Content warning: This post contains some pictures of real human bones

After four days of Prague, our student’s association had planned for something a little different. I wasn’t sure what the plan was, but we got onto a train towards Kutna Hora. And then I was horrified to see what they had planned…

There’s not much in Kutná Hora besides this one church that a lot of people like to visit. And seriously, I don’t get it. The Sedlec Ossuary is a church that doesn’t look like much on the outside, but the insides are filled up with real human bones for decorations…

The story goes that there was a graveyard filled with unmarked graves. When the land got plowed, they found all these bones and skulls, but didn’t know to whom they belonged anymore. They decided to make creative use of these bones and made all sorts of decorations for the church, as some sort of tribute.

We were standing in line, I got a little peek and then my entire body filled with dread. When I was little, I was extremely scared of skeletons (to be fair, I was extremely scared of practically anything). A fear that has persisted over the years, but it all came back when I got this peek inside the church. The line moved closer and closer and I got scared until I just decided: I don’t need to go in if I don’t want to. So I bailed.

I do have very fond memories of sitting in the sun, enjoying my safety-blanket music. When our group came out of the church and told me their stories, showed me the pictures, I was extremely glad I did not go in. It wasn’t only that I was scared, but also that I found it to be very disrespectful. Who makes art of real human bones? Yikes!

The pictures from above are boyfriends, who still thinks this was one of his highlights to our Prague trip. But no way I’m ever going to Kutná Hora again…