Cesky Sternberk castle - Kutna Hora - Bone Church

Route: Prague - Cesky Sternberk castle - Kutna Hora - Bone Church - Prague
Duration: 8 h
Firstly we will visit to the Cesky Sternberk castle which was built around 1241 by Zdeslav of Divisov, who named it after his coat of arms, an eight-pointed star, calling it Sternberg (Stern = star, Berg = mountain) according to the custom at the time of using German names. One remarkable fact is that the castle is still owned by the same family as almost 800 years ago. The current owner is a descendant in the 20th generation of the founder. In 1467 the castle was taken and later renovated in the late Gothic style. Improvements were made especially to the castle defences, such as a south-facing projecting bastion built “en bec” (with a sharp beak) called the Dungeon, which today serves as a look-out point. Extensive early Baroque renovations were carried out in the second half of the 1600s, when the castle no longer served its original defensive purposes and an effort was made to ensure the comfort of its inhabitants. Since that time the stone walls of this Gothic castle have been home to a chateau interior. During our tour you will visit 15 richly appointed rooms furnished in the style of various historical periods, learn about important members of the Sternberg family and catch a glimpse of their way of life. You can also see the unique Šternberk collection of copper engravings from the Thirty Years’ War, which is one of the largest monothematic collections of engravings in Europe. Next we will visit to Kutna Hora where during the Middle Ages the discovery of huge deposits of silver transformed it into the most important city in the Kingdom of Bohemia after Prague. The prosperity that flowed from the mines led to a rich architectural development of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque buildings in the 15th century. Impressive burgher houses and elegant palaces were built by the newly wealthy citizens, and beautiful churches were constructed. During our visit we will through the ancient winding streets to admire the fine architecture of buildings such as the Jesuit College, the Church of Saint James and the Italian Court. The Royal Mint once produced coins at the Italian Court for the whole kingdom, including a coin called the 'Thaler', from which the word Dollar is derived. We will visit the St. Barbara's Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece that took over 500 years to complete. The church has double-arched flying buttresses and five naves, and is adorned with intricate stonework and beautiful frescos. Next we will visit to the Sedlec Ossuary (also known as Kostnice or the Bone Church). The chapel is decorated with the bones from 40,000 human skeletons formed into various objects, such as a chandelier, a pyramid and the coat of arms of the Schwarzenberg noble family. After free time we return to Prague.
Price: per person