Church of Bones: Prague

Posted on August 21, 2006 Under Travel

If you're in Prague and need a Pilsner break, escape to Sedlec's Church of All Saints ossuary to see the amazing but macabre sculptures of 40,000 skeletons, victims of the Bubonic Plague, Hussite Wars and other unfortunate incidents. Apparently, the church grounds were sprinkled with soil from Palestine's Holy land in the 12th century. That's when the trouble started, as every peasant and their mother sought to be laid to rest here. Thousands of bodies and a century or two later, their burial ground was bursting at the buttresses. That's when Frantisek Rint, a local wood carver and artist was hired to create a bit of beauty from the bones. It's quite a site and not for the easily disturbed. Hint: You'll find brochures all over the city. Going on your own is considerably cheaper than a tour. Train to Kutna Hora, then take a local bus two stops outside town. Locals will know what you're talking about.