Today we took a trip to the historic town of Kutná Hora, often referred to as “Bone City”,and for good reason. The town has a quiet, gothic charm to it, with narrow cobblestone streets, medieval buildings, and an atmosphere that feels both eerie and enchanting. There’s a kind of haunting beauty to the place that makes you pause and just take it all in.
One of our first stops was the famous Bone Church, officially known as the Sedlec Ossuary. I’d heard about it before, but nothing could have prepared me for actually seeing it in person. Most of the interior architecture is literally made up of human bones. The moment I stepped in, I was stunned. A chandelier made entirely from bones hung from the ceiling and not just randomly arranged bones, but carefully selected ones. Having studied human anatomy, I found myself trying to identify the different bones used and what structures they supported. I noticed that many of the mandibles were separated from the skulls and used to create the rope-like designs holding the chandelier together. Larger bones like the femur and tibia were used for the more intricate, heavier structures. It was surreal to see anatomy outside of a textbook and in such a visually powerful way.
We also visited the Church of Saint Barbara, a stunning gothic cathedral originally built for the miners of the region. The church is massive and incredibly detailed, with soaring arches and some of the most beautiful stained glass windows I’ve ever seen. It had a sacred, peaceful energy that was a striking contrast to the Bone Church, but equally powerful in its own right.
Another major highlight was our descent into a 700-year-old silver mine. This experience brought a whole new layer of perspective to the town’s mining history. We suited up and entered the narrow, dark passageways that miners once spent long hours in. At one point, our guide asked us to turn off all our lights—and in that moment, surrounded by pure darkness, we got a glimpse of just how difficult and dangerous life was for the miners
Kutná Hora is a town of contrasts somber, artistic, and breathtakingly beautiful. From the macabre creativity of the Bone Church to the elegance of Saint Barbara’s Cathedral, today was a blend of curiosity, reflection, and awe.
Swanson School of Engineering 