Kutná Hora: Introduction
The
ancient silver mining town of Kutná Hora is one of the most historically significant towns in the Czech Republic and was the second most important town in the medieval Kingdom of Bohemia after Prague. The historical town center is part of the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Kutná Hora makes for a great day trip from Prague. It takes a little over an hour to get there, the town has an interesting history and a variety of sights, and you'll be able to experience a place that is on a much smaller scale than Prague. The population of Kutná Hora is about 21,000.
Kutná Hora was settled as early as the 10th century but its development into a proper town dates back to the 13th century when silver was discovered in the area. Silver mining brought great wealth to the town. The royal mint was established in 1300 and Kutná Hora started producing the Prague groschen coins, thus becoming the second most important town in the Kingdom of Bohemia. Lots of building took place in the 14th century, including residential houses, churches, one of the country's most significant monasteries, and the majestic Church of St. Barbara.
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Several fires damaged or destroyed many of Kutná Hora's buildings including the Sedlec Monastery during the Hussite wars in the 15th century. The town was quickly rebuilt thanks to its continuing income from silver mining.
When the silver mines were
depleted in the 16th century, Kutná Hora's wealth took a sharp decline as did the growth of the town. Many of its churches were later closed down or torn down in conjunction with emperor Joseph II's religious reform in the late 18th century. Kutná Hora's architecture is defined by these events.
The main Kutná Hora information center is located on Palackého Square in the historic Sankturin House. Others can be found at the main train station, by the Cathedral of St. Barbara, and in Sedlec.
Information Center Kutná Hora
Sankturinovský
dům
Palackého náměstí 377
destinace.kutnahora.cz
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