Kutná Hora

72km (45 miles) E of Prague

A medieval town that grew fantastically rich from the silver deposits beneath it, Kutná Hora is also a popular day trip from Prague. Small enough to be seen in a single day at a brisk pace, the town's ancient heart has decayed, which makes it hard to believe that this was once the second-most important city in Bohemia. However, the town center is also mercifully free of the ugly, Communist-era buildings that plague many of the country's small towns. The historical center and Kutná Hora's main draw, St. Barbara's Cathedral have been on the UNESCO list for 10 years. Also, the macabre Bone Church (Kostnice), filled with human bones assembled in bizarre sculptures, is worth a visit.

Getting There -- The 50-minute drive from Prague is relatively easy. Take Vinohradská ulice, which runs due east from behind the National Museum at the top of Wenceslas Square, straight to Kutná Hora. Once out of the city, the road turns into Highway 333.

If you don't have a car, your best bet is to go by bus, which departs from Prague's Florenc Bus Station and takes about an hour and 15 minutes. It costs 58Kc ($2.40).

Visitor Information -- The Information Center (Informacní Stredisko; tel. 327-512-378; www.kutnahora.cz), on Palackého nám. 377, provides the most comprehensive information service in town. Check to see if anything special such as a recital or an exhibition is showing. The office is open daily 9am to 6pm (Apr-Sept); Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm (Oct-Mar). The town has also posted very useful signs just about everywhere to help visitors get where they're going.

Seeing the Sites

The main attraction is the enormous St. Barbara's Cathedral (Chrám sv. Barbory) at the southwestern edge of town. In 1380, Peter Parler began construction of the cathedral. The task was so great that it took several more Gothic masters, including Matthias Rejsek and Benedikt Rejt, close to 200 years to complete the project. From the outside, the cathedral's soaring arches, dozens of spires, and intricate designs raise expectations that the interior will be just as impressive -- and you won't be disappointed.

On entering (you have to enter from the side, not the front), you'll see several richly decorated frescoes full of symbols denoting the town's two main industries of mining and minting. The ceiling vaulting, with floral patterns and coats of arms, has made many a jaw drop. Admission is 30Kc ($1.25) for adults and 15Kc (60¢) for children. The cathedral is open October and April, Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to noon and 1 to 4:30pm. May to September, it's open Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 6pm; November to March, it's open Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to noon and 1 to 4pm.

When you leave the cathedral, head down statue-lined Barborská Street, where you'll pass the early baroque Jesuit College, built in the late 17th century by Domenico Orsi.

Farther down the road is Hrádek, a 15th-century castle that now houses the Czech Museum of Silver (Muzeum stríbra) (tel. 327-512-159; www.cms-kh.cz). If you take the tour of Hrádek, you'll actually see little of the building. Instead, you'll tour one of the town's mine shafts. The tour begins in a small room filled with artifacts from the town's mining and minting industries. After a brief speech, it's time to don hard hats and work coats to tour the mine shaft. After a hike of about 270m (886 ft.), you'll descend into a narrow corridor of rock and dampness to spend about 15 minutes in the mines. Children like this half-hour tour almost as much as they do the bone church. Admission is 110Kc ($4.55) for adults and 70Kc ($2.90) for children. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday: April and October from 9am to 5pm; May, June, and September from 9am to 6pm; and July and August from 10am to 6pm.

Once you're back aboveground, go down the hill to St. James's Church (Kostel sv. Jakuba) and the Italian Court (Vlasský Dvur) (tel. 327-512-873). Even though the door is usually closed at St. James's, it's worth trying to open; perhaps you'll be able to glimpse the baroque paintings on the walls. More likely, though, you'll have to admire the church from the outside and then head on to the Italian Court.

Constructed in 1300 as a royal mint (what better way for a town to become rich than to print money?), the Italian Court derives its name from its original occupants, who were brought in from Florence to mint coins. The building houses a museum of coins made here between the 14th and 18th centuries, including the Czech groschen, the currency of choice in the Middle Ages. Another reason to take the tour is to see the ornate chapels, impressive in their details. Admission is 40Kc ($1.65) for adults and 20Kc (85¢) for children; guided tours 70Kc ($2.90)/50Kc ($2.10). It's open daily: April to September, from 9am to 6pm; October and March, from 10am to 5pm; and November to February, from 10am to 4pm.

The Bone Church in Sedlec

A visit to Kutná Hora isn't complete without a trip to Kostnice, the "Bone Church." It's located 1.6km (1 mile) down the road in Sedlec. Those who don't want to walk can board a local bus on Masarykova Street. The fare is 8Kc (35¢), and you have to have a ticket before boarding. Tickets are not sold on the bus but at newspaper stands (tabák).

From the outside, Kostnice looks like most other Gothic churches. But from the moment you enter the front door, you know that this is no ordinary church -- all of the decorations are made from human bones. No kidding. Frantisek Rint, the church's interior decorator, created crosses of bone, columns of bone, chalices of bone, and even a coat of arms in bone for the Schwarzenberg family, who owned the church.

The obvious questions are: Where did the bones come from, and why were they used for decorations? The first question is easier to answer: The bones came from victims of the 14th-century plague and the 15th-century Hussite wars; both events left thousands dead, who were buried in mass graves on the church's site. As the area developed, the bones were uncovered, and the local monks came up with this idea of how to put the bones to use.

Admission is a bargain at 35Kc ($1.45) for adults and 20Kc (85¢) for children. Note that taking a camera in costs an extra 30Kc ($1.25), and taking a video camera costs 60Kc ($2.50). From April to September, the Bone Church is open daily from 8am to 6pm; October 9am to noon and 1 to 5pm; November to March 9am to noon and 1 to 4pm.

Where to Dine

Because of its popularity, Kutná Hora has now developed a better infrastructure, and you can find here several restaurants and local pubs to satisfy the palate.

One of the nice terraces is the Restaurant Cafe Harmonia (tel. 327-512-275), Husova 105 (to the rear of St. James's Church), making it a convenient stop before a visit to the Bone Church. The salads are fresh and the soups are hot and hearty -- something that isn't all too common in this town. Main courses are 70Kc to 180Kc ($2.90-$7.50); no credit cards are accepted. It's open daily from 10am to 11pm.

U Morového Sloupu (tel. 327-513-810), Sultysova 173 (a block west of Palackého nám.), is located in a 15th-century building completely renovated by the owner. This remains one of the few places in town that has tried to lure out-of-towners who aren't part of a tour group through its doors. Try to sit in the first room into which you walk; this is a pleasant dining room with dim lighting. In the second room, a decidedly modern look sterilizes whatever ambience there once was. The food on both sides is the same, however, with large portions of tasty pork steaks, schnitzels, and fish. Main courses are 70Kc to 130Kc ($2.90-$5.40); American Express, MasterCard, and Visa are accepted. It's open daily from 10am to midnight.

U Kamenného Domu (tel. 327-514-426), Lierova 147 (2 blocks west of Palackého nám.), is very popular with the locals, serving up hearty Czech specialties at bargain prices. There aren't any English menus, but don't be afraid to point at something you see on another table. The best bet here is the Czech staple meal of roasted pork, potato dumplings, and cabbage (99Kc/$4.10), which will fill you up without the heavy cream sauce that seems to come on a lot of the other dishes. Main courses cost 59Kc to 165Kc ($2.45-$6.85). Credit cards are not accepted. The restaurant is open daily from 11am to 10pm.

U Varhanáre (tel. 327-512-769), Barborská 578 (behind the museum), provides possibly the nicest view over the valley from behind the museum, and its garden terrace is one of the few places to get a decent alfresco meal. Standard portions of tasty pork steaks, schnitzels, and fish are served promptly and are better than the pasta dishes. Main courses cost 69Kc to 200Kc ($2.85-$8.30); no credit cards. The restaurant is open daily from 11am to 11pm.