Kutná Hora, Czech Republic
A front moved through with rain last night in Prague. This morning there was actually a hint of fall in the air. I had to get outside and enjoy the weather.
I decided on a short train ride east to the town of Kutná Hora in the central Bohemian region. In the Middle Ages, silver was mined and minted here, elevating the town into a rivalry with Prague.
You can’t help but notice the gothic glory of Saint Barbara’s Church with its flying buttresses soaring above Kutná Hora. I thought it was an unusual name for a church until I read that Barbara is the patron saint of miners.
Does Chubby Checker have these nobles doing the twist inside the church?
Kutná Hora was a great choice to enjoy the cooler weather. It’s surrounded by lovely Czech countryside with rolling hills, vineyards and plenty of trees. I imagine it’s spectacular in the fall when the leaves begin to change colors.
After weeks of excessive heat, everyone was out enjoying the air this Friday. I looked over the vegetables in the farmer’s stand. Are these turnips?
I believe it adds to your visit if you sample the local produce. Of course I tried several of Kutná Hora’s beers…
Just down the road was the strangest church I’ve ever seen. The Sedlec Ossuary, or as it’s more famously known, the “Bone Church”, contains the earthly remains of an estimated 40,000 to 70,000 people.
In 1278, an abbot returned from the Holy Land with a small amount of earth and sprinkled it over the abbey cemetery. Word spread and Sedlec became the most desirable burial site throughout Central Europe. After wars and the Black Death took their toll, bones started stacking up.
In 1870, a woodcarver named František Rint was employed to make order of all the bones. Rint obviously got creative and his work is what you see today. It was very creepy but the church provided a positive spin: in the end, we’re all the same in the eyes of the Lord.
Outside, I peered down at an excavation pit. You could see layers of bones protruding from the earth. Evidently the cemetery was so popular over the centuries, burial plots were stacked high.
The Bone Church is one of the most-visited sites in the Czech Republic. I took about two minutes inside and was ready to go. I’m glad I spent the vast majority of my time enjoying the lively town of Kutná Hora.
Is it me or is football season just around the corner? I think this guy’s signalling a touchdown.
……….
Thanks for coming along on the trip. If you have questions or suggestions, tweet @JasonRMatheson. Missed an entry? Click here.
