If you’re looking for something a bit “different” to do in Prague, then the Sedlec Ossuary in Kutná Hora has you covered. I’m sure you’ve seen your fair share of churches, temples, and the like while travelling, but this chapel is far from typical. Upon stepping inside this unassuming building you’ll be surrounded by the bones of about 40, 000 people, which have been used as decoration. Despite the relatively small size of the chapel, the history behind why the skeletons were initially brought here and what the inspiration was for putting them on display all make the visit well worth the trip.
The Sedlec Ossuary is located in a town just outside of Prague’s city center called Kutná Hora. The drive to Kutná Hora takes about an hour. There are ample tour companies you can check out in Prague to get you there, as well as public transportation if you don’t mind doubling your commute.
Tickets to get into only the Sedlec Ossuary cost a mere 90 Kč (about $28 HKD). However, you can add on various other churches/sights to your ticket for an additional fee: Cathedral of Our Lady (+ Sedlec Ossuary for 110 Kč), St. Barbara Cathedral (+ Cathedral of our Lady + Sedlec Ossuary for 185 Kč), and GASK Jesuit College (+Cathedral of Our Lady + St. Barbara Cathedral + Sedlec Ossuary for 305 Kč).
From the outside, the chapel looks entirely normal – just a simple, small building with nothing that would lead a passerby to believe it was filled with tonnes of skeletons.
Apparently, the reason that the Sedlec Ossuary has acquired so many skeletons dates back to 1278 when, due to the pious act of the abbot of Sedlec’s monastery, the cemetery became a very popular burial site for people throughout Europe. As the years continued and the graveyard became increasingly larger, eventually the bones were exhumed and stored in the chapel. The decorations seen throughout the chapel using bones (for example, the massive bone chandelier) were created in 1870 by a man named František Rint and have made this a popular tourist spot for those who come to Prague.
Sedlec Ossuary
Zámecká
284 03 Kutná Hora
Czech Republic
Timo
November 2, 2015 at 4:37 amAh yeah, the chapel full of bones. Some years ago a friend did with some friends a motorbike tour through those areas and made a travel movie, was really interesting to see the chapel
thisgirlabroad
November 2, 2015 at 6:21 amOh, cool! Sounds like a fun time!