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Kutna Hora.

Kutna Hora, the town of silver.

This ancient town is situated on a picturesque hill 60 km to the east from Prague. Kutna Hora's history is inseparable from the history of silver mining. Back in 13th century a silver deposit was found here, and it became one of the largest in Europe for many years. Today the entire look of the town reminds about the Middle Age Czech country. Local mines generated wealth and were the economic power behind the rule of Czech kings, bringing about plenty of monuments due to which the town was named a museum town and included into the UNESCO list of world's cultural heritage.

The town's name is derived from the Latin name of the mining settlement, Cuthna antiqu? – Old Cuthna. There is a legend associated with this name. Once a monk from Cistercian Monastery, feeling tired after laboring hard at the vineyard, fell asleep on the ground. While he was sleeping, three silver sticks grew out of the soil quite near his head. Waking up, the monk marked the place with his frock (kutna in Czech language), rushing to the monastery to tell about this miracle. A silver deposit was found under these sticks, and a miners' settlement was founded. As early as in late 13th century the Kutna Hora's mines produced one third of Europe's total silver. The town becomes the Czech center of silver coining, while the Czech currency was one of the strongest European currencies of that time. Gradually the settlement evolved into a rich and populated town of Kutna Hora. In 14th century it was the country's second most important town after Prague. 'Osel', the local mine, was about 500 meters deep between 14th and 15th centirues, which made it the deepest mine of the then world.

One of Kutna Hora's main sights is the Church of All Saints with an ossuary decorated with 40 thousand human bones. The graveyard's chapel, build in late 14th century, now marks the center of the smaller cemetery, not far away from the cathedral. The chapel's interior is perfectly unique, with chandeliers, candelabrums, monsters, bells and even the Schwarzberger Coat of Arms made of bones. The famous chandelier of the Church of All Saints can be used for studying the human body, as it contains all the bones from the skeleton. Charming angels with golden wings are placed near the chandelier. Skull pyramids are in the corners, with crows hanging above them. A graveyard surrounds the cathedral, but when you are outside, the church looks quite peaceful, nothing heralding the interiors made of human bone. This outstanding construction was built in 15-16th centirues by Frantisek Rint, a wood carver.

The Cathedral of St. Barbara in Kutna Hora was founded in 1388, and it took 500 years to build it. This cathedral, dedicated to the patroness of miners, was conceived by Jan Paler, son of Petr Paler, the architect who built St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. The construction was funded by miners working in Kutna Hora. It is a monumental yet very light and elegant building, decorated with late Gothic frescos dedicated to mining-related subjects. They say that one can study the history of Bohemian gothics with the walls of this cathedral. Nearby there is a sightseeing platform which gives a marvelous view on the town's entire historic center, including the Jesuit College of the 17th century and the striking St. Jacob Church.

Kutna Hora has a mining museum known as Hradek build in the 15th century. It showcases the entire silver mining history of Kutna Hora, with all manner of machinery and devices used, along with a huge wooden machine which was used in the 14th century to pick up weights up to 1 ton from 200 meters dep. The museum also holds excursions taking the visitors through one of the lower levels of the middle age mine. You will be equipped with a miner's lamp and a hemlet. The views down there are purely unforgettable.

The building of this town worth visiting are nearly impossible to be listed, including the Arch-Deanery Church of St. Jacob, the Vlašský dv?r, the first mint, the Hradek building, the Gothic patrician residence made of stone, the Pestilential Pillar, the tiny Ruthardka street, the late Gothic stone pool, the Sankturin house on a Gothic basement, the St. Jan Nepomucki Church, a fresh-looking baroque building, the Monastery of St Ursula, and many many more. Make sure you find time to visit this town and check out at least some of its attractions.

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