Photos taken/written by Jennifer Mahon
EUROPE ROAD TRIP — DAY 8 (OF 19)
Leaving the magical city of Prague behind, we had two options: head to Kutná Hora (about an hour east) or Cesky Krumlov (two hours southwest). Since we were eventually making our way to Vienna, Kutná Hora won—it saved us an hour of driving time, and my husband was determined to see the Kostnice Sedlec (aka Sedlec Ossuary or The Bone Church). So, off to Kutná Hora we went! It’s an easy drive and just as simple by public transport, if that’s more your speed.
Kutná Hora is one of the 12 UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Czech Republic, but let’s be real—it’s most famous for the Bone Church. We only drove by the town center (which is totally gorgeous, by the way) and spotted the impressive St. Barbara’s Cathedral. We lucked out with free parking at Restaurace Zlatý Lev—right across the street from the jaw-dropping Church of the Assumption of Our Lady and Saint John the Baptist. Gothic churches? Check!
YOU'VE GOTTA SEE...
KOSTNICE SEDLEC (SEDLEC OSSUARY)
Ready for a place straight out of your most bizarre dreams? Kostnice Sedlec is a cemetery chapel where the bones of up to 40,000 people—yep, 40,000—are arranged into the most morbidly artistic decor you’ve ever seen. These poor souls fell victim to the plague in 1318, but now they’re living their best afterlife as... decorations. Kutná Hora - it’s all about the bones—literally!
There are a few bone chapels scattered around Europe, but Sedlec takes it to the next level. The highlight? A chandelier made of bones, smack in the middle of the chapel. And not just any bones—this bad boy features at least one of every single human bone. It’s like something out of an eerie, bone-themed HGTV show.
Legend has it that a half-blind monk started stacking bones into pyramids and got his sight back when he finished the job. Honestly, that’s the kind of bizarre folklore you’d expect from a place like this!
You’ll see bone columns, skulls worked into the walls, and other bone-based “art” pieces as soon as you walk through the door. Sure, it’s a bit creepy, but also kind of... cool? Just don’t be one of those tourists who tries to pocket a bone as a souvenir—that’s happened way too many times, and it’s seriously disrespectful (not to mention gross).
Sedlec Ossuary is one of the region’s top attractions, and once you see the craftsmanship (and, um, dedication to the bone aesthetic), you’ll get why.
Photos: 1 - Walking up Zámecká to the ossuary | 2 - Just so you know you're on the right route | 3 - Sedlec Ossuary this way | 4 - Sedlec Ossuary & Cemetery
Photos: Sedlec Ossuary & Cemetery
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