Sedlec Ossuary

A Visitor's Guide to Sedlec Ossuary (Kutna Hora) (Updated 2025)

"I visited the Roman Catholic chapel officially known as the Sedlec Ossuary — nicknamed the Bone Church — a few miles outside Prague and was struck by the sheer number of human remains: over 40,000 bones arranged everywhere, from piles and heaps to bones on the walls, bones hanging from the ceiling and even a chandelier made of bones. The site began as a Cistercian monastery founded in 1142; after the abbot Henry returned from Jerusalem and sprinkled earth from the Holy Land the cemetery became a sought-after burial site, which swelled during the 14th-century Black Death (over 30,000 burials) and another 10,000 war dead in the 15th century. According to legend a blind monk began stacking bones around 1511, and in 1870 woodcarver František Rint was hired to organize the piles into symbolic displays meant to evoke the impermanence of life. The downstairs chapel is a single, small room where the bones confront you immediately, while upstairs there is a stark modern church with a beautiful dome, a few displays and photos, and a handout that explains the history. It’s become very popular — roughly 200,000 visitors a year and many bus tours from Prague — and the visit only takes about an hour; practical details noted on site include opening 7 days a week (closed Dec 24) and admissions (90 CZK adults, 60 CZK reduced; combination ossuary+cathedral 120 CZK, 80 CZK reduced)." - Matthew Kepnes