| Page Views: 1,519 Last Visit to Kutna Hora: April, 1998 | Ancient Town of Kutna Hora by naruto - last update: Jan 10, 2005 |
| Chram sv Barbory, Cathedral of St Barbara |
In the spring of 1998, friends of mine studying in the University of Kent was planning a trip to several East European countries during Spring Break. One of them mentioned it to me, and I shamelessly asked to come along. Kutna Hora was a definite highlight of my trip. It has an unhurried, laid-back feel to it that was refreshing after we came from Prague which was lovely but crowded and had many tourists. Its highlights are not immediately apparent as we got off the bus on the outskirts of town, so it really amazed us to discover Kutna Hora holds such great architecture in the form of the Cathedral of St Barbara amongst others. Kutna Hora may even seem alittle too "rustic" as compared to its more industrial neighbours, but we liked it just fine. In 1998 when we visited, the town did seem off the beaten track, and so sleepy that I didn't think it would be able to cope with onslaught of tourists and daytrippers. I do not know if things had changed now, seven years later? |
A Little History Kutna Hora is an ancient town built in the late 13th century, developing from a mining village. It gained great importance as a silver-mining town and was the liveliest centre of the country at that time. The silver groschen mined here was the hard currency used in Central Europe at that time.
Because of its significance in silver mining, many laws were put into placed by King Vaclav II, like the Royal Mining Law which governed mining in all of the country especially in Kutna Hora. The central mint of the Czech state was established in Kutna Hora.
For several periods, the Italian Court in Kutna Hora was the administrative and economics centre of the country. From around the 15th century, it was even the seat of several Czech kings.
There are many historically important buildings and state houses built in Kutna Hora. It was the 2nd most significant city after Prague because of its economic position as well as size and importance. These buildings more or less symbolize the prosperity of Kutna Hora at the time. Cathedral of St Barbara (Chram sv Barbory), a monumental architecture that looms over the Kutna Hora skyline, is an example of Gothic ecclesiastical masterpiece. Other notable Gothic buildings are the Church of St James (Kostel sv Jakuba), the Stone Fountain and the Stone House.
In 1995, the historical centre of the town, together with the St. Barbara´s Cathedral and the Church of Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Sedlec, were entered in the list of the world cultural heritage of humankind of UNESCO. |
> Add to your Custom Travel Guide [What's This?]
| In A Nutshell: | "Architectural Jewels and Laidback Small Town feel - Nice!" |
naruto's Kutna Hora Travel Tips
 naruto's Kutna Hora Travelogues | | | |
|
 Comments for naruto about Kutna Hora | | | | |
Wild_Orchid Mon Jul 18, 2005 01:32 UTC
looks like a nice place to visit! great pictures too. | Jim_Eliason Sat May 14, 2005 19:19 UTC
Nice tips! |
|
|
email me
add as friend
