So, I figured I’d show you a couple of other things about my trip to Kutna Hora. (Which, hereafter I will call KH.)
And I’ll do it in a straightforward fashion… for you wussies who can’t appreciate the lost art-form of debate.
There were two other things that I saw in KH.
The first was not so cool and was kind of a waste of time. Thankfully, I only spent about 20 minutes there. This was the church in the centre of KH. St. Barbara’s Cathedral.
Snoozefest with a vaulted ceiling.
Now the second thing that I saw was another church. And it was not a snoozefest.
It was a total CREEPSHOW!
The Sedlec Church (about 10 minutes outside of KH) is commonly known as The Bone Church.
It’s called the Bone Church because the insides of this tiny little chapel are decorated with the bones of 40,000 people.
40,000 people? Are you kidding me?
This photo here was taken from the main level of the church:
The white/grey stuff behind that protective wire? That’s a pile of thigh bones. Just thigh bones.
There are FOUR of these piles.
And… if you look closely you might see be able to see that it’s nothing but bones in a big pyramid. No glue. No mortar. No sawdust. Just a whole mess of thigh bones.
And a couple of skulls thrown in for good measure.
A closer look:
Seriously weird, creepy and astonishing.
Here’s the story behind the church…
Back in 1278, this abbot/priest/dude named Henry went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. And ol’ Hank, he’s a traveller with a penchant for bringing home souvenirs for the fam. Or, I guess in his case, the congregation.
So what does he do?
He brings back a jar full of dirt.
And not just any dirt. This is HOLY dirt.
He sprinkles the dirt on the church grounds. And people hear about.
And now everyone near and far wants to be buried in the Sedlec cemetary. Because the land is considered holy… It’s seen as a literal extension of the Holy Land.
And we’re not just talking about one or two folks. We’re talkin’ A LOT of folks. Like hundreds.
And then there’s this particularly nasty period in European history. You might have heard of it…
The Black Plague.
Where so many thousands of people are dying and wanting to be buried in the holy Sedlec that the ground is jammed FULL of bones. The folks running the church don’t know what to do. There’s bones everywhere.
So the head priest tells his gravedigger – “Make some room!”
And, apparently the gravedigger wasn’t your everyday manly gravedigger.
Because when he finds himself with a drab church and a big pile of bone, his first thought is
“LET’S DECORATE!!!”
(If you say it with a lisp it’s much funnier…)
And so… the Bone Church.
Some more visions of creep for you.
My only other noteworthy thing in the little village of KH was a GREAT meal.
Wild Boar Goulash. Flavoured with Cranberries and Orange and served with a side of Gingerbread Dumplings.
It was divine.
I can’t pronounce the name of the restaurant, but the food was amazing.
To close, a recommendation for those going to Prague and thinking about checking out KH…
Go to Kutna Hora if you have a day to relax and hang out. It’s a lovely little town with plenty of excellent (and cheap) restaurants.
Now — if you’re going for the sights? You’ve heard my two cents about the snoozefest with the vaulted ceiling. And although the Bone Church is creepy and cool, you only spend about 20 minutes inside before you’ve seen it all…
So… if you’re excited about the silver mine, KH is worth it. If not, I’d recommend staying in Prague and checking out the photos…