All Saint's Chapel, Sedlec Ossuary Train Directions (From Prague)

The Bone Church

[Return to Main Kostnice Ossuary Page] [Church of Bones Wallpaper]

I have heard a few tales of eager tourists seeking out All Saint's Chapel in Sedlec (a suburb of Kutna Hora) only to find themselves in another town by the same name, or others who have overshot their destination and ended up a little further East into the Czech Republic than they had planned on! My own experiences were relatively painless and so I will relay them here for any traveler's who wish to visit this church and anything else the town has to offer.

My hotel (the Leonardo, that I would highly recommend to anyone asides from the fact that they gave my room away to VIP's for the first two days!) was the shortest walk away from the famous Charles Bridge. With heavy snow, fresh and thick in the morning, I decided to walk to the train station rather than attempt a local tram (be wary of taxi drivers - some can be a little unscrupulous). The train station I headed for was called "Praha Hlavni Nadrazi" on Wilsonova road. Walking through the Old Town Square, it really took no more than about twenty minutes or so before I came upon it.

The signs and time tables might as well been written in Klingon for all I could decipher of them. In the end I went to one of the many ticket booths and having the destination written on a piece of paper was able to communicate that I required a return ticket. I could no more decipher the ticket than I could the time tables and so asked a train guard if he spoke any English. Thankfully he spoke a little and was very kind in going out of his way to show me the board with the times and what I should look for. I had an hour to kill in the station before the train arrived, and as the time elapsed I was aware that my train wasn't coming up on the board! The train guard passed me again and could see I was looking a little blank. Again, he was very helpful and went to a Czech info booth and got me a print out with the trains going out and all the times for returns. As it transpired, the train out was not direct and required a change at Kolin.

Before I boarded the train, I noticed there was an International information booth that I had previously missed, so it's worth keeping an eye out for it if in confusion. The train ticket lists all the stations you pass through, and as the stations are cleared signed you would be hard pushed to miss your stop. The train was divided into old fashioned compartments that were very comfortable and warm, although finding spare seats was a little tricky.

The train from Kolin to Kutna Hora took all of 10 minutes (the entire journey from Prague to Kutna Hora is 1 hour, and 70km, about 45 miles). When you exit the small station at Kutna Hora, take a right and walk up the road towards the main elevated road ahead. Once you reach it, take a left and follow the road until you hit the first major church. Directly opposite it on the right hand side of the road is a small side road. A short walk up this road will take you to All Saint's Chapel. If you're going in winter, don't do what I did and wear trainers - they aren't particularly effective in deep snow!

There are a few trains that are direct from Kutna Hora back to Prague, otherwise you will need to take an interconnected train to make your way back to the city.

Text / Photos © Gavin B.

[Main Kostnice Ossuary Page] [Church of Bones Wallpaper]