
Ossuary
In the 14th century Kutna Hora was the second biggest town in
Bohemia after Prague due to the discovery of silver. Today visitors
come to appreciate the history of a once booming town where the
Royal Mint was founded, and to marvel at the architecture of this
UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its greatest monument is the exquisite
church of Santa Barbara, built to rival Prague's St Vitus
Cathedral, a pinnacled Gothic achievement financed by the miners
and dedicated to their patron saint Barbara. Among the town's many
churches and attractions is the Hrádek Mining Museum,
popular for its medieval mineshaft tours. The bizarre but
fascinating Gothic ossuary, decorated with the bones of about
40,000 people and arranged into shapes, notably chandeliers, a coat
of arms and pyramids, is a macabre attraction.