Sedlec Ossuary TicketsKutná Hora · Czechia
English
Check dates & reserve · €18
The interior of the Sedlec Ossuary near Kutná Hora — František Rint's great chandelier of human bones hanging beneath the vaulted, bone-garlanded ceiling of the chapel.
Rint's chandelier, strung from the vault of the lower chapel

Beneath the Cemetery Church of All Saints, Sedlec

The chapel of forty thousand bones beneath a Bohemian church

Entry is dated and timed — a set number of visitors each half-hour. We hold the slot you want and send notes for the trip from Prague.

Check dates & reserve From €18

Turning up without a dated ticket often means a long wait or no entry at all.

  1. 40,000+Human skeletons arranged into the ossuary's garlands, pyramids and its famous bone chandelier
  2. 1870The year woodcarver František Rint composed the bone decorations for the Schwarzenberg family
  3. ~1 hrBy train from Prague to Kutná Hora — one of the capital's classic day trips
  4. every 30 minTimed entry to a small, capacity-limited chapel, so dated tickets sell out in high season

Dated ticket ledger

One ticket, one date, one half-hour window

The parish sells a single dated admission that covers the ossuary and the cathedral beside it. Pick the adult entry here; every other rate is chosen for each visitor at checkout.

Most chosen

Sedlec Ossuary + Cathedral · Adult (timed entry)

Adult · dated timed-entry admission to the Sedlec Ossuary and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec

€18per adult

Written into this ticket

  • A confirmed timed-entry slot at the Sedlec Ossuary on your chosen date
  • Admission to the adjoining Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady at Sedlec
  • The story of Rint's bone decorations and the ossuary's history, explained in plain English
  • Joining notes sent before your visit — which train from Prague, and how to reach the chapel
  • 24/7 concierge in your language — before, during and after your visit
Check dates & reserve

Youth / student, senior 65+ and child rates are chosen per visitor at checkout — €14 youth or student, €14 senior, €9 child.

Your date and half-hour entry window are also chosen at checkout and printed on the confirmed ticket.

The half-hour window

Admission is released in windows, not all day

The Sedlec Ossuary is a small underground chapel with a strict, capacity-limited timed-entry system — admission is released in half-hourly windows, and popular dates and times sell out days ahead in summer and around Halloween. Turning up without a dated ticket often means a long wait or no entry at all.

Your exact window is fixed at checkout and printed on the ticket, so you arrive knowing the minute you are expected.

Hours by season The ossuary is open daily year-round with timed entry: roughly 9:00–16:00 November–February, until 17:00 in March and October, and until 18:00 April–September, with last entry shortly before closing. Hours can change for services or events; your ticket shows your confirmed date and entry time.

Exterior of the Cemetery Church of All Saints in Sedlec, above the ossuary
The Cemetery Church of All Saints, above the chapel

The corner pyramids

Three things every booking carries

  1. A confirmed date and time slotThe half-hour entry window you want at the ossuary — held the moment you book
  2. The right ticket, decodedAdult, student, senior or child — the right rate for each visitor, and exactly what the ossuary-and-cathedral ticket covers, explained before you pay
  3. No sold-out surprisesWe book your timed entry in advance, so a busy summer day or Halloween crowd doesn't cost you the chapel

The arms on the chapel wall

Four assurances, in your name

  • Booked in your language, paid in your currencyThe total you confirm is the total charged — no conversion surprise after the fact
  • Chapel notes most visitors never getThe quietest half-hours, where Rint signed his work, and how the cathedral next door fits in
  • Ticket on your phone before the train leaves PragueYour dated entry arrives by email, ready to show at the ossuary door
  • A voice at the other end, at any hourReal people in your own language — before you travel, on the day, and afterwards

Rint's signature panel

A chapel, a cemetery, and a woodcarver's commission

The chapel today

The Sedlec Ossuary is a small Roman Catholic chapel beneath the Cemetery Church of All Saints, in the Sedlec suburb of Kutná Hora, about an hour east of Prague. What makes it one of the most extraordinary — and most photographed — interiors in Europe is what fills it: the artistically arranged bones of an estimated forty to seventy thousand people. Garlands of skulls loop from the vaults, four great bone pyramids stand in the corners, and at the centre hangs a chandelier said to contain at least one of every bone in the human body.

1278 to 1870

The bones came from a cemetery that medieval Europe believed to be holy ground. In the thirteenth century an abbot of the Sedlec monastery is said to have scattered soil from Golgotha across the burial ground, and it became one of the most sought-after places to be buried in Central Europe; plague and war filled it many times over. When the graves were cleared, the bones were kept in the ossuary — and in 1870 the Schwarzenberg family, who owned the estate, engaged the woodcarver František Rint to bring order to the heaps. What he composed instead was a work of art, signed in bone on the wall, that draws well over two hundred thousand visitors a year.

Every half-hour

Because the chapel is small and underground, the operator admits only a limited number of visitors in each half-hourly window, and tickets must be bought for a specific date and time. Independent visitors who simply arrive — especially in summer or around Halloween — routinely face long waits or a full chapel. That is where a booking service earns its place: we book your timed entry ahead, secure the dated slot you want, make sure each visitor is on the right rate, and send clear directions from Prague, so one of Bohemia's strangest and most moving sights doesn't slip through a booking you didn't know you needed.

Signed in bone beside the entrance stair — František Rint, 1870

A grated alcove of stacked bones set into a Gothic arch inside the Sedlec Ossuary
Bones stacked behind a grate in one of the side arches

Listen first

Your Sedlec Ossuary 6-minute guide

A short, plain-English introduction to listen to before you go — what you're about to see beneath the church, and how it came to be.

A calm, factual guide — not a ghost tour. The ossuary is a place of remembrance as well as wonder.

  • The holy soil from Golgotha that made Sedlec's cemetery one of the most sought-after burial grounds in Central Europe
  • How plague and war filled the graves, and why the bones were gathered into the chapel below
  • František Rint's 1870 commission for the Schwarzenbergs — the chandelier, the pyramids and the signature in bone
  • How to visit respectfully: a consecrated place, timed entry, and the cathedral and old town nearby

The rule of the house

Cameras away, voices low

Photography

Photography and filming are not permitted inside the ossuary chapel — the parish banned them on 1 January 2020 out of respect for the dead. You may photograph the exterior and the grounds. Please put cameras and phones away inside.

Visiting respectfully

Comfortable shoes and a light layer — the chapel is cool and dimly lit year-round. The ossuary is a place of human remains and a consecrated space; visitors are asked to be quiet and respectful inside.

Steps and access

The ossuary is a historic underground chapel reached by steps, and access for wheelchair users and pushchairs is limited. If anyone in your party has mobility needs, tell us before booking and we'll confirm the current arrangements.

Eating nearby

There are cafés and restaurants in Sedlec and in Kutná Hora's old town; there is no restaurant at the ossuary itself.

The Prague–Sedlec stair

Down from the capital in four steps

  1. Getting there

    From Prague, take a train from the main station (Praha hlavní nádraží) to Kutná Hora, about an hour.

    Full note

    Kutná Hora main station (Kutná Hora hlavní nádraží) is a short walk from the ossuary in Sedlec; a local shuttle train and buses connect it to the old town and St Barbara's Cathedral, about 3 km away.

  2. Getting there from the airport

    From Václav Havel Airport Prague, reach the main railway station by Airport Express bus or taxi (about 30–40 minutes), then take the Kutná Hora train.

    Full note

    Allow a comfortable margin, as your ossuary entry is for a fixed time.

  3. Address

    Sedlec Ossuary (Kostnice Sedlec), Zámecká 279, 284 03 Kutná Hora–Sedlec, Czech Republic — beneath the Cemetery Church of All Saints, in the Sedlec suburb northeast of Kutná Hora's old town.

  4. Time needed

    Allow about 30–45 minutes inside the ossuary itself, plus the Cathedral of Our Lady next door.

    Full note

    Add the old town and St Barbara's Cathedral, about 3 km away on its own ticket, and Kutná Hora makes a comfortable day trip from Prague.

The cathedral pairing

Two churches on one ticket — and one that is not

The white Baroque-Gothic vaults inside the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady at Sedlec

Included next door

Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady, Sedlec

It is the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady and St John the Baptist, a remarkable Baroque-Gothic church next to the ossuary, redesigned by the architect Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel in the early eighteenth century. It is a UNESCO-listed monument in its own right and is included with your ossuary admission, so it is well worth stepping inside while you are there.

The tent-spired Cathedral of St Barbara above Kutná Hora's old town

Not on this ticket

St Barbara's Cathedral, in the old town

The famous Cathedral of St Barbara, about 3 km away in the old town, is a separate attraction with its own ticket, bought at its own entrance or website; it is not part of the Sedlec ossuary ticket.

About 3 km apart — a local shuttle train or bus hops between them

The ossuary index

Ten entries for the visitor who wants the whole story

Everything an international visitor needs to plan a visit to the Sedlec Ossuary near Kutná Hora — what the bone chapel is and how it came to hold the remains of tens of thousands of people, what František Rint sculpted from those bones, how the capacity-limited timed entry works, what your ossuary and cathedral ticket covers, the photography rules that changed in 2020, seasonal opening hours, how to reach it from Prague, and how to fit the Cathedral of Our Lady and Kutná Hora's old town into the same day.

  1. 01 The chapel of bones The Sedlec Ossuary — the Kostnice, or “Bone Church” — is a small Roman Catholic chapel beneath the Cemetery Church of All Saints, in the Sedlec suburb of Kutná Hora, about an hour east of Prague. Read the entry →
  2. 02 What you'll see: František Rint's bone artistry Almost everything you see was composed in 1870 by a single craftsman. Read the entry →
  3. 03 Eight centuries: how the bones came to Sedlec The story begins in 1142, when the Cistercian order founded Sedlec Abbey — the first Cistercian monastery in Bohemia. Read the entry →
  4. 04 Why you need a timed ticket The single most useful thing to understand before you visit is that the ossuary is small, underground and capacity-limited, so the operator admits visitors only in half-hourly windows and every ticket is tied to a specific date and entry time. Read the entry →
  5. 05 What your ticket covers Your ticket is refreshingly simple: one dated, timed-entry admission covering the Sedlec Ossuary itself together with the adjoining Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady at Sedlec, a UNESCO-listed church standing just a few steps away. Read the entry →
  6. 06 The Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec Right beside the ossuary — and included on every ticket — stands one of the most important buildings in the Czech Republic, and one that most bone-church visitors barely realise is there. Read the entry →
  7. 07 Beyond Sedlec: Kutná Hora old town and St Barbara's Sedlec is only one corner of Kutná Hora, and with a full day the medieval old town three kilometres away is well worth the short hop. Read the entry →
  8. 08 Getting to Sedlec from Prague Kutná Hora is one of Prague's classic day trips and needs no car. Read the entry →
  9. 09 When to visit — hours, seasons and crowds The ossuary is open every day for most of the year, but its hours follow the seasons. Read the entry →
  10. 10 Visiting the ossuary well The ossuary rewards a little preparation. Read the entry →

At the chapel door

Questions visitors send us before they travel

What is the Sedlec Ossuary?

The Sedlec Ossuary — the 'Kostnice' or 'Bone Church' — is a small Roman Catholic chapel beneath the Cemetery Church of All Saints in Sedlec, a suburb of Kutná Hora about an hour east of Prague. It holds the artistically arranged bones of an estimated 40,000 to 70,000 people, including four great bone pyramids and a famous chandelier said to contain at least one of every bone in the human body, composed by the woodcarver František Rint in 1870. It is one of the most visited sights in the Czech Republic.

Do I need to book in advance?

In practice, yes. The ossuary is a small underground chapel with a capacity-limited, timed-entry system: admission is released in half-hourly windows and dated tickets sell out days ahead in summer and around Halloween. Turning up without a booking often means a long wait or no entry for the time you want. Booking ahead secures a confirmed date and entry time.

How does the timed entry work?

Tickets are for a specific date and a specific half-hourly entry window. You arrive within your window and are admitted with your group; inside, most visitors spend around 30–45 minutes. Your ticket shows the exact time, and we send plain-English joining notes so you know where to go and when to be there.

What does the ticket cover — is St Barbara's Cathedral included?

Your ticket covers the Sedlec Ossuary itself together with the adjoining Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady at Sedlec — both on one dated, timed-entry admission. The famous Cathedral of St Barbara, about 3 km away in the old town, is a separate attraction with its own ticket, bought at its own entrance or website; it is not part of the Sedlec ossuary ticket. If you want to see the old town too, allow time for the short hop between them and we'll give you the route.

What is the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec?

It is the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady and St John the Baptist, a remarkable Baroque-Gothic church next to the ossuary, redesigned by the architect Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel in the early eighteenth century. It is a UNESCO-listed monument in its own right and is included with your ossuary admission, so it is well worth stepping inside while you are there.

Is the Sedlec Ossuary a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

Kutná Hora's historic centre, together with the Cathedral of St Barbara and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995. The ossuary sits beside the Sedlec cathedral within this celebrated heritage landscape, which is part of what draws visitors from around the world.

How do I get to the ossuary from Prague?

The simplest way is the train from Prague's main station (Praha hlavní nádraží) to Kutná Hora, about an hour on direct services. Kutná Hora's main station in Sedlec is a short walk from the ossuary. To continue to St Barbara's Cathedral and the old town, a local shuttle train and buses cover the roughly 3 km. We send clear directions with your confirmation.

Where exactly is it — is it in Kutná Hora old town?

No, and this catches many visitors out. The ossuary is in Sedlec, a suburb northeast of the historic old town, next to Kutná Hora's main railway station. The famous Gothic St Barbara's Cathedral and the medieval streets are about 3 km away. If you are doing both, plan the short hop between them — our joining notes explain how.

How long should I allow for the visit?

Around 30–45 minutes inside the ossuary and the cathedral next door. Add St Barbara's Cathedral and the old town, about 3 km away on their own ticket, and Kutná Hora fills a relaxed day trip from Prague, with time for lunch and a wander through the historic streets.

How do the reduced and child tickets work?

The operator offers reduced rates for eligible visitors such as students, young people and seniors, and a lower child rate, with very young children admitted free. Choose the tier that matches each member of your party at checkout; you may be asked to show photo ID or a student card on the day. If you are unsure which rate applies, tell us and we'll confirm before we book.

Can I take photographs inside?

No — and this catches many visitors out. Since 1 January 2020 the parish has banned all photography and filming inside the ossuary chapel, to restore dignity to a consecrated place that had become a backdrop for selfies. The rule is enforced; you are asked to put cameras and phones away inside. You may photograph the exterior and the grounds freely. It is, after all, a resting place for tens of thousands of people, and is best experienced with your own eyes rather than through a screen.

Is it suitable for children?

Many families visit, and older children often find it fascinating, but it is a genuine ossuary filled with human bones and some younger or more sensitive children may find it unsettling. You know your own children best. It is quiet and dimly lit, and everyone is asked to behave respectfully as they would in a church.

Is the ossuary accessible for wheelchairs or pushchairs?

Access is limited — the chapel is a historic underground space reached by steps, and it can be tight inside. If anyone in your party has mobility needs, tell us before booking and we'll confirm the current arrangements and any alternatives so you can decide with full information.

When is the best time to visit?

The chapel looks the same in any season, so timing is mostly about crowds. Summer, weekends and the period around Halloween are busiest and sell out earliest; spring and autumn weekdays are quieter. Whatever the date, book your timed slot first and build the rest of your Kutná Hora day around it. Early or late entry windows tend to be calmest.

What happens after I book?

Once you confirm and pay, we purchase the official dated timed-entry ticket from the operator's authorised channel on your behalf and email it to you, along with plain-English joining notes: which train to take from Prague, where the ossuary is in Sedlec, and how to reach St Barbara's and the old town if you want to add them to your day. You show your ticket at the entrance.

Are you the ossuary, the church or an official partner?

Neither — we're an independent booking-assistance service for international visitors. We are not the ossuary, the Cemetery Church of All Saints or its operating parish, and we are not an official partner; we help you book and buy the official ticket in your own language. If you'd rather buy directly, the operator's official reservation site is sedlec.info.

What is your refund policy?

Timed-entry tickets are dated and time-specific, and all sales are final once booked. If the operator cancels your entry — for operational or other reasons on their side — we refund you in full. We recommend travel insurance to cover changes to your own plans.

Can I visit St Barbara's Cathedral on the same day?

Easily — many visitors do both in one day trip from Prague. We book your dated ossuary and cathedral entry in Sedlec and set the time so the day flows; St Barbara's Cathedral, about 3 km away, has its own admission bought at its entrance or website. We give you a sensible route between them so the two fit comfortably around each other.