The bone church of Kutna Hora: Sedlec Ossuary

In Kutna Hora, an hour away from Prague, you can find a unique cemetery chapel decorated with the bones of up to 40,000 people. It is known as the bone church and officially called “Sedlec Ossuary”. During my trip to Prague, I decided to visit this special UNESCO World Heritage site. The Sedlec Ossuary is definitely among the most unique churches I have ever visited.

Visit Sedlec Ossuary’s Instagram to see more stunning photos!

Sedlec Ossuary history:
The number of burials outgrew the space available and since then, the older human remains began to be stored in the chapel’s basement. A half-blind monk was given the task to organize the bones, so he started piling up the bones in the chapel’s corners.

What makes Sedlec Ossuary unique?
In the 19^th century, a woodcarver started organizing the bones into various shapes of skeleton bits to  create special designs and sculptures. These creative arrangements are nowadays still visible and make this chapel very unique.

The special designs and sculptures:

The Bone Chandelier:

The coat-of arms of the Schwarzenberg noble family and the master Rint’s signature:

The coat-of arms of the Schwarzenberg noble family

Master Rint’s signature

Getting there:
– When traveling from Prague, I can recommend to go by train. You can take the train to Kutna Hora Sedlec (switch trains at Kutna Hora Central Station). This ride will take you around one hour and will cost you 90 CZK (retour ticket).
– When traveling from Kutna Hora, I can recommend you to go by the tourist bus or by foot. The bus ride will cost you 35 CZK.

Entrance fee:
Adults: 90 CZK
Students, children, disabled, seniors: 65 CZK

These prices do include the photography permit. There are also special prices for big groups or families.

Sedlec Ossuary

Opening hours:
The Ossuary is open all year except 24^th of December.

The opening hours and admission prices above reflect the standard operating hours and prices and are subject to change.

Tips:
– You can borrow an explanatory text in different languages from the cashier’s desk.
– There is a wheelchair lift available for people with mobility difficulties.
– You can buy souvenirs from the cashier’s desk.

Author: Daphne

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