The One with the Sedlec Bone Church, Czech Republic

When I first began researching Prague and the surrounding areas I googled images of the places of interest Rick Steves mentions and came across the Sedlec Bone Church near ‎Kutná Hora. Um. I don't think I've ever seen anything more creepy in my life, and those were just pictures! Chris on the other hand was super stoked and chanted "Bone church, bone church, bone church" what seemed like multiple times a day. Even Fox was looking forward to it because he loves skeletons.

We packed up all our stuff, checked out of the hotel, and headed out.

 On our way home, though technically it was an hour in the opposite direction of home, we stopped at the Sedlec Bone Church.

 You know it's going to be eerie when you see a skeleton decoration in the pavement outside the church! Even the church itself is topped with a skull and crossbones!

Enter if you dare!

Located a mile away from the center of Kutná Hora, in the city of Sedlec, this little church looks normal on the outside.

But inside, the bones of 40,000 people decorate the walls and ceilings. 14th-century plagues and 15th-century wars provided all the raw materials necessary for the creepily creative monks who made these designs.

Speechless.

Those who first placed these bones 400 years ago wanted viewers to remember that the early 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 at least one of every bone in the human body.


It is crazy to think that each of these skeletons was a real live person with thoughts and feelings and a family and a story. Now here they are, forever memorialized into art for people to gawk and stare at.

Taking a break from the macabre and admiring the stone floors. How 'bout this coat of arms? Ack! Even the date and names are made from bones!

I'll let the pictures do the talking for a bit.

Penny for your thoughts?

Skulls draping every which way.

Here's the picture I posted on instagram of this gruesome place:

We walked around the cemetery surrounding the church. I'm amazed that some of the graves have been overgrown with vines.

If I were my Aunt Katy I'd be saying things like "I hear people are dying to get in here!" "I bet people here really dig their job!"

By this point the rain had dried up, the clouds melted away, and it was a beautiful and warm and sunny day. Of course it happened as soon as our vacation was over, wah wah. But the drive home was so scenic and Fox and Jane slept for 2 of the 3 hours so it was a very pleasant ride. 

Next trip: the famous Neuschwanstein Castle and Linderhof Palace down by Munich! Can't wait to see the epitome of castles!