I love party hostels… when I want to party. In Prague I wanted to explore and save the hangover for another country. Unfortunately the drunk americans in my room who had just finished with college for the year really didnt seem to have the same thoughts as me. They ran in and out of my room all night, smoking pot and complaining about not having hooked up with any European girls yet… argh.
After the tour yesterday, I discovered there was a tour to Kutna Hora where the Bone Chapel (Sedlec Ossuary) is located. Checking the map as to where it was, I’d have only got lost if I was trying to get there myself so a few czech crowns was worth the trouble of being led around for the day.
Meeting up we grouped together and headed for the train out to Kutna Hora. It wasn’t long before our little group was chatting away comparing travel stories and the like. In the process I worked out that our tour guide wasn’t like the others… he didn’t have much of a clue about the tour as he had never taken it solo before. By the end of the day it didn’t matter. He was such a great bloke and the mishaps we had, made it far more interesting than the normal scripted stuff I’d been treated to in the rest of Europe.
Arriving in Kutna Hora with the sun already looming high above us we made a bee-line straight for St Barbara’s Church, and what a church. I found it hard to believe that it was originally designed to be almost twice its current size. The place is already a huge gothic masterpiece, any bigger would be crazy huge.
Leaving the church behind we strolled past some other amazing sights and learnt about the history of Kutna Hora. It once rivalled Prague with its wealth as the city mined the local silver found in the area to make money. With wealth comes kings and it quickly became the home to several of the Bohemian Kings of the time.
All exploring requires rest, and what is a better place to do that than a local tavern. Decked out with large wooden tables just like you would find at the Hofbrauhaus in Munich, we ordered beers and some local tucker. Now during the course of our feast (I chose a meatloaf type of dish) we noticed there was Mead on the menu. Having not seen it anywhere else to date one of the guys in the group ordered some. To our surprise it came in an awesome wooden cup and was surprisingly tasty. Just another reason to visit the Czech Republic if you ask me.
Eventually we had to pull ourselves away from the booze as there was one more important stop for the day, the Bone Chapel. Now much the same as I wouldn’t post pictures from the Catacombs in Paris when I visited, I don’t think its right to do so here either. These are after all peoples bones, lots and lots of peoples bones (you can find plenty of pictures on google or better yet visit for yourself its worth it).
The chapel really is crazy, from chandeliers to wall decorations and even signs, all using bones to make out the shapes and words. Oh and don’t even get me started on the giant mountains of bone’s that are stacked in the four corners of the chapel. It was a sight to see and well worth the day trip out of the center of Prague.
With that stop signalling the end to the tour we departed Kutna Hora and headed back to Prague. A few of us sought out a quiet bar to enjoy a couple more beers in an attempt to cool us after a day of walking around in the sizzling hot sun. Unfortunately it wasn’t long before my other tour mates had to depart for early starts the next day. I bid them goodbye and after a bit more of a stroll around Prague watching the sun set I too called it a day.
I love to party but I hate party hostels. I like to come home drunk that is quiet so I can pass out in peace!
haha Ayngelina, if I’m coming home drunk chances are I won’t hear anybody anyway.
Uuuh, I’ve been to the bone chapel about 7 years ago! Amazing, bizarre – and kind of ghoulish! Would love to see it again 🙂
Hey Karen, ghoulish is definatly the right word for that place. On the up side it was one of the coolest places to stop and rest on the entire day trip.
You say “american” like that’s the disdainful part! It’s the drunk and inconsiderate part that’s disdainful!
Sorry, had to speak up on my kin’s behalf 🙂
lol Lindsay. Sorry to pay out on your kin folk but these guys fitted the typical frat boy image I’ve grown up seeing on TV and in the movies.
crazy flying buttress’s on that church!
Greg, everything about that church was crazy. I should have posted a picture of the inside so you could see just how big the place was.
Glad you escaped those crazy partiers at the hostel! Funny, when we were camping/road tripping through Australia we’d always get annoyed by the 18 year old drunken Australians who’d shout and play music all night– at a tent campsite! Guess people at that age are annoying anywhere 😉
Leslie without a doubt you suffered more than I did. I’ve been part of those wild all night parties in caravan parks, the last one exactly a year ago for new years.
Great shots! This is something I would definitely like to do on my next trip to Prague!!
Your comment about your tour guide makes me smile because I’m always the ‘back of the line’ tour guide that’s never been to the city herself! I hope that it’s true people are saying about me what you have said about your guy!
Annie you definitely have to get out there for the day. It’s not so much he was leading from the back of the line its just he wasn’t ready to take the tour. Needed more training in the script he is suppose to know. Still he was honest and we had a lot of fun.
Haha mate, running into those blokes at hostels that are all like “yeeeah lets go out and find us some hot Swedish girls to hook up!” irritate me to no end. They’re all fired up on libido and you’re just like “jesus can’t we just chill out and have a few beers boys?”
I hear ya Justin. Seems that when you come across a group of guys backpacking around they are just here to try and get laid with as many gals as they can.
Another reason why I think I need to keep out of party hostels from now on.
That chandelier of bones actually graces my living room wall and is one of my favorite photos. Every bone in the human body is allegedly represented. (I always wondered if the stirrup bone was in there.) Call me irreverent, but I have a fascination with bones and cemeteries and how different cultures deal with them. In the catacombs in Palermo there is a sign that says No Photos, Respect the Dead. Right next to the sign — and above the heads of the two monks charging admission — is the postcard rack full of photos of the mummified residents downstairs. One Euro each.
Kevin I was told that the chandelier was suppose to contain every bone in the body and looking at it you could sure pick some of them out.
Have you been to the catacombs in Paris at all? They were creepy with all the bones stacked up in there. You have to laugh at them saying no photos but selling them anyway.
I soooo want to go to the Bone Chapel. How the hell have I missed this – not just once, but twice!
haha Michael, its so worth the stop off. The whole area there is really beautiful as well.
I really respect that you DIDN’T show photographs of the inside of the chapel. Of course, as a photographer I am dying to get a sneak peek. But, all the more reason to be motivated to get there myself 😀
Also, mead? Yes please!
lol Kirsten. I just don’t think posting the the photos of the bones is really very respectful to the only knows how many dead people are there. I guess its bad enough I paid to go in and see them, no need to publicise it anymore.
Your right, keeping the mystery does give you all the more reason to go there yourself.
I love parties during travel but I never take a sip of any wine or even beer… because I pass out so easily and I don’t want to mess up and get this terrible headache the following day. That for sure will totally ruin future plans.
Wow, thanks for this post. We are headed to Prague next month and never would have known about this, now it’s on our don’t miss list.
Thanks again,
-David
I have never been to the Bone Chapel, but it looks like such an interesting place! There are similar places in Rome (Capuchin Crypt) and Milan (San Bernardino alle Ossa).