Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
minority (after Slovaks and Poles). Many came here in the 1970s,
as part of a communist solidarity program that sent Vietnamese
workers to Czech textile factories. They learned the language,
adapted to the environment, and, after 1989, set off on a road to
entrepreneurial success that allowed them to bring over friends
and relatives (Mon-Fri 7:30-16:45, shorter hours Sat, closed Sun,
near Stone House and New Peking Restaurant).
Near Kutná Hora
Sedlec Bone Church (Kostnice u Sedlci)
—Located a mile
away from the center of town, in Sedlec, this little church looks
normal on the outside. But inside, the
bones of 40,000 people decorate the walls
and ceilings. Plagues in the 14th century
and 15th-century wars provided all the
raw material necessary for the creepily
creative monks who made these designs.
Those who first placed these bones 400
years ago wanted viewers to remember
that the earthly church is a community of
both the living and the dead, a countless
multitude that will one day stand before
God. Later bone-stackers were more
interested in design than theology...as
evidenced by the chandelier that includes
every bone in the human body (40 Kč, daily July-Aug daily
8:00-18:00, April-June and Sept-Oct 9:00-17:00, Nov-March
9:00-16:00, closed Mon, tel. 327-561-143, www.kostnice.cz). To
get to the Bone Church, you can walk, catch a taxi (less than 100
Kč), or ride the city bus (leaves from Masarykova street, buy ticket
at a newsstand).
SLeeping
Although one day is enough for Kutná Hora, staying overnight
saves you money (hotels are much cheaper here than in Prague)
and allows you to better savor the atmosphere of a small Czech
town.
Hotel u V lašského Dvora
and
Hotel Garni
are two newly
renovated townhouses run by the same management. Furnished
in a mix of 1930s and modern style, the hotels come with access to
a fitness center and sauna. Hotel Garni is slightly nicer (Db-1,350
Kč, a few steps off main square at Havlíčkovo Náměstí 513, tel.
327-515-773, www.vlasskydvur.cz).
