To stand outside the Cemetery Church of All Saints in the Czech town of Kutna Hora, it doesn't look all that extraordinary. It's just a little Gothic-style church and cemetery. But the church and burial ground in Sedlec has always been a bit special.
The legend goes that, in 1278, the local abbot of the Sedlec Abbey was sent by the Czech king to Jerusalem. There, he scooped up a handful of soil from Golgatha (the place where Jesus was crucified) and brought it back, scattering it over the Sedlec Cemetery (now the All Saints Cemetery).
Because the cemetery was blessed with soil from the Holy Land, it became a desirable place to be buried in Europe.
The current Gothic church was built next to the cemetery in the 14th century, and holds both an upper chapel and an underground ossuary. And it's this ossuary that makes this place so special. Because, inside, the Sedlec Ossuary is decorated with the bones of 30,000-40,000 people.
An important note: I visited the Sedlec Ossuary in 2013 during a summer trip around Europe. Back then, you were permitted to take photos of the inside of the Bone Church. Since then, however, they have banned all photography inside the ossuary, out of respect for the dead. Photos are still published online, however, so I'm still sharing a few of my photos here since they were taken back when it was permitted.
The Sedlec Ossuary (Bone Church)
The history of this Roman Catholic church and its cemetery is actually quite fascinating. The original cemetery dates back to the 1100s, and the Gothic church was erected in the late 14th century (and reconstructed in the 18th century). The cemetery, as I mentioned above, was a popular burial spot from the late 1200s onward. It was also greatly expanded during the Black Plague era, when many people in Europe lost their lives.
By the time the Hussites (Czech Christians) captured Kutna Hora and attacked/burned Sedlec's church and monastery in 1421, tens of thousands of people were buried there. At least 10,000 more would find their final resting places there during the Hussite wars.
By the end of the 15th century, bones began being moved from the cemetery into the ossuary of the church. There is a legend that a half-blind monk began carefully arranging the bones into pyramids – they say he got his sight back after his work was done.
Historians know for sure that the bones were definitely decoratively arranged in the ossuary by the 16th century (perhaps by that half-blind monk), and they were re-arranged again in the 1660s when the church underwent renovations, and once again in the 18th century when the Church of All Saints and the Ossuary were rebuilt again in the Baroque Gothic style.
The architect of the 18th century renovations – Jan Santini Aichel – is said to have introduced some additional elements, like the garlands of bones.
Preserving the Bone Church
The original Sedlec monastery was abolished in 1783, but the abbey was purchased by the Schwartzenberg family, and the Ossuary was maintained by them.
The Baroque bone decoration was then expanded by Czech woodcarver Frantisek Rink in 1870. He disinfected and bleached all the bones, and added his own touches – including a chandelier that's said to include every bone in the human body, along with a Schwatzenberg coat of arms constructed from bones.
Today, ongoing preservation work continues to preserve the chapel and ossuary.
And while this may seem like a creepy or macabre place, the church in Kutna Hora chooses to focuses on a more positive message. “It is not a celebration of death,” the church says, “but it symbolizes the equality of people before the throne of God.”
Visiting the Sedlec Ossuary
Today, the Sedlec Ossuary is said to be one of the most-visited places in the Czech Republic. It's certainly the most-visited sight in Central Bohemia Region, drawing roughly 300,000 visitors per year.
How to get to the Bone Church
The “Bone Church” is located about 1 hour from Prague by regional train. You can take a direct train from Prague's main train station to Kutna Hora hl.n* (NOT to the main train station in Kutna Hora, which is Kutná Hora město). The hl.n stop is a 10-minute walk from the Bone Church (and there are signs that will point the way for you from the station).
*There IS a Kutná Hora-Sedlec train station that is closer to the church, however it's not on the direct line from Prague, so it's honestly easier just to get off at Kutna Hora hl.n and walk.
You do not need to book train tickets ahead of time, though it would be worth it to check out the train schedule to decide when you want to leave Prague. Trains usually leave Kutna Hora to return to Prague once an hour.
You can also book a guided tour from Prague if you don't want to bother figuring out transport on your own.
Things to know about visiting
There are some important things to know about visiting the Sedlec Ossuary.
- Photos are no longer allowed inside the Ossuary. (This rule was implemented in 2020; the photos in this post were taken in 2013.)
- In order to enter the chapel and ossuary, you need to be wearing “respectable clothing,” which usually means you should have your shoulders covered, and possibly also your knees.
- Tickets are required for the Sedlec Ossuary.
Sedlec Ossuary tickets
Entry into the Sedlec Ossuary is 220 CZK ($9.50 USD) for adults and 50 CZK ($3.50 USD) for children. You can purchase tickets online, or at the Information Center located near the Ossuary entrance.
You can get a combined ticket for the Ossuary, Sedlec Cathedral, and also St Barbara's Cathedral in Kutna Hora if you plan to explore Kutna Hora a bit, too. (The Sedlec Ossuary is itself fairly small, so making a whole day trip to Kutna Hora is a great idea.)
Is the Bone Church somewhere you'd want to visit on YOUR travels?
Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she's actually traveled!
I was there last week and it was awesome! We enjoyed a couple of the cafes/restaurants around there too… Very cheap! All in all, very worthwhile to take the trip from Prague!
Agreed – it’s definitely a worthwhile day trip from Prague!