Sedlec Ossuary in Kutna Hora should be on your itinerary if you have an extra half day in Prague.

I’m not gonna scare you with this post because it’s Halloween Week – but I’m gonna bring you to Sedlec Ossuary, a church with 40,000 human bones inside! It’s chilling, eh? Don’t worry – there’s nothing to be scared of. Hopefully, after seeing all these, you’d still be able to sleep well without nightmares. Guess what; I was okay. I was able to sleep without monsters and ghosts in my dreams.

I’ve got to be honest, though – I found it weird when I stepped inside. I was fascinated and overwhelmed by all the skulls and bones surrounding me, like they were trying to petrify me. I had goosebumps the entire time I was there, but I was not in a hurry to get out of that holy place; in fact, I was the last person in our tour group who returned to our bus.

How to get to Sedlec Ossuary. It’s an hour’s drive by car from Prague – and the best way to get there is by joining a half-day tour to Kutna Hora. Every hotel and hostel in Prague advertises this tour, and they can also book this for you.

Now, you might wonder why Sedlec Ossuary is decorated with 40,000 bones on earth! It actually has a fascinating story. Read on…

Sedlec Ossuary – The Church With 40,000 Human Bones Inside!

The Sedlec Ossuary is a Roman Catholic Church in Kutna Hora, outside Prague.

It is also called “The Church of All Saints.” For tourists, they call it, “The Church of Bones.”

As the name suggests, the interior is elaborately decorated with human bones!

And yes, including baby bones!

The most stunning feature of this chapel is the giant chandelier!

As you can see, it’s artistically put together with at least one of EVERY bone we have in our body.

Behind the impressive chandelier is, of course, Jesus Christ on the cross.

Another work of beauty that impressed me was the coat of arms of the Schwarzenberg Family.

Behind that are the piles of bones that must have been excavated decades or, maybe, centuries ago.

So now, are you interested to know who, what and why somebody thought about building this?

A long time ago, in 1278, an Abbot of Sedlec Monastery was dispatched by the King of Bohemia to Jerusalem.

When the Abbot returned, he carried a jar full of soil from Golgotha.

Golgotha is a holy place just outside Jerusalem, where Christians believe where Jesus was crucified.

When the news spread about the Abbot with a jarful of soil from the “Holy Land,” many people from various places wished Sedlec to be their resting place.

That’s why the burial grounds had to be expanded.

Centuries later, a Gothic church was built near the cemetery in the 15th century.

Its basement was used as an ossuary (a room where dead people’s bones are kept).

The bones remained there until 1870, when Frantisek Rint, a skilled woodcarver, was told to arrange the bones in place.

And, of course – he didn’t disappoint us! As you can see, he delivered!

The chapel might look morbid to be in – but it’s actually peaceful. I think that’s because everyone respects the dead. Or maybe, they’re scared to awaken them. 😉

Related Post: City Skyline of Prague at Night

Where to Stay in Prague

Look no further – stay at RoadHouse Prague, especially when you are staying for 2 days/1 night only. It’s in downtown Prague, and you can walk to the Old Town Square and Charles Bridge. Famous landmarks like the St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague Castle, and Strahov Monastery Library are less than 2 kilometers on foot. You can book it via Booking, HostelWorld, and Expedia.