Enjoy Kutná Hora Like We Do

The historic centre of Kutná hora with the Church of St. Barbara and the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Sedlec was entered into the UNESCO list of world heritage sites in 1995. The [město], that previously prospered from silver mining now welcomes visitors from the rest of the country and the entire world.

In Sedlec, the oldest part of Kutná hora, we admire this important Gothic cathedral. Construction on it began in the 13^th century in conjunction with the mining of silver on the land of the Cistercian [klášter]. The building also underwent a unique Gothic/Baroque reconstruction by well-known architect J. B. Santini-Aichel, whose genius can be seen in many sacred buildings throughout the entire country.
 

It would be difficult to find a more macabre place in Bohemia than the All Souls Cemetery Church in Kutná hora – Sedlec. The decorations here, including a chandelier made of human [kosti] surpass one's wildest imagination. The charnel house holds the remains of over 40,000 people who died from wars and plagues.

Saint Barbora is the patron saint of [horníci], which is why the most beautiful [kostel] in Kutná hora was dedicated to her. The late Gothic architecture with Renaissance and Baroque elements is so impressive that after a visit we immediately need to sit down in a café or restaurant to let the experience sink in.
 

A quite pleasant [kavárna] is located in the monumental Baroque building of the former Jesuit College, just a few paces from the Church of St. Barbara towards the historic centre. But the main reason we come here is the contemporary and 20^th century art. This happens to be home to the second largest gallery in the Czech Republic: GASK – Galerie Středočeského kraje.
 

In the České muzeum stříbra we get an in-depth look at history. In addition to perusing the extensive exhibits, we can walk through a 250-meter-long medieval mine shaft of a silver [důl] 40 m underground.

There's no point in hiding that fact in Kutná Hora, spiritual matters played second fiddle to silver. This is evidenced by the fact that in the Middle Ages a fortified royal palace was built here with a royal mint, that minted silver [mince] – Prague groschen. Hopefully they won't take offense if you want to use a credit card to pay the [vstupné] for the exhibit.

It is certainly worth spending the night in romantic and hospitable Kutná Hora and then taking a day trip. We like to go to Chateau Žleby, where, as with the swish of a magic wand, we find ourselves in a [pohádka]. Here we wander the luxurious chambers, discover the secrets of the English park or quietly envy the noble beauty of the white [jeleni].