Europe : Central Europe : Czech Republic : Bohemia : Kutna Hora
Kutna Hora
Kutná Hora [1] is a town in the Bohemia region of the Czech Republic.
Understand
Kutná Hora was a silver mining town in medieval times: once the second Czech city to Prague in terms of population. Today it is home to about 21000 people.
Although Kutná Hora has some comparatively drab modern architecture, it was enscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995 for the Historical Town Centre, including the Church of St Barbara and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec. At both ends of the town there are some beautiful buildings, and the higher points of the town are home to restored older architecture, with Medieval, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque buildings.
Get in
There are trains roughly hourly from Prague leaving either Hlavní nádraží or Masarykovo nádraží (see time schedule at [2]). Most trains will require you to change from the express at Kolín to a local train and disembark at Kutná Hora two stops later, but there are direct express trains several times a day. A ticket is 98 Kč, 62 Kč concession with a Z-card. Journey time is one hour if you catch an express to Kolín, one hour thirty minutes if you catch a local to Kolín. In the other direction, Kutná Hora is on the line from Brno.
There are buses roughly hourly from Prague leaving the Florenc bus station, some direct and some requiring interchange at Kolín. A direct bus is around 70 Kč, a bus via Kolín about 90 Kč. Journey time is one hour twenty minutes direct, one hour forty minutes via Kolín.
Get around
The town is about three kilometers in length, so it is possible to explore Kutná Hora on foot. This isn't particularly rewarding though, as most of it is residential and the attractions (with the exception of the Kostnice Ossuary) are concentrated at the other end of town from the train station.
There is a local bus system with buses arriving to meet the trains. If you want to return to the train station from the historical core, take the bus that says "Hlavni Nádraží " on the front window. A single ride for adults costs 9 crowns and will leave you right at the train station.
There is also local train connecting historical core (station "Kutná Hora město") and the main station "Kutná Hora hlavní nádraží". It meets the arrival of nearly all the express trains. You can buy the train ticket from the local station "Kutná Hora město" directly to Prague. The price will be the same as the price from "Kutná Hora hlavní nádraží" to Prague.
There are also taxis: usually one or two will meet the train, otherwise they can be a little difficult to find. Unlike in Prague, it is safe to hail them in the street: they won't overcharge. A taxi ride from one end of town to the other is about 80 Kč.
Additional Information
- When you arrive at Kutná Hora you may get the Number 1 bus to Kutná Hora Mešto (Kutná Hora Town Center) or wait at the station for the train that goes to Kutná Hora Město. There are 3 stops, but you're better off at Kutná Hora Mešto.
- If you feel fit ...
Then, walking is your best bet. When you leave the station, go right until you reach the first intersection (about 3min walk). Then turn left and walk for another 5-8 minutes (it depends on how quickly you walk) and you will come to the church on your left (more details to follow) and the Ossuary on your right. At the Ossuary you need to pay a fee to enter (50Kč) and another one to take pictures (30 Kč).
After you finish with the Ossuary, you can walk to the town center without any problems. Go back to the main road and turn right. You're now about 2,5km from the town center.
All you have to do is to follow the road signs until you reach the main attractions in the town center. You cannot miss the St. Barbara's Cathedral and the Hrádek - Czech museum of silver.
See
- Kostnice Ossuary [3], Zamecka 127. ph 327 561 143. email info@kostnice.cz. In 1278, Henry, the abbot of Sedlec was sent to the Holy Land. On returning, he brought soil from Golgotha and sprinkled it on the ground here. As a consequence, the burial ground was considered holy and became extremely popular. In 1511 a chapel was constructed to house the bones from abolished graves. The chapel is open to the public, and contains the bones of about 40000 people, arranged by František Rint in 1870. Rint's work includes an enormous chandelier including every bone in the body, and a crucifix style arrangement near the main altar. The ossuary is open 8am - 6pm (April - September), 9am - 12pm and 1pm - 5pm (October) and 9am - 12pm and 1pm - 4pm (November - March). Closed on 24th December. Admission is 50 Kč adults and 30 Kč students. It will cost another 30 Kč if you wish to take photos and 60 Kč if you want to take video. Watch out for the very cranky attendants who close the place for an hour at mid-day.
- Church of St. Barbara
The Church of Saint Barbara is located at the opposite end of the Kutná Hora's train station. If you wish to start your tour from there, you may want to get a taxi from the station to the Church and then walk your way around the town center.
A bit of the church's history
The works on the church started around 1380 by Peter Parler's workshop, whose other great work in the Czech Republic includes the imposing St. Vitus Cathedral at the Prague Castle.
The eye-catching spires are really magnificent! If you're looking for some fantastic Gothic Bohemian style, St. Barbara Church is certainly one of them alongside St. Vitus in Prague
- Cathedral of Our Lady At Sedlac
- Italian Courtyard, Royal Mint and former Royal Residence.
- Silver Mines, Flooded in the middle ages, tours of the accessible portions of the mines are provided daily, except for Mondays (usual closing day for sights in the Czech Republic). The mines are closed in winter (November–March).
- Hrádek, Czech museum of silver. Silver mines tours start here.
Do
Buy
Eat
Generally, the staff in restaurants around St. Barbara's Cathedral are friendlier and (oddly) more professional than in Prague. There are a number of bars, restaurants and cafes just underneath the shadow of the cathedral. Some provide a breathtaking view of the valley to the south. The best experience I have had personally was at the restaurant U Hrnčiře (By the Jug Maker's). The food is excellent with traditional Czech dishes alongside a surprising array of vegetarian dishes.
Drink
Sleep
Most of the hotels in Kutná Hora you can find on the Kutná Hora website under accommodation. (www.kutnahora.cz/index.php?sec=11&cid=154)
Here is one very nice hotel.
- Hotel Garni Na Havlíčku, Havlíčkovo náměstí 513, 28401 Kutná Hora(Just below the main square of Kutna Hora.), ☎ 00420327515773, [4]. checkin: 10pm; checkout: 10am. Nice mid range hotel. Free internet, good sized room. Free breakfast.1050Kč/night.
Get out
In order to return to the train station you can:
- walk back to the station (about 3.5km)
- get a cab
- take the bus number 1
- get the train from Kutná Hora Město to Kutná Hora Hlavní nádraží
Once you're back to the station, you can:
- Get the next train to Kolín and change for the train to Praha Hlavní Nádraží
- Wait for the direct service to Praha Hlavní Nádraží
Other options are:
- There are also bus service to and from Prague, but trains seemed to be pretty reliable and ran on time.
- You can also take a cab back to Prague, which would cost you around 1600Kc.
This page was last edited at 19:15, on 14 March 2009 by Gareth Vaughan. Based on work by Jack Dann and Evan Prodromou, Wikitravel user(s) Morph, Peraltita and Episteme, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others.