Sedlec Ossuary

Cemetery in Kutna Hora, Central Bohemia, Czechia

Sedlec Ossuary
Aire Volador

About

What It Is

The Sedlec Ossuary is a Roman Catholic chapel situated beneath the Cemetery Church of All Saints, within the grounds of the former Sedlec Abbey in Sedlec, a suburb of Kutná Hora, Czech Republic [2]. The chapel is estimated to hold the skeletal remains of between 40,000 and 70,000 people, with bones in many cases arranged into decorative and functional forms throughout the interior [2]. The site is administered by the Roman Catholic parish of Kutná Hora-Sedlec, which also serves as a UNESCO World Heritage steward [1]. The ossuary ranks among the most visited tourist attractions in the Czech Republic, drawing more than 200,000 visitors each year [2].

The cemetery's prominence dates to 1278, when the abbot of the Cistercian monastery returned from the Holy Land carrying soil from Golgotha, which he scattered over the abbey grounds [2]. This act drew burials from across Central Europe, and mass casualties from the Black Death and the Hussite Wars in the 14th and 15th centuries expanded the cemetery considerably [2]. A Gothic church with a lower ossuary chapel was built around 1400 to house bones unearthed during construction [2]. The bone arrangements visitors see today were created in 1870 by woodcarver František Rint, commissioned by the Schwarzenberg family [2].

Activities & Experiences

Visitors can tour the chapel interior and view the bone arrangements, which include four bell-shaped mounds at the chapel's corners, a chandelier suspended from the nave's center that incorporates at least one of every bone in the human body, and garlands of skulls along the vault [2]. Additional works on display include piers and monstrances flanking the altar, a coat of arms of the House of Schwarzenberg, and Rint's own signature rendered in bone near the entrance [2]. The site also offers night tours in addition to standard daytime visits, and an exhibition titled Memento Mori is housed within the ossuary [1]. A recurring exhibition, Koloběh zaniku, was scheduled to run from 25 September to 26 November 2026 [1].

Practical Access

The ossuary is located at Zamecka 279, Kutna Hora, and tickets are available only online or at the Sedlec Information Centre on Zamecka Street [1]. Capacity is limited and tickets must be purchased in advance for a specific date and time [1]. As listed on the official site, the ossuary is open today from 9:00 to 17:00, with adult admission priced at 220 CZK [1]. Both daytime and night tour options are offered [1].

Restrictions

Tickets must be booked for a specific date and time slot; walk-in purchase at the door is not available [1]. On certain dates the cathedral on the same grounds opens later due to religious services, which may affect combined visits [1].

What Makes It Distinctive

The Sedlec Ossuary is one of very few sites in the world where human remains have been arranged on an architectural scale, transforming a functional charnel space into an environment where every surface element, from chandeliers to heraldic emblems, is composed of bone [2]. The scale of remains, estimated at up to 70,000 individuals, and the craftsmanship of Rint's 1870 arrangements set it apart from comparable European ossuary chapels [2]. Its continuous use as an active Roman Catholic parish site, combined with UNESCO World Heritage status, gives it a layered significance that extends beyond its visual impact [1].

Sources

  1. Úvod | SEDLEC
  2. Sedlec Ossuary

Access & fees

Things to do

Amenities

Events & seasons

Features

Nearby

Good to know

Catalog identifier: AVIA-HY5E-WQ6RM