traveling 10

On the 3rd day we were in Prague we went on a tour to Kutna Hora which is a small medieval town 60 kms from Prague. It dates back to the 13th century and was 2nd to Pargue in importance as a center because of the rich silver mines which were there. These mines have long been closed and it is now a small village of historical significance and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

We thought that we'd get to go into a silver mine and other sites and buildings but everything was closed because it was Easter Monday. I think that perhaps the tour people could have told us this before we went. So we basically walked around the town with the tour guide pointing out important buildings and giving us a bit of a history lesson and also an 'art history 101' quick once over. 

We had lunch, included in the tour price, in a rather lovely Czech restaurant, I think both Barry and I had goulash and dumplings. 

In Kutna Hora

 This church is apparently the best example of a Baroque church in Europe

the building on our right was a Jesuit church and college from the 16th century

statue memorial to the people who died of the plague

 the village well

looking out over the Kutna Hora

On the way to Kutna Hora we stopped off at a tiny little place called Sedlec Ossuary otherwise known as The Church of Bones because the little church there has been decorated with the bones from over 40,000 people who died from the plague or from war but I can't remember the details of who did the decorating. It supposedly represents people rising up to heaven and is also making the point, apparently, that no matter how much or how little each of us has when we're alive, in the end i.e. when we're dead, we're all just a bundle of bones. 

 This is just a small part of the bone decorations. There were quite a lot of people inside so almost impossible to get a phot without a crowd pf people on it. Also, no flash allowed.

 this is the shield of some ruling family in the 18th century using every bone in the human body

We spent about 30 minutes here but I didn't like it very much. Not because it's all human bones, that didn't worry me at all, I just thought it was rather boring. Barry, on the other hand thought that it was pretty good decorating. I think that I would have enjoyed looking around the little village but it was back on the bus and away - the downside of organised tours.

After we got back from Kutna Hora we walked through the city and over the Charles Bridge, along with millions of other people, well, it seemed like millions - the bridge was crowded. Once over the bridge we turned around and walked back again, to go and find some dinner away from the tourist hordes. We planned to go back over the bridge and on up to the castle the next day, our last in Prague.

at the entrance to the Charles Bridge

 2 guys fishing - a nice way to spend the day away from the crowds. The yellow building is the Kafka Museum

and that's it for this post