Kutna Hora

Why Kutna Hora is special
Kutna Hora is an atmospheric medieval town with a rich architectural and historical background.

Kutna Hora tips and insights
Pronunciation
Kutna Hora: koot'nah horr'uh

Top 3 attractions in Kutna Hora

• St. Barbara Church
  See photo. This cathedral sized house of worship was built for the town’s many miners and is named for their patron, St. Barbara. It began to rise in Kutna Hora in late 1300s and took two centuries to complete. Outside, this Late Gothic structure has grand flying buttresses and soaring spires. Inside, visitors admire the magnificent vaulted ceilings and precious fresco paintings.
  
• Italian Court
  A former mint and royal seat. The Italian Court guided tour includes a coin-making demonstration plus a walk through the king's residence. The royal chapel is a petite artistic jewel.
  
• Bone Church
  The interior of the chapel is eerily decorated with the bones of people who passed away centuries ago in the plague and war. Their human remains were assembled into various shapes, including chandeliers, chalices and crosses. This destination also goes by the names Kostnice (Czech) and the Sedlec Ossoury - and is in the Kutna Hora outskirts.

Kutna Hora history in brief
The formerly sleepy Middle Age town prospered in the 13th to 15th centuries, thanks to the discovery of extensive silver ore deposits.

Kutna Hora soon became one of Europe’s leading sources of silver. This provided the wealth to erect structures like St. Barbara, to become the seat of Bohemian kings, and to blossom into one of Europe's largest and most affluent cities.

Unfortunately, the silver deposits all but ran about two centuries later and the town shrank and drifted back into insignificance. Now, tourism is the new wealth of Kutna Hora, and this community is once again flourishing.

Minting
Kutna Hora in its hey day minted the silver Grochen. It was trusted and used throughout most of Europe. Another coin produced in the area was the Tollar - it gave its name to the dollar.

Getting there
Kutna Hora is an easy day trip from Prague. You can reach it by road in about an hour (if you avoid the morning and evening rush hours). You can also take a train.

Getting around
The Kutna Hora historic area is compact and is best explored on foot.

Festivals
Traditional costumed street festivals are held in June and September.