbara, the historical heart of the town is the Cathedral of the Ascension of Our Lady and St John the Baptist, which is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. When touring the town don’t neglect to visit the Stone Fountain and the Italian Court, which served as the central mint and the seat of Czech kings. In the Czech Museum of Silver you can learn about local silver mining in a very lively manner. On the museum tour you will pass – equipped only with a lamp, helmet and miner’s tunic – through the 250-metre tunnel of a medieval mine.

The Gallery of the Central Bohemian Region (GASK) is located in a former Jesuit college and focuses on Czech modern art of the late 19th and 20th centuries. GASK also shows contemporary art.

Kutná Hora

Kutná Hora – Church of St Barbara

Church of St Barbara and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec

Getting there from Prague: 84 km, 1:30 hrs, 1 hrs Nearby sights: • Ossuary at Sedlec • Žleby Chateau • Český Šternberk Castle www.kutnahora.cz www.czechtourism.com 9