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St. Barbara's Church

The cathedral the silver miners built, with three tent roofs

St. Barbara's Church
Photograph: Thomas Ledl / CC BY-SA 4.0

St Barbara's is the late Gothic church the silver miners of Kutná Hora paid for, begun around 1388 and left unfinished when the silver ran out. It stands on the edge of the old town, above the valley, and is recognisable from a distance by its three tent-shaped roofs. The vaulting inside was built by Matěj Rejsek and then Benedikt Rejt, two of the best masons working in Bohemia.

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Getting there

It is in Kutná Hora, about 70km east of Prague, so this is a train trip rather than a tram ride. Take a fast train from Praha hlavní nádraží to Kutná Hora hlavní nádraží, roughly an hour, then the small local shuttle train on to Kutná Hora město, which leaves you about a ten-minute walk from the church. Reckon on something over two hours door to door from the Old Town Square. From the mesto station the walk is level and then gently uphill past the Jesuit College, with the statues along its terrace on your right.

What you see

The first thing you take in is the vault: a net of ribs over the nave, with the later star patterns running on above the choir, and the triforium gallery cutting across below it. Walk round the ambulatory and look into the side chapels. The miners' chapel has late fifteenth-century wall paintings showing men at work underground, hauling and sorting ore, which is the only place in the country where the trade that built the church is painted in it. The Smíšek chapel has its own cycle of murals, including a Trinity and the Queen of Sheba, done in a manner that looks more Italian than Bohemian. There is a tall pewter font, a carved stone pulpit, and a Baroque organ case at the west end that sits oddly and well against the Gothic stonework. The upper gallery, where it is open, gives you the vault at eye level and a view out over the roofs towards the Sedlec side of town.

What to pair it with

The Italian Court, the old royal mint, is a fifteen-minute walk downhill into the town centre, and the Hrádek silver mining museum sits between the two. St James's Church, with its single tower, is beside the Italian Court. The Sedlec ossuary is a separate site out by the main railway station.

When to go

Morning is the better half of the day: the coach groups from Prague tend to do Sedlec first and arrive here around midday. Light through the south windows is strongest in the early afternoon, but that is also the busiest stretch. Out of season the church is quiet and the town nearly empty, though opening is shorter and services can close parts of it off. Sunday mornings are given to Mass.

What is hard about it

Entry is ticketed and there is usually a combined ticket covering several Kutná Hora sites, which is worth it only if you intend to use most of them — check what is included before you buy. The church is a long way from Prague for a visit of an hour or so, which is why most people fold it into a full Kutná Hora day. The gallery involves a stair climb and is not always open. The interior is high, grey and sparsely furnished, and visitors hoping for the gilded drama of a Baroque church sometimes find it austere.

Common questions

How long do you need at St Barbara's?

About an hour inside is enough to do the vault, the ambulatory and both painted chapels properly. Add fifteen minutes if the gallery is open.

Do you need to book a ticket in advance?

Normally you can buy on arrival at the church or at the town's information point, though in high summer booking saves a wait. Check before you go, as the arrangements change.

Can you take photographs inside?

Photography is generally allowed in the church, unlike at the Sedlec ossuary, where it is now prohibited. Services are the exception.

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