Anyone who’s travelled through Europe knows that there’s plenty to see other than just the capital cities. One hidden gem in Czechia, previously known as the Czech Republic, is Kutna Hora – a beautiful city just one hour from the capital of Prague. This stunning destination is less crowded than its neighbour, while still having plenty of tourist attractions.
Having recently visited the city, which I’d never heard of before my trip to Czechia, I was left stunned by this amazing city. Firstly, food was so cheap, with a main of fried smoked cheese with tartare sauce costing 199Kč, or £6.81, adding a starter and dessert to this would still only take this to around £15.
Adding a beer to your meal would add somewhere around £6 to your total cost, with a glass of wine coming to around £2. And this was at one of the city’s best restaurants – Dačický.
One of the more unique parts of the city is the fact that it has two cathedrals within its borders, St Barbara’s Cathedral and the Cathedral of Assumption of Our Lady and St. John the Baptist. The first of which took 567 years between 1388 and 1905 to complete the building of.
While there are several other cities across Europe that have two Cathedrals, this is still a relatively unique aspect, with most cities having just one.
Both of Kutna Hora’s Cathedrals are a must-visit for anyone who finds themselves in the city, and I was truly blown away by just how stunning they both are – and that’s from someone who has visited plenty of Cathedrals over the years.
It’s not just the cathedrals that visitors should make a beeline for; there’s also the Cemetery Church of All Saints and Sedlec Ossuary, or Bone Church. Under this Gothic church is a crypt full of human bones, from bodies that were previously buried in the cemetery.
These bones have been rearranged into various decorations, from chandeliers to coats of arms. The Ossuary claims to have at least one of every bone from the human body present in the crypt, and that includes plenty of skulls.
This is a rather eerie place to visit, and had numerous different reactions from our group – some loved the Ossuary while others felt it was just a bit creepy. Personally, I was in the first group, but whatever you think, it’s still worth a visit – and it’s something you won’t see in many other places.
While I was only in Kutna Hora for a couple of days I didn’t get to see everything the city had to offer, I’ll definitely be planning a return to see what I did miss.
Although I did see the exterior of the Italian Court, I didn’t get a chance to visit the inside, nor was I able to check out the city centre vineyards that I’m sure are stunning when in full bloom.
Another tourist attraction I’d have loved to visit is the Chocolate Museum, which I’d definitely schedule into my itinerary next time.
