Kutna Hora: A Bohemian Gem

Following on from the last post about Sedlec Ossuary, I quickly ran downtown to try and get some photos as the sun set over the old town in Kutna Hora. The sunset which promised to be quite delightful initially, quickly faded out into a rather muted display so I set about doing some longer exposure nighttime photos.

I don’t usually go into churches and cathedrals when I visit new places but seeing as I was doing a spot of HDR, there aren’t many interiors that lend themselves better to it than cathedrals with their vast interiors and strong contrasting light between inside and out.

The old part of Kutna Hora is a bit of a walk from the train station and there is a bus service which takes you there but I like to explore places properly in case I miss something while on the bus, plus taking photos through a dusty bus window and while the light is fading is never a good idea really. At my pace it was only about a 20-25 minute walk into the prettier parts of Kutna Hora. The outskirts are like many other Czech towns with nothing in particular to ooh or aah about, just the usual old fashioned buildings, houses and smaller businesses going about their operations.

The prettier parts of Kutna Hora are very pretty indeed and I was pleasantly surprised by just how delightful a place it is, reminding me of Znojmo in parts and Prague in others. I think quaint is an ideal word to describe it (I know, I use that word far too often on this blog but it’s true) with narrow cobbled streets and ornate buildings leaning in on you. There were quite a few tourists around, even in late October which was nice to see, although Kutna Hora is one of THE places to visit according to the majority of tourism websites, and I can see why. It really is a beautiful place and very worth a day trip out from Prague if you’re in the area.

Chrám Nanebevzetí Panny Marie sitting pretty on the corner near to the Ossuary was my first port of call on the way into the old town centre.

Chasing that sun, I wanted to catch the golden hour before it was gone.

Dying light, the last few embers of sunlight cling to the steeple of a church on the way to the old town.

The beautiful Italian Court was on my checklist of places to visit and I had forgotten about it in my quest to race the sun when I suddenly stumbled upon it on my way.

Desire to climb to the top, find all the other vantage points in the town and then jump into a hay bale rising…..

The rather lovely town square in Kutna Hora.

The rather stunning St. Barbara’s Church.

Some serious Znojmo vibes with this view.

Night and day, I think it looks quite pretty in both but the illumination at night is quite delightful indeed.