The beautiful Cathedral of Our Lady in Sedlec is a UNESCO World Heritage site. If you plan to visit the Sedlec Ossuary, it would be a pity not to take the short walk to the cathedral. In fact, if you arrive at the Ossuary by bus, the Sedlec,Tabák bus stop is right by the cathedral.
The cathedral is part of the former Cistercian monastery that was established by king Wenceslas II in the early 1300s. This was during the time of Kutná Hora’s great wealth derived from silver mining. The cathedral was built in the High Gothic style and was the most magnificent church in the Kingdom of Bohemia. The monastery along with the church were burned down by the Hussites in 1421 and were not renovated until the early 18th century.
The Czech Baroque architect Jan Blažej Santini rebuilt the monastery at the turn of the 17th and 18th century in the unique Baroque Gothic style whose equivalent cannot be found anywhere else in Europe. The seamless combination of Gothic and Baroque is most prominent in the cathedral.
The Cistercian monastery, by then deeply in debt, was closed down in 1783 as part of the religious reform of emperor Joseph II. A tobacco factory was established there in 1812 and is still run today by Philip Morris.
Equinox Magic
If you find yourself in Kutná Hora on the spring or fall equinox (around March 20 or September 23) AND it is a sunny day, try to catch the magical phenomenon that can be seen inside the cathedral on those two days of the year. At a certain point in the day, the Sun’s rays fall directly on the cathedral’s main altar and the Virgin Mary, flooding them with their glow.
Getting There
The Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady is within walking distance from the Sedlec Ossuary and on your way to the Ossuary if you arrive by bus no. 1 or 7 and get off at the Sedlec,Tabák stop. You can follow the directions we have on our Sedlec Ossuary page.