Kutna Hora: A Day Trip from Prague

While people are prepping for Halloween festivities, there’s one place Wes and I have been to that is eerie all year round. Forget fake Halloween decorations – this chapel in Kutna Hora is decorated with thousands of human bones. The Sedlec Ossuary is a chapel in a suburb near Kutna Hora in the Czech Republic. The town is about an hour train ride away from Prague and this site helped us plan for our day trip. While several companies offer tour packages, Wes and I saved money by going on our own and we enjoyed exploring the town at our own pace.

It was a gloomy day with a bit of rain and the entire town had a slightly spooky feel to it. Since we were traveling during the off-season, the streets were nearly empty and we were free of the tourist crowds (which is especially nice when you’re coming from the crowds of Prague).

Entrance to the Sedlec Ossuary was just under $5 and it was like nothing I’ve ever seen. It’s estimated that the remains of 40,000 people were used to adorn the walls of the chapel. To think that we were walking among real human skeletons was bone-chilling (pun intended).

After our self-guided tour of the chapel, we walked all the way through town and continued on towards the impressive St. Barbara’s Church. It was a bit eerie walking around a deserted town in the rain but if there’s anything that can brighten up a day for Wes and I, it’s pizza. We stopped for a bite at the Pizzeria Piazza Navona Restaurant and were pleasantly surprised with both the food and service.

Kutna Hora is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for both St. Barbara’s Church and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec. If you have a day to spare when visiting Prague, I would suggest making the trip to explore another one of Czech Republic’s many hidden gems.