Yesterday the sun came out finally. It was a gloriously hot and sunny day, which we spent in the town of Kutna Hora, about 80kms from Prague. The main reason we wanted to go was to see the Sedlec Ossuray, or "church of bones".The church itself did not disappoint. It's quite a small church, but inside it has over 40,000 human bones used for among other things, a giant chandelier, as well as all the wall decorations and these six huge pyramids. It's quite startling with hundreds of old skulls smiling back at you, some still with teeth! According to the pamphlet I read, the bones currently on display were arranged by an "inspired" carpenter in the area who cleaned and sterilised them. They were taken from a nearby crypt. It's not surprisingly a very ghoulish place, but totally unique and worth going to Kutna Hora (is it just me or does that name sound Jewish?) just to see it.
However, we did not expect to find such a quaint, and frankly gorgeous old town once we had hiked the two kilometres up the hill. Dominating the town was this enormous Gothic church, with flying buttresses and gargoyles, reached via winding cobblestoned lanes. Around the church was a little valley with a stream running through it. We took a walk along its banks and stopped in an Italian square with a "Romeo and Juliet" like tower. Besides all the gorgeous old architecture, the town was so quiet and peaceful, full of old men wearing braces and families walking their dogs. It was a nice break from the tourist hordes in Prague.
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