What to do near Sedlec Ossuary (Kutna Hora, near Prague, Czech Republic)

July 13, 2015 10:42 PM

I'm going to be spending about 2 hours travelling to Sedlec Ossuary tomorrow, then another two hours back. What else should I do while there, as I'd rather not go, spend I don't know, an hour at the church, then go back to Prague if I can help it.

This question says to "Bring a map with you so you can find your way from the Ossuary into town to see the sights there: St. Barbora's church and the Silver Mine are worth doing while you're there."

That sounds cool, where would I go to get such a map, and what are those two locations? Are they free? Sadly my tourist guide is specifically for Prague. Any recommendations on places to eat while there, preferably where I don't have to order completely randomly using my phrasebook (But if that is needed, I'd rather a good restaurant then a poor one to order at random from!)

Oh, and some people mentioned a train; I only see a bus going there. (The 381) Was that a mistake on their part?

Thanks all. I've wanted to see Sedlec Ossuary for years now, so I'll be

posted by Canageek to Travel & Transportation around Kutna Hora, Czech Republic (7 answers total)

Best answer: This page has really detailed information, including getting the train and how to get from the Ossuary into town.
posted by katemonster at 11:01 PM on July 13, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: The wikitravel page looks like it has good info. The town centre is a UNESCO site, so I think it's safe to assume it'll be well worth seeing.
posted by kickingtheground at 11:08 PM on July 13, 2015

Response by poster: Wow, thank you. I really fail at googling as of late. I took the train in to Prague, so I know exactly how to get to the train station. This is super helpful, thanks.
posted by Canageek at 11:13 PM on July 13, 2015

Best answer: There's two stations in Kutna Hora, so make sure you get the right one. It's an easy walk from that station, there will probably be other people heading the same way. From memory, ithe Ossurary is off on your right, roughly opposite a church/small cathedral.

That church is worth a brief look if you have time, but it's not essential. You can walk into town from Sedlec, but it's a few km (as per the wikitravel link) and there's nothing particular to see (it's just the suburbs, not rough or dangerous but not interesting). The Church of St Barbara is good (not as amazing as the churches in Prague Castle, but good) and so is the town centre, which is definitely worth wandering around for a bit (it's very small). I didn't visit the mines. You pay for the mines, I'm not sure if you have to pay for St Barbara's, but it's cheap if you do.
posted by Pink Frost at 3:36 AM on July 14, 2015

When I was much, much younger, I used to watch this show called (I think) Travelers, which was a series in which attractive young people travelled the world. It was aimed at, I guess, youth? I used to watch it primarily to annoy my brother, who hated it, but I still recall the Prague episode in which they visited Sedlec. It made SUCH an impression on me as a 13-ish-year old. I always wanted to visit myself, and when we went to Prague last year I insisted that it was an absolute must. A chapter of my life very successfully completed itself that day!

Anyway, Kutna Hora is a nice little place. The church across the way from the ossuary (not St Barbara, but the other one) isn't super impressive, but you can climb up into the rafters, which was quite cool. There was also a beautiful little restaurant we stumbled upon (seriously, the most adorable little place ever). I think it was this one. All in all, the ossuary was so cool that I think it's well worth the trip.

Fun fact: Mr Rattery proved once and for all the depth of his devotion to learning the local language while abroad when he effectively dispatched a skeevy dude who followed us into town from the train station by screaming "fuck off" in Czech. A reminder that sometimes it's good to go beyond pleasantries in your phrasebook!</small?
posted by Mrs. Rattery at 5:56 AM on July 14, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: You won't run out of stuff to see on a day trip to Kutna Hora, there's plenty there, even though the ossuary itself may be a bit short/anticlimactic (at least that was my experience). There should be tourist maps pretty easily available, you'll see signs as you get off the trains pointing you to tourist information and because Kutna Hora is a unesco world heritage site near prague, they are pretty consistently available, in English. I found the medieval silver mine tour to be by far the most interesting thing, well worth the price even though the spoken part was entirely in czech and we didn't understand a word -- it was completely unlike any mine I've been in in the US. You pick this up in the silver museum, you may need to buy tickets earlier in the day to get a slot. Don't do the silver mine if you have any hint of claustrophobia, it is a bit intense. There's a bunch of other churches besides the cathedral, and the town is fun to walk around in, lots of smaller things to see. If you get tired of old things, there's an interesting looking contemporary museum/gallery in the old jesuit college up by the cathedral, that we didn't have time to go into (it's not well advertised on English tourist descriptions despite its location).

As to food, I can't give you any suggestions based on quality of food, but we found a place to eat by walking up towards the cathedral and picking something with a good view.

Also, remember to have coins for restrooms, you consistently need them there.
posted by advil at 6:13 AM on July 14, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks everyone. I meant to head off earlier this morning, but all the rich food I've been eating caught up to me a bit, so I'm heading out out. Thanks a ton.
posted by Canageek at 11:55 PM on July 14, 2015