What is Kutna Hora? You may have heard of the Kutná Hora Bone Church which I guess is one of the reasons to make a day trip from Prague to Kutná Kora. But that’s just scraping the surface. There is so much to this beautiful little town in the Czech countryside that is famous for its silver mining.
It took us two full years of living in the Czech Republic to finally make the trip to Kutna Hora, but if we would’ve known how cute this town was we definitely would’ve gone sooner!
We thought it was just a church full of bones and skulls but there’s so much more to it! We’re not sure if people just don’t go to the city centre since it doesn’t get talked about much but damn is it beautiful!
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One of the best day trips from Prague
Karlstejn Castle is always going to be one of our favourite day trips from Prague, but after visiting Kutná Hora we may have a change of heart. They are both beautiful places to visit and the fact they’re both less than an hour away makes them both great places to visit if you’re living in Prague or just travelling through.
Kutna Hora offers lots of historic landmarks, buildings, and museums. It also has a beautiful old town and side streets with cute restaurants and cafes. So on a sunny day you can roam around this beautiful little city and explore all the hidden gems that honestly many tourists don’t know about because they end up just going to the bone church and think that’s all there is to do in Kutna Hora.
How to get from Prague to Kutná Hora
One of the reasons why we recommend this as a day trip is because it is so easy to get to Kutna Hora from Prague. It’s less than an hour away from the main train station in Prague and only costs between 2-4 Euro each way.
You can buy your tickets at the main train station or on the train if you have cash but we highly recommend downloading the IDOS app where you can buy your tickets and see all the train times as well as busses, and other public transport.
The train from Prague to Kutna Hora and back goes roughly 1-2 times an hour throughout the week so you’ll never have to wait too long for the train. Use the IDOS app to see exactly when the trains are leaving. Makes life a lot easier!
Taking the train to Kutna Hora
Kutna Hora has two train stations. The main train station which is called “Kutná Hora hl.n.” and then the city centre train stop which is called “Kutná Hora město”. On our way from Prague to Kutná Hora, we recommend you get off at Kutná Hora hl.n. If you buy the tickets online just look for Kutna Hora hl.n.
The stop won’t look like much, it just looks like some random train stop in the Czech countryside. But once you exit the train station you’ll see a big sign with all the landmarks around the city. From there you’ll be able to walk to all the different places. You can find them all in order just below to make your day trip convenient and efficient!
We also recommend downloading the Mapy.cz app. It makes navigation around places like this so much easier. We have also added all the stops into one little route so it’s easy to follow for you as well. You can click here to see the full itinerary on one map!
#1 First stop: Church of Assumption
The Church of Assumption is the first stop on this day trip in Kutna Hora. Like most of the famous historic buildings in this city the Church is a UNESCO Heritage site. If you’re wondering why such a small town has a huge Gothic styled church it’s because of the wealth from all the silver mining. We’ll get more into that later though.
If you like history and historic buildings you can take a quick peek into the church and admire the stunning architecture. You can also buy tickets to go inside but we didn’t do this.
#2 Second stop: Sedlec Ossuary
What on earth is this? This is the actual name of the famous Bone Church in Kutna Hora but since no one really knows the name of the place, we stick to calling it “The Bone Church”!
It’s a short walk from the Church of Assumption and the ticket office for the Bone Church is located between the Church of Assumption and the Sedlec Ossuary. It’s roughly 4$ to get into the little church. Here you can find all the info you need on Sedlec Ossuary.
After you buy your ticket, continue towards the ossuary. You will find the church in the middle of a graveyard. It’s quite a fascinating little sight and we definitely recommend checking out the church to see all the skeletons and read a little bit about the history behind it.
We wouldn’t recommend coming to Kutná Hora just to see the Sedlec Ossuary but it’s definitely a great sight to see if you’re planning to spend a full day exploring the city.
#3 Third stop: Palackého Namesti (main square in Kutna Hora)
By now you’ve seen enough bones and skulls for one day! Head towards the city centre where you’ll start to see the city come to life. Up until now, you’ve seen a few churches but once you start getting closer to the center you start to see the beauty of Kutna Hora.
Once you get close enough just roam down some of the side streets or use the directions in the maps here to find the square. The city is quite small though so it won’t take long. If you’re lucky enough there will be a big market with yummy food, souvenirs, and maybe even a live band performing.
Around the square, you’ll find a bunch of restaurants and cute shops that offer a variety of things! We really enjoyed just walking down the side streets and seeing the history of the city. Since Kutná Hora has a rich history in mining silver you’ll most likely see a lot of shops and tours linked to the mining of silver.
Back in the 13-14th century Kutná Hora was one of the more prosperous and wealthy places in central Europe! Now it’s turned into a city where people come for day trips to Prague to see bones and churches and enjoy the pretty architecture and good vibes.
By now you’ll most likely be hungry so instead of eating right in the center of town we recommend heading to one of the best restaurants in the city that is just a few streets away.
#4 Fourth stop: The delicious restaurant Ruthardce
We luckily stumbled upon this authentic Czech restaurant. We usually never try to eat in the center and try to find tucked away cafes or restaurants off on the side streets. This time we found Restaurant Ruthardce. It has a beautiful patio in the back with arguably one of the best views in the city.
From the patio, you can see the famous St Barbara’s Cathedral from a distance. Bring your camera! It’s an amazing spot to take pictures. So on top of the delicious traditional Czech food, you also have these great views of the city. If the weather is nice, we can highly recommend you sit outside!
#5 Fifth stop: View from St Barbara’s Cathedral
Once you leave the restaurant, you can walk through the patio/garden section to the back where you will see a gate. Outside of that gate is a road that connects to a path that brings you to the cathedral. Follow the green sign and you’ll head in the right direction.
The trail will bring you near the vineyard and the wall that protects St Barbara’s Cathedral. The trail will loop around to the front garden and bring you right to the front of the cathedral. This area is one of the highest points of the city so you will get a beautiful view of Kutna Hora and some of the sites you’ve seen up close already.
It’s a good spot to have a glass of wine in the winery as well after exploring the famous cathedral. We were enjoying the sun so much that we just sat in the park and admired the beauty from the outside but we’ve heard it’s well worth going inside.
This is the last stop we made before heading back towards Prague. Kutna Hora really is a beautiful city and well worth exploring all the way from the Bone Church to St Barbara’s Cathedral because there is just so much to see and you don’t want to miss any of it.
#6 Sixth and final stop: Kutna Hora city train station
Just to clarify, the last stop is the city train station in Kutna Hora. This train stop isn’t the same one as the one you got off at in Kutna Hora to begin the day trip. There’s no point in walking all the way to the outskirts of town again. Instead, it’s better to go to this train station in the city center.
On the way back to the city center from St. Barbara’s Cathedral you may run into some cute shops, cafes, and restaurants. You’ll walk by the town square again where you can get something from the market if you missed it the first time around.
If you have some time to spare, go explore a bit more before you head back to the train station. Enjoy a Trdelnik and feel like a true tourist.
Then you can continue towards the train station. We recommend looking at the train schedule in advance so you don’t have to wait too long at the station. The train usually leaves twice an hour.
Train back to Prague from Kutna Hora
The good thing is that trains run quite frequently. So if you miss one don’t worry, another one will come soon enough. You can see the timetable on the IDOS app.
Once you’re on the train, lean back, relax, and enjoy the pretty views of the Czech country side.
There you have it. Your Prague to Kutná Hora day trip! As you can see it’s not a far trip from Prague and that’s why we recommend doing it as a day trip. You can see so much in just one day.
If you leave early in the morning you can easily be back before dinner. That’s including a nice break for lunch and time spent at each place.
What to bring on your day trip to Kutna Hora
Everyone’s day trip is going to be a little bit different but there are definitely some essentials that you should bring on your day trip. There’s always that one thing we somehow forget so let’s make sure that doesn’t happen to you!
Here’s what you should bring to Kutná Hora:
- Good walking shoes or sneakers. We walked most of the day and it’s a nicer way to see the city. +10km for the full day.
- Some water! No point in buying water at every shop and restaurant if you can bring your own. A Lifestraw is great so you can fill it up wherever you go.
- Phone, wallet, camera, and headphones for the train ride. Otherwise enjoy the beautiful Czech countryside.
- It never hurts to pack a light jacket or sweater in case the weather changes while you’re exploring the town. Especially if you’re gone all day.
- Sunscreen is worth bringing during the summer months. You wouldn’t think it but during the summer Czech can get into the 30s.
- It doesn’t hurt to bring a few snacks even though in the city centre you can find some lovely cafes and shops with traditional local sweets and goodies.
- A portable charger for your phone and/or camera. It’s crazy how fast your battery drains on day trips from all the Google Map usage and photo taking. It’s always good to have a charged phone in a foreign place. Especially if you plan to purchase your train tickets on one of the apps we mentioned.
When is the best time to visit Kutna Hora
For us, summer and fall are the best times to visit Kutna Hora. Hands down. As long as the weather is nice and you can walk around the city then we recommend coming to check out this gorgeous town.
Kutná Hora is lovely to walk around and the nature around the city and around St Barbara’s Cathedral with its vineyard is well worth seeing in the summer and fall. So plan to visit on a nice warm day where you can make the best of it and we’re sure you’ll enjoy this little city east of Prague.
A quick recap on a day trip from Prague to Kutna Hora
- So first check what time you want to leave. Tickets can be bought on the IDOS app or at the main train station in Prague.
- Read through the post on the train! 😉
- Hop off the train and make your way to the Church of Assumption. (10-15 minute walk)
- From the Church of Assumption make your way to the famous Bone Church. (5 minute walk)
- From the Bone Church walk the city center. (25 minute walk)
- Explore the city and head for lunch at Restaurant Ruthardce.
- Take in the views from the restaurant’s garden and make your way to St Barbara’s Cathedral.
- After you see the city from above by the Cathedral, make your way back to the city train station.
- You can see when the trains depart here.
- Enjoy the train ride back to Prague. The countryside is absolutely stunning especially during the summer months!
We hope you enjoy the day trip exploring different churches, cathedrals, and places you’ve never been before. Let us know if you find any other hidden gems throughout the day that we need to know about!
Have fun!
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