Darkness and magic of Kutna Hora

One is associated with silver, the other is again with a macabre chapel made of human bones. Still others see the magnificent late gothic cathedral under the slogan "Kutn á Hora".

The city of silver, as Kutná Hora is often referred to, is located in Central Bohemia, approx. 70 km from Prague. Its development is inextricably linked with the extraction of the precious metal. With time, the center grew more and more, and finally the Royal Mint, the Italian Court, was established there. Over the years, it "advanced", becoming a royal residence. The deposits of silver began to run out in the 18th century, which consequently resulted in the closure of the mint. Today, the building houses a museum of mining and a numismatic gallery.

A city shining with a silver glow

However, before the silver layers showed their bottom, the precious metal attracted people from different parts of Europe to the city. And from various social strata - both entrepreneurs and adventurers of various kinds. In the best period (the turn of the 13th / 14th centuries), 1/3 of European silver was produced in Kutna Hora. The deepest mine in the world , the St. George. The wealth of the city sustained the entire kingdom and earned it the glorious name of the country's treasury.

Many traces of its former glory have survived to this day. The Old Town with the monumental St. Barbara and the monastery church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary located in the Sedlec district are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The aforementioned cathedral of St. Barbara is a priceless work of late Gothic architecture. Inside there is a gallery of late gothic and renaissance wall paintings. Due to numerous sharp turrets, it is sometimes called by tourists "Brontosaurus Ridge".

The chill of the Skull Chapel

Much smaller in size, but by no means less famous, is another city attraction, a must-see for a thanatotourist - the Skull Chapel . Despite the splendor inside, you feel cold. You get the impression that a pagan priest will emerge from some corner and start mumbling dark spells. Crossbones chandeliers, chains of human skulls, bones of the deceased incorporated into the altars and the family coat of arms - macabre decorations are the remains of hundreds of victims of the 14th-century plague epidemic that hit these lands in the century, as well as the Hussite wars and the Thirty Years' War.

The chapel (ossuary) is located in the Sedlec district. One may wonder what the purpose of building such places is - they were built in honor of the dead, as an expression of a painful question directed towards heaven, or perhaps as a cry of regret and anger, or even an accusation of cruelty. There are several theories, and only those who will not reveal the truth know the truth.

Overnight at a campsite in Kutna Hora

Kutná Hora still has a lot to offer to tourists. It is worth seeing the beautiful chapel of St. Wenceslas and Ladislav, the baroque church of St. John of Nepomuk, it is also worth going to the Klimeška complex with the second longest bobsleigh track in the Czech Republic. Where can you stay during the trip? On the outskirts of the city there is a large and nice Autocamp TRANSIT Kutná Hora . If someone is planning to go to these areas next year, he can book a place now - the campsite is open from 1.4. until 30.9, has places in rooms, bungalows and positions for cars, tents, motorbikes and caravans. In a beautiful environment (among greenery and flowers), guests can enjoy a stay for 90 CZK a day. A place for a vehicle costs CZK 55.

A bit closer, about a 10-minute walk from the center, is the Autokamp Santabarbara . It has a fully equipped kitchen, laundry room and facilities for the disabled (ramps, etc.). There is also a restaurant on site. One day of stay of an adult costs 90 CZK, while a place for a caravan or motorhome - 120 CZK.

Kutn á Hora will be remembered by everyone, regardless of whether he was attracted to the city by the fame of the macabre chapel, the majestic cathedral or the glitter of silver.