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.
