Museum of bones - ossuary, Czech Republic, Sedlec. The ossuary in Kutná Hora is a reminder of the frailty of human life. A place in the Czech Republic made of bones.
The Ossuary in the Czech Republic is one of those attractions that evoke mixed and very ambiguous feelings. On the one hand - delight, genuine interest, the desire to take a selfie against the backdrop of a pile of bones. On the other hand, incredible horror and awe. What will you feel after visiting the crypt?
General information
The Ossuary or Cemetery Church of All Saints is a small medieval church located on the outskirts of Kutná Hora, 80 km from Prague. It was once famous for its rich silver mines, but after their closure, the only tourist attraction in the city remains this church, created from 40 thousand human bones.
Of course, in the Middle Ages, chapels in which the remains of deceased people were kept were the most common thing, but we are sure that the Czech Ossuary would have resonated even with ancient people. And all because in this temple the bones are not only preserved, but also act as the main elements of the interior. Due to this feature, few people dare to visit the ossuary in the town of Sedlec in the Czech Republic one at a time, and even in the dark. But during the day, organized tourist excursions regularly take place here.
Historical reference
The history of the Ossuary in the Czech Republic began in the 13th century, when one of the abbots scattered the earth brought from Golgotha over the cemetery of the Sedlec Monastery. After this event, the place began to be called sacred, and being buried on its territory was considered an honor. The fame of the monastery cemetery became so loud that the dead began to be brought to its territory not only from the Czech Republic, but also from neighboring countries.
When, in 1318, the plague epidemic destroyed a significant part of the European population, the monks decided to expand the territory of the churchyard, eliminating almost all the old burial grounds. And since the ashes in those days could not be processed properly, the dug up bones were simply thrown into the basements of the monastery chapels.
The next cleanup of the Sedlec cemetery began in 1511. Then the digging of human remains was entrusted to an old and practically blind monk. However, this time the bones were not “buried” in the basements: the monk bleached them with bleach, sorted them by type and put them in 6 pyramids. This is how the Ossuary in Kutna Hora was born, which was closed for 350 years after the death of the elder.
Over time, people's attitude towards the dead changed somewhat - bodies began to be burned, so the chapels in Sedlec remained unclaimed for many years. The situation changed only in 1870, when the territory of the monastery came into the possession of Prince Schwarzenberg. Unsatisfied with what he saw, the new owner decided to completely redo everything. Frantisek Rint, a local woodcarver, was invited to reconstruct the chapel. He understood the task set - to turn the church into something Gothic - in his own way, so instead of carved panels, pilasters and capitals, the interior of the chapel was decorated with remains found underground. It is in this form that the Church of the Ossuary in Sedlec has been preserved to this day. Now it is one of the most popular tourist sites not only in the Czech Republic, but also in Central Europe.
Architecture and interior
Externally, the Ossuary in Kutna Hora looks like one of the many churches in the Czech Republic - a strict Gothic temple with arched windows, several towers and the usual geometric shapes. But the interior of the church is truly amazing. But first things first!
In addition to the huge bone bells located on either side of the crypt entrance, bone vaults, arches, decorations and vases can also be seen here. Other interior elements were made from skeletal human remains. Among them, the church iconostasis, monstrances and vestments at the main altar, and a huge candelabra decorated with garlands of skulls deserve special attention. If you look closely, you will notice that not only the chandelier itself is made of bones, but also the bases for the candles, as well as the fastenings that hold them.
The Schwarzenberg family coat of arms, which is crowned with a crown of bones and a cross, is also made using the same technique. Moreover, the carver Rint even made his own painting from bones. It can be easily seen on the wall at the entrance to the temple.
The basement tomb deserves no less attention, near the doors of which there are several bone elements - sculptures in the form of huge goblets, a decorative cross and pillars made of skulls and two crossed bones.
Practical information
The Ossuary is located at Zamecka 279, Kutná Hora 284 03, Czech Republic.
Opening hours of the Ossuary in Kutna Hora:
- October – March: 9.00-17.00;
- April – September and Sundays: 9.00-18.00.
Ticket prices (in Czech crowns)
Tickets can be purchased at the box office near the information center, located literally 200 m from the crypt (Zámecká street 279). The ticket office is open until 15.00. Both cash and bank cards are accepted for payment.
On a note! You can check the relevance of prices and opening hours on the official website of the Ossuary - www.sedlec.info/en/ossuary/.
Prices and schedules on the page are for May 2019.
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If you decide to visit the ossuary in Sedlec, listen to the advice of tourists who have been there.
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One of the most discussed and condemned Czech Republics – the famous one – is facing a global reconstruction. Fortunately or otherwise (depending on your attitude towards the ashes of the dead), the ossuary will continue to receive visitors during the renovation work.
The reconstruction will begin in July 2014 and will initially only affect the roof and rafters. It is expected that this stage of work will last approximately a year and a half and will require an investment of several million crowns.
The second stage of work will become more scrupulous. Restorers will “repair” the exhibits: all 40,000 bones will undergo a thorough inspection, research, and cleaning. Then each item will return to its usual place. Experts say that each of the four “pyramids” will take at least one year.
By the way, recently a curious incident occurred related to the Ossuary. Despite all the security measures, one of the visitors managed to remove the skull unnoticed. So, for some, remains, and for others, a souvenir. For the long memory.
Russian question
Well, a short digression on the burning topic: “Russian tourists and the Czech Republic.” Locals have already felt a decrease in tourist flow from the Eastern direction. According to the Association of Travel Agencies of the Czech Republic, hotel bookings decreased significantly in 2014 compared to the figures of two years ago. In terms of indicators, this was expressed as 8-22%.
The main reason is the devaluation of the ruble and the crisis expectations of Russians. The overt anti-Russian position of the leadership of the Czech Republic also affected the mood of tourists. To some extent, the annexation of the new region to Russia and active recreation in Crimea, hotly promoted in the media, could have had an impact. It might not have had any effect, however.
For reference: in 2013, 860 thousand Russians visited the Czech Republic. On average, everyone spent 4,000 crowns every day. Good money, although not as much as .
Unlike Czech politicians, tour operators do not want to lose Russian tourists. If the ruble continues to fall, they are ready to put pressure on hotels, demanding lower prices.
Follow the press reports!..
You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.Early in the morning at the entrance toHotel Prokop A Skoda Fabia of a non-green color, unusual for Moscow, was waiting for us. Apparently it was the car of one of the family members of one of the hotel employees.
There was no car rental as such at the hotel, but there was, let’s say, additional income. But, as you understand, we didn’t care: we got the car, they got the money. This pleasure cost 700 CZK: we rented a car for a day, the rental itself cost 500 CZK and delivery to the hotel cost 200 CZK.
Having placed a PDA on the windshield visor and placed a GPS sensor on the dashboard, we plotted a route to Kutna Hora and drove off.
Kutná Hora is a small town 60 kilometers east of Prague, famous primarily for its nearby Kostnice v Sedlci. The city itself was founded in the first half of the 13th century and was the center of the silver mining industry, making the city the second richest in the Czech Kingdom.
In the center of the city rises the Cathedral of St. Barbara, the patroness of miners, the second largest and most important Gothic temple in the Czech Republic.
After wandering around the city for about an hour, we headed to Sedlec.
Ossuary in Sedlec (Kostnice v Sedlci)
The Cemetery Church of All Saints with its ossuary is a Gothic chapel in Sedlec, decorated with human skulls and bones.
Initially, the tomb was used as a warehouse for human remains brought here from the local cemetery, in the center of which it was built. Its purpose, so unusual at first glance, had a completely logical explanation.
In 1278, Abbot Henry brought and scattered a handful of Holy Land from Golgotha in the cemetery. Thanks to this, the cemetery became very famous in Central Europe and soon could not accommodate all those who wanted it. In this regard, it was decided to remove the remains from the graves, making room for the next burials, and put them in the tomb.
The chapel took on its modern appearance only at the end of the 19th century, when the monastery lands were bought by the Schwarzenberg family. The new owners hired woodcarver František Rint to tidy up the pile of stacked bones. About 40,000 human skeletons were used to decorate the chapel.
The appearance of the chapel, as well as the whole story associated with it, is quite creepy. Shivering from her visit, we hurried to the car to quickly leave this place. Rain is coming.
Karlovy Vary (Czech. Karlovy Vary, German.
Karlovy Vary is a resort town about 150 kilometers west of Prague, famous for the presence of hot springs of mineral water with healing properties.
To get to it from Kutná Hora we first had to “return” to Prague, and then drive about 2 hours to the west. Near Prague, on top of everything else, we got into a small traffic jam caused by road repairs, so we arrived in Karlovy Vary after 3 days.
The rain did not let up, so our acquaintance with the city was very short. Having parked the car in the parking lot near the station, we began to get acquainted with the city in short runs.
The first point of acquaintance was the Jan Becher Museum. Having bought a couple of bottles of Becherovka, we moved on. Walking along Masaryka Street to the Osvobozeni embankment, we got completely wet and went to a restaurant for lunch. Having warmed up and eaten, I didn’t want to go back to the car at all. It was already dark outside and the rain continued to drizzle.
Having gathered our will into a fist, we finally tore our asses off from our homes, and, having stocked up on the “dark goat” in the supermarket along the way, we got to the car and set off on the way back to Prague.
On the outskirts of the Czech city of Kutna Hora is the town of Sedlec. And it is known primarily for the fact that it houses the Ossuary (ossuary).
In 1278, the abbot of the Cistercian monastery, Henry, brought some land from Golgotha. This earth was scattered throughout the abbey cemetery. Thanks to this, the abbey cemetery became a very popular burial place. In 1400, a cathedral was built in the center of the cemetery, which was supposed to serve as a warehouse for the bones of those previously buried, since the cemetery simply did not have enough space.
The Latin word for ossuary means a place to store remains. It comes from the word “ossis” - bone. So the Russian-language “ossuary” sounds quite justified. Ossuaries began to appear a very long time ago - remains were found in France that were more than six thousand years old.
There are several types of ossuaries and they differ in the way they store remains. For example, Jewish ossuaries involved storing the remains in a specially made box. The boxes were individual, and the dimensions of the box were determined by the dimensions of the bones of the deceased. Thus, the width of the box was equal to the width of the hip bone, the length corresponded to the length of the thigh, and the height corresponded to the total volume of the bones. By the way, moving the bones into these boxes was the second stage of the funeral. Before this, the body of the deceased was placed in a niche in a burial cave for a year - this was enough for the body to decay, and only bones remained of the deceased. The ritual of the Zoroastrians is somewhat similar. The bodies were also left there for a year, but they were not placed in caves, but, on the contrary, on a special hill away from the city.
There the bodies decayed, or (which was more often) they were gnawed by birds. Such a body, or rather the bones, were considered clean (and Zoroastrians are forbidden to bury bodies in the ground or fire) and could be placed in an ossuary. Towers specially built for this purpose acted in this capacity.
The ossuary in Sedlec belongs to the Catholic type (which is not surprising). Catholic ossuaries keep the bones open in crypts or chapels. This was often done in order to save space in cemeteries - there were many epidemics in the Middle Ages. The Sedlec Ossuary contains the remains of 40,000 people. However, it is very far from the largest - Paris, where the number of “buried” is about six million people.
In the 16th century, when the plague was raging in Europe, one monk, whose name has not been preserved by history, worked on yet another cleanup of the cemetery. Little is known about him at all. The only thing is that he was half-blind and was not afraid of the plague, since he had immunity. But he was a creator with his own sense of beauty. It was this feeling that made him bleach the bones in chlorine and lay out the pyramids in the corners of the room. He built stone crowns over the corner pyramids. After his death, and he died in the same ossuary, the chapel was closed. For three hundred and fifty years. Already at the end of the 19th century, when Prince Schwarzenberg bought this place, they decided to put the ossuary in order. The prince did not like the pyramids and hired woodcarver Frantisek Rint to tidy up the piles of bones. But what he accomplished can be seen here.
There is a plague pillar at the entrance to the cemetery.
Plague pillars were very common in Central Europe. They were installed as a sign of gratitude for the end of the pestilence. At the top of the pillar, as a rule, a statue of the Virgin Mary was installed. Although, of course, there are exceptions...
Cathedral - Ossuary.
A candelabra hangs in the center of the hall.
It contains all human bones.
Piles of bones. In total, there are about 40,000 human skeletons in the Ossuary. Crowns are visible above the bones.
Family coat of arms of the Schwarzenbergs - owners of the ossuary.
One of the most discussed and condemned attractions of the Czech Republic - the famous Ossuary of Kutna Hora - is awaiting a global reconstruction.
Fortunately or otherwise (depending on your attitude towards the ashes of the dead), the ossuary will continue to receive visitors during the renovation work.
The reconstruction will begin in July 2014 and will initially only affect the roof and rafters. It is expected that this stage of work will last approximately a year and a half and will require an investment of several million crowns.
The second stage of work will become more scrupulous. Restorers will “repair” the exhibits: all 40,000 bones will undergo a thorough inspection, research, and cleaning. Then each item will return to its usual place. Experts say that each of the four “pyramids” will take at least one year.
By the way, recently a curious incident occurred related to the Ossuary. Despite all the security measures, one of the visitors managed to remove the skull unnoticed. So, for some, remains, and for others, a souvenir. For the long memory.
Russian question
Well, a short digression on the burning topic: “Russian tourists and the Czech Republic.” Locals have already felt a decrease in tourist flow from the Eastern direction. According to the Association of Travel Agencies of the Czech Republic, hotel bookings decreased significantly in 2014 compared to the figures of two years ago. In terms of indicators, this was expressed as 8-22%.
The main reason is the devaluation of the ruble and the crisis expectations of Russians. The overt anti-Russian position of the leadership of the Czech Republic also affected the mood of tourists. To some extent, the annexation of the new region to Russia and active recreation in Crimea, hotly promoted in the media, could have had an impact. It might not have had any effect, however.
For reference: in 2013, 860 thousand Russians visited the Czech Republic. On average, everyone spent 4,000 crowns every day. Good money, although not as much as in the case of the Chinese.
Unlike Czech politicians, tour operators do not want to lose Russian tourists. If the ruble continues to fall, they are ready to put pressure on hotels, demanding lower prices.
Follow the press reports!..
Do you like horror films? Do you want to get a powerful adrenaline rush that will make your skin crawl and your hair stand on end? Then you just need to visit the ossuary in Sedlec. The photo of the chandelier alone hanging from the ceiling of the chapel is impressive. After all, this lamp is made entirely from human remains. The fringe from the phalanges of the fingers looks especially gothic. In this article we will tell you about the unusual. Organized excursions from Prague go to Kutná Hora (in its vicinity there is an eerie chapel). But you can see the attraction yourself without contacting travel agencies. How? Read the information below.
Ossuary in Sedlec: how to get there
There are several options for the independent traveler. There is a Florenc bus station in Prague. Cars depart from it several times a day to the city of Kutná Hora. There, right at the bus station, you should change to a minibus to Sedlec. It won't take long to travel. After all, Kutná Hora is separated from it by some sixty kilometers. And Sedlec is actually a suburb. The minibus gets there in ten minutes. The second option is the train. Electric trains to Kutný Hory depart from The second option is preferable for those who want to explore this ancient town along the way. Kutny Hora was once famous for its own mint and silver mines. The motorist needs to leave Prague on the E67 road. Then follow the sign for Colin. It is recommended to make a stop in this city to explore the wonderful cathedral. Next you need to follow highway 38. At the end of the road you will find the Sedlec Ossuary. The address of this attraction is: Zámecká, 284 03 Kutná Hora.
What are ossuaries
According to the general Christian tradition of the church, the land of the cemetery is considered sacred. According to beliefs, when the announcement of the End of the World and the Last Judgment is sounded, the dead will rise from their graves. They will represent the Christian community. That's why cemeteries used to be built near churches. The situation was changed by the Great Plague and a series of subsequent disastrous epidemics. The number of dead has increased significantly. And there was a catastrophic shortage of places in the cemetery. The Church canon did not give the right to burn the remains of exemplary Christians who died in unity with the Church. Burials on top of old graves led to animals and rain exposing the corpses - and this served as the cause of new epidemics. Thus, people came up with the idea of ossuaries. The name comes from the Latin word ossis - “bone”. Skeletons were torn out of their graves and stored in special chapels. And their place was taken by new dead people. Thus, the ossuary in Sedlec is not something unique. Ossuaries exist in many countries, and the largest - six million skeletons - is kept in
What makes the Sedlec Ossuary unique?
Still, Paris is known as the location of Notre Dame, the Louvre and other attractions. Only a few people know that the city’s dungeons contain several million remains (more than the number of living Parisians). But Kutný Hora, in addition to the glorious history of silver mines, has a rather creepy “calling card” - the ossuary in Sedlec. Why is the chapel so interesting? The number of skeletons? Not at all. There are about fifty thousand of them here in total. The Sedlec Ossuary would have remained an unknown ossuary if not for the master František Rint. It is his wonderful carving that tourists from all over the Czech Republic and even from abroad come to see.
History of the cemetery
First of all, tourists are concerned with the question of where so many skeletons came from in small Sedlec. Maybe they were exported from abroad? This is not far from the truth. The fact is that in the Christian tradition there is a belief that it is very good for the salvation of the soul to be buried in a holy place - in a monastery or church. In the thirteenth century, a Cistercian monastery was located in Sedlec. King Otokar II of the Czech Republic sent the abbot of the monastery, Henry, to the Holy Land in 1278. The abbot returned home with a handful of earth, which he scooped up from Calvary - the mountain where Jesus Christ was crucified. He scattered this soil over the monastery cemetery. This strategic move greatly increased the income of the monastery. From now on, all rich people of both the Czech Republic and neighboring powers wanted to be buried at the monastery. The number of dead people kept coming, fueled by epidemics and religious wars. And already in the fifteenth century, the monks faced the need to build a ossuary in Sedlec.
Transformation into an ossuary
Together, the monks built a small chapel. They began to put old skeletons in it in order to put “fresh” dead in the vacated graves. The ossuary in Sedlec (Czech Republic) also became famous because a certain half-blind monk, whose name was lost in history, driven by a passion for order, began to bleach the bones with chlorine and place them in neat pyramids. And when he died, in the corners of the chapel there were six piles several meters high. None of the brethren had any desire to continue the monk’s work. The chapel was closed, and so it stood until the end of the eighteenth century.
Transformation into a unique attraction
The Age of Enlightenment, which also affected the Czech Republic, led to the secularization of European states and a decrease in the number of monasteries. In 1784, the monastery was dissolved by order of the emperor, and the monastery lands, along with the ossuary, were purchased by the noble Schwarzenberg family. For a long time, the new owners did not know what to do with the chapel. Finally, in 1870, a representative of the family came up with an original idea. He hired woodcarver Frantisek Rint. The master's task was to arrange the bones in the ossuary. A true genius manifests itself in everything. And the “material” at hand did not confuse the woodcarver at all. He bleached the skeletons again and got to work. The result of his work can now be admired in the ossuary in Sedlec.
The main attractions of the chapel
Master Rint understood the order to “create something Gothic” in his own way. He chose forty thousand human skeletons for his work. He took them apart into pieces and began decorating the chapel. As a result, the ossuary became more than just a macabre repository for human remains. This is a real work of art. Everything in the chapel is made of bones - small decorative details, vases, monstrances on both sides of the altar, and even the coat of arms of the Schwarzenberg family. The chandelier evokes great admiration and at the same time awe among visitors. The master showed in it, so to speak, aerobatics. The lamp uses all the bones in the human body. And to top it off, the master left an autograph on the wall. Guess what it's made of?
Ossuary in Sedlec: reviews
Not many people dare to go inside the chapel. But those who have overcome fear assure that the feeling of horror recedes into the background, one has only to look at the works of art filling the interior of the ossuary. After all, we contemplate ivory crafts with aesthetic pleasure. And it doesn’t give me goosebumps. And in this case, we see before us the bones of long-dead people. Moreover, not intact, in the form of a skeleton, but disassembled into fragments. If you ignore the origin of the material, it turns out very beautiful. But then soul-saving thoughts about the frailty of existence come to mind. In a word, tourists are advised to spend sixty crowns to see this miracle.
In Sedlec, a suburb of the Czech city of Kutná Hora, there is a Gothic chapel decorated with human bones and skulls - the Cemetery Chapel of All Saints with Ossuary or Ossuary.
In Sedlec, a suburb of the Czech city , there is a Gothic chapel decorated with human bones and skulls - the Cemetery Chapel of All Saints with a ossuary (kaple Všech svatých) or Ossuary (Kostnice). On your very first visit to this attraction, you will certainly be told the story of the local burial of 40,000 people and the Czech attitude to death. Maybe some people will be horrified by the Czechs’ attitude towards death, their preparation of the deathbed, while others will not attach much importance to such a tradition.
It is precisely because of their worldview that the Czech people have a completely normal attitude towards the human remains of the Ossuary. But even among the Czechs themselves there are people with unconventional ideas, for example, those who decided to arrange a marriage ceremony on the bones of the dead.
Inside the Ossuary
When you go down inside, you first get a feeling of numbness from such a large number of human bones, skulls and products made from them (figurines, a huge chandelier and garlands that are impressive in their unusualness). However, the bad feelings quickly disappear, and there is a desire to capture not only these extraordinary decorations, but also to take a photo yourself against their background. But for everyone who wants to take one of the skulls as a souvenir, I will say that this is almost impossible to do, since all the bones in the ossuary are fastened with wire and bolts. For those tourists who want to come back here again, they should throw a coin in a specially designated place.
Decoration of the Ossuary
Opening hours of the Ossuary
November – February 9:00 – 16:00
April – September 8:00 – 18:00
October – March 9:00 – 17:00
Entrance fees
adult 90 CZK
children's, student's 60 CZK
How to get there
It will be easier to get there by rail: from the main train station of Prague (Hlavní nadraží) to the Kutná hora station. And there on foot or by local bus. All possible and convenient options can be found on the website jizdnirady.idnes.cz.
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