Czech Republic - April 2008

Detail of a coat of arms at Kostnice Ossuary.

This was my second trip to Europe, and the Czech Republic.  It was primarily a family visit trip, but Roman and I did spend a bit of time touring places we had not seen the last time out.  The highlight of our travels, for me, was Kutna Hora and the Kostnice Ossuary in Sedlec.  This unique old church holds the remains of over 40,000 people – in 1870 an artist arranged many of these bones into fantastical sculptures and works of art.

Krivoklát Castle in Central Bohemia.	Tower of bones, one of the pillars in the church.	Gorgeous view of a village by the river.

Skulls and crossbones along the wall.	Bone sculpture.	There was a nice little shrine to the deceased with candles lit nearby.	Hanging over the exit from the main church area.

My favorite piece – an intricate coat of arms.

Skull detail.

Enormous bone chandelier, one of the most famous pieces in the church.

Excess bones stacked in the corners of the church.

The original Lord Voldemort.	From the entrance, looking into the cathedral area.	Beautiful, scenic walk in a park outside of Prague.	An intricate mural on a wall in Prachatice - South Bohemia.

Detail of the mural.	In Czechia even the sewer covers are cool.	Baroque facade on village houses.	Another interesting facade.

A typical Czech farm/rural property. Most people live in the city or villages, but some of these manors are around as well.

I was very impressed by the ossuary. I was expecting it to be a dark place – like a haunted catacomb – instead, it was more like an art gallery; well lit, interesting structures and a distinct lack of spiderwebs and dimly lit corridors.  It’s just such a unique structure – I can’t imagine seeing something like that in the U.S.  Spending time in buildings, areas with over a thousand years of human history – really amazing.