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Sedlec Ossuary: Tickets, Hours and Tours to the Kutna Hora Bone Church
The Sedlec Ossuary is a small chapel under the Cemetery Church of All Saints in Kutna Hora, decorated with the bones of tens of thousands of people, and an adult enters on the $8.27 (180 CZK) combined Sedlec ticket. This guide covers the timed tickets, opening hours, the visit rules, where the bones came from and how to fit the ossuary into a day trip from Prague.
Quick answer Tickets, hours and booking in brief
Sedlec Ossuary tickets cost $8.27 (180 CZK) for adults and are sold online for a set date and time, and without a reservation entry is not guaranteed. The combined Areal Sedlec ticket also covers the Cathedral of the Assumption. The ossuary opens daily from 9:00, closing at 18:00 from April to September. Photography is not allowed inside.
Key takeaways
- Prefer a guide and booked entry? The Kutna Hora UNESCO Site Tour with Bone Chapel pre-books the timed ossuary slot.
- See the full kutna hora day trip from prague overview for itineraries and prices.
- Pair it with St Barbara's Church, which sells its own ticket.
- Coming independently? Prague to Kutna Hora covers the train and the stations.
What is the Sedlec Ossuary?
It is a small Gothic cemetery chapel in the Sedlec quarter of Kutna Hora, known as the Bone Church for its interior made from human bones.
The chapel belongs to the Cemetery Church of All Saints, a working Roman Catholic church in the Sedlec quarter, close to the main railway station.
A Chapel, not a Museum
The ossuary sits in the lower chapel of the Cemetery Church of All Saints in Sedlec, and Mass is still celebrated in the church. A reconstruction began in 2014 and will run until at least 2030, and the ossuary stays open throughout.
The wider site is part of the Kutna Hora World Heritage listing, inscribed in 1995 together with the town centre and St Barbara's Church.
Sources: Sedlec Ossuary, UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
The bone chandelier in the lower chapel of the Sedlec Ossuary. Photo: Jerzy Strzelecki, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Are the bones in Sedlec Ossuary real?
Yes, they are real human bones, arranged into decorations such as a chandelier that contains at least one of every bone in the human body.
Nothing inside the chapel is a replica. The bones come from the abbey cemetery and were arranged by a wood carver hired in the 19th century.
Look for These Details
The chandelier holds at least one of every bone in the human body. Near the entrance, the carver Frantisek Rint signed his name in bone on the wall. The Schwarzenberg coat of arms is also built from bones, complete with a raven pecking at a Turk's eye.
Is Sedlec Ossuary worth it?
For most travellers it is, since one ticket covers a chapel built from human bones and the Cathedral of the Assumption next door.
The visit is short. The bones are unlike anything else you will see in Bohemia.
Who Enjoys It Most
The time in the lower chapel, the ossuary itself, is capped at 30 minutes, so the visit fits easily around St Barbara's Church and the Cathedral of the Assumption. If you prefer someone else to handle transport and the timed slot, a guided day tour from Prague covers the ossuary and the town in one trip.
The one caution is capacity. Tickets are timed and limited, so book your slot before you travel rather than hoping for a free one at the door.
Source: Sedlec Ossuary.
Do you need tickets for Sedlec Ossuary?
Yes, tickets are sold online for a specific date and time, and without a reservation entry cannot be guaranteed.
Capacity is limited, so the ticket is a timed slot. The parish's own site is the only official ticket website, and tickets are also sold at the Sedlec Information Centre, Zamecka 279.
Prices for the Sedlec Area Ticket
The combined Areal Sedlec ticket covers both chapels of All Saints Church with the ossuary and the Cathedral of the Assumption during its regular hours. A cathedral-only ticket exists, but there is no ossuary-only ticket and no family ticket.
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult, ossuary plus cathedral (Areal Sedlec) | $8.27 (180 CZK) |
| Seniors and students | $5.51 (120 CZK) |
| Children and ZTP holders | $3.67 (80 CZK) |
| Cathedral only, adult | $6.89 (150 CZK) |
| Cathedral only, seniors and students | $4.59 (100 CZK) |
| Cathedral only, children and ZTP | $2.30 (50 CZK) |
Booking Rules
The time on the ticket is your entry time. Arrive about 5 minutes early, and no later than 10 minutes after it, or entry may be refused. The time cannot be changed. You can cancel up to 3 days before the visit and buy a new slot if one is free, and the refund comes as a voucher valid for 12 months.
The parish warns against resellers charging inflated prices, so book on sedlec.info. Lockers for large bags are at the Sedlec Information Centre, since large bags are not allowed in the lower chapel.
Source: Sedlec Ossuary.
What are the opening hours?
The ossuary opens daily 9:00 to 18:00 from April to September, 9:00 to 17:00 in March and October and 9:00 to 16:00 from November to February.
It is closed only on 24 December, and it stays open throughout the reconstruction.
Hours by Season
The Cathedral of the Assumption keeps similar hours but opens at 11:00 on Sundays and closes on Good Friday and Holy Saturday as well as 24 December. The Sedlec Information Centre at Zamecka 279 opens at 8:45 and closes at 17:45 in summer, so collect tickets or use the lockers before it shuts.
| Months | Ossuary | Cathedral of the Assumption |
|---|---|---|
| April to September | 9:00 to 18:00 daily | Mon to Sat 9:00 to 18:00, Sun 11:00 to 18:00 |
| March and October | 9:00 to 17:00 daily | Mon to Sat 9:00 to 17:00, Sun 11:00 to 17:00 |
| November to February | 9:00 to 16:00 daily | Mon to Sat 9:00 to 16:00, Sun 11:00 to 16:00 |
Source: Sedlec Ossuary.
What is the Sedlec Ossuary official website?
The official site is sedlec.info, run by the parish, which states it is the only official ticket website for the monuments.
The parish site covers tickets, the reconstruction, daily tours and the visit rules.
What the Official Site Offers
On sedlec.info you buy timed tickets and book the guided programs. Daily guided tours of the cathedral and of the ossuary last up to 60 minutes and must be reserved, and the guide fee does not include admission, which is paid separately. No price is printed for these guided tours, so ask at the information centre on +420 326 551 049.
Source: Sedlec Ossuary.
Where did the bones come from?
They come from the abbey cemetery at Sedlec, which became famous after abbot Henry sprinkled earth from Golgotha over it in 1278.
The story spans four centuries, from Cistercian monks to a wood carver with a strange commission.
The Timeline
The first monks settled in 1142, making Sedlec the first Cistercian abbey in Bohemia. In 1278 abbot Henry returned from the Holy Land with earth from Golgotha and scattered it over the cemetery, which turned Sedlec into a favoured burial ground for the region.
The Black Death and later wars filled the graveyard. In 1511 a half-blind monk began pulling bones from the ground and stacking them. The Schwarzenberg family bought the ossuary in 1784, and their wood carver Frantisek Rint later arranged the bones into the chandelier, the coat of arms and the piles you see now.
Tours That Fit
Guided day trips from Prague that include the ossuary.
from $81
Editor's pick
Kutna Hora UNESCO Tour by Train with Bone Chapel
A 6-hour train-based group tour with English guide, ossuary and St Barbara's entries and round-trip train tickets included for $81 per person
Check Availability
from $65
Lowest price
Kutna Hora Coach Tour with Bone Church and St Barbara
The lowest price here with the ossuary and St Barbara's tickets in it, about 40 minutes at each church.
Check Availability
from $72
Kutna Hora Day Excursion with Free Time
A 6.5-hour coach day trip with live guide options, entry tickets to the Bone Church and St Barbara's, and one hour of free time in Kutna Hora.
Check Availability
from $91.24
Kutna Hora Day Tour by Train with Sedlec Ossuary
A 7-hour train day with a guide from Prague, entry fees in the price except the Church of St James.
Check AvailabilityIs Sedlec Ossuary a Catholic church?
Yes, the Cemetery Church of All Saints is a functioning Roman Catholic church where Mass is celebrated, and the Sedlec monuments are run by the parish.
The ossuary is a resting place and a sacred space, so the rules are strict.
Dress and Conduct
Dress with respect for the solemn character of the place. No food or drink, no smoking, no pets and no touching the bones, and nobody is admitted under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Large bags and motorcycle helmets stay in the lockers at the Information Centre.
Source: Sedlec Ossuary.
How to get to Sedlec Ossuary?
From Prague the train to Kutna Hora takes about an hour, and the main station, Kutna Hora hl.n., stands in the Sedlec quarter close to the ossuary.
The train is the simplest option and drops you within walking distance of the chapel.
By Train
The hourly Vysocina express runs from Praha hlavni nadrazi to Kutna Hora hl.n. in about an hour, with one-way 2nd class fares starting at $3.63 (79 CZK). The main station stands in Sedlec itself: the town places its station information centre at K Nadrazi 2 in Kutna Hora - Sedlec. Kutna Hora-Sedlec halt, one stop on along the local line, has no ticket office, so tickets from there are bought on the train.
The station information centre is open daily 9:00-18:00 from March to October and 9:00-17:00 from November to February, with a lunch break 12:15-12:45, and closes 24-26 December and 1 January.
On a Tour
Guided tours from Prague bundle the journey with entry and a guide. The shared day tours on this site are priced from $65 per person to $91.24 per person, all with free cancellation 24h ahead. On Kutna Hora Day Excursion with Bone Church the tickets are included only on the option with entries.
Source: Czech Railways.
How long does the visit take?
The lower chapel, the ossuary itself, is capped at 30 minutes, and the upper chapel has no time limit.
The ossuary is small, and the parish limits the time in the lower chapel.
Fitting It into a Day
Plan the 30-minute ossuary slot plus time for the upper chapel and the Cathedral of the Assumption on the same ticket. The parish's daily guided tours of the cathedral and of the ossuary last up to 60 minutes and must be reserved, and the guide fee excludes admission. If you want a guided town circuit, the town's Okruh 2 adds the Sedlec ossuary and cathedral to the centre and takes about 5 hours, with entry at 530 CZK plus a Czech guide from 3,500 CZK per group.
Source: Sedlec Ossuary.
Is photography allowed in the ossuary?
No, photography is prohibited in the ossuary because it is a resting place and a functioning sacred space.
The ban covers the ossuary. The Cathedral of the Assumption allows photos without flash.
Practical Advice
Keep the camera and phone away in the lower chapel. In the Cathedral of the Assumption photography is allowed without flash. The official site links a separate photography ban document for the Sedlec monuments, so check it before the visit if you plan to shoot the cathedral.
Source: Sedlec Ossuary.
Is the ossuary wheelchair accessible?
No, the ossuary is currently not wheelchair accessible, because entry is only by a temporary wooden staircase.
Access is limited during the reconstruction.
Access and Strollers
Strollers must be carried down the temporary staircase. Both chapels are reachable on foot only. The Cathedral of the Assumption has two steps at the entrance, allows strollers, and its upper floor is not wheelchair accessible.
For questions, call the Infocentrum Sedlec at Zamecka 279 on +420 326 551 049 or write to info@sedlec.info.
Source: Sedlec Ossuary.
How do I combine the ossuary with the cathedral and St Barbara's?
Start at the ossuary at your booked time, see the Cathedral of the Assumption on the same $8.27 (180 CZK) Areal Sedlec ticket, then continue to St Barbara's Church in the town centre.
A half day covers all three, and the Sedlec monuments sit close together at the start of the route.
The Half-day Plan
Book the ossuary slot first and plan the rest around it. The combined Areal Sedlec ticket also covers the Cathedral of the Assumption during its regular hours, so the two Sedlec monuments cost $8.27 (180 CZK) for adults in total.
From Sedlec, head up to the town centre for St Barbara's Church, which sells its own ticket at $8.27 (180 CZK) for adults and has no time slot. The town lists information centres at the main station, in Sedlec at Zamecka 279, at St Barbara's at Barborska 685 and at Sankturinovsky dum. If you want a guided version, the Okruh 2 circuit covers the town plus the Sedlec ossuary and cathedral in about 5 hours, at 530 CZK entry plus a Czech guide from 3,500 CZK per group.
Sources: Sedlec Ossuary, St Barbara's Church.
All Saints chapel, the Sedlec Ossuary, from the cemetery. Photo: Ptahh, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sedlec Ossuary FAQ
Is Sedlec Ossuary a Catholic church?
Yes, it is the Catholic Cemetery Church of All Saints, run by the parish that sells the tickets on sedlec.info.
Can I visit the ossuary during the reconstruction?
Yes, the ossuary stays open throughout the reconstruction, which began in 2014 and runs until at least 2030.
Do I need to book tickets in advance?
Yes. Tickets are sold online for a set date and time, and without a reservation entry is not guaranteed. Book on the official site or at the Sedlec Information Centre, Zamecka 279.
Are there night tours?
Yes, the parish runs night tours alongside its daily guided tours. See the official site for dates.
Can I take a guided tour of the ossuary?
Yes, daily guided tours of the cathedral and the ossuary last up to 60 minutes and must be reserved, and admission is paid separately, per the daily tours page.
How much does a day tour from Prague cost?
Guided day trips on this site run from $65 per person to $91.24 per person, all with free cancellation 24h ahead, for example Kutna Hora from Prague - The Bone Church & St Barbara's.
What does the combined ticket include?
The Areal Sedlec ticket at $8.27 (180 CZK) for adults covers both chapels of All Saints Church with the ossuary and the Cathedral of the Assumption during its regular hours, per the operator.
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