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All Czechia Kutna Hora Saint Barbara's Church

Saint Barbara's Church

An enormous and lavish Gothic church in Czechia.

Kutna Hora, Czechia

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ridabrams
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Saint Barbara’s Church   Grave with a view Marjolein / Atlas Obscura User
Detail of fresco.   allisonkc / Atlas Obscura User
Detail of a fresco.   allisonkc / Atlas Obscura User
Crests on the ceilings   Kris McCracken / Atlas Obscura User
Looking down   Kris McCracken / Atlas Obscura User
Miner statue   Kris McCracken / Atlas Obscura User
Saint Barbara’s Church   Grave with a view Marjolein / Atlas Obscura User
Saint Barbara’s Church   Grave with a view Marjolein / Atlas Obscura User
Secular medieval frescoes at Saint Barbara’s.   Alasdair Mckenzie
Saint Barbara’s Church   markatkinss / Atlas Obscura User
Planned ossuary (never finished) next to the church   Bigoblin / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Saint Barbara’s Church   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
Saint Barbara’s Church   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
Saint Barbara’s Church   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
Saint Barbara’s Church   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
Saint Barbara’s Church   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
Saint Barbara’s Church   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
Saint Barbara’s Church   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
Saint Barbara’s Church   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
Saint Barbara’s Church   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
Saint Barbara’s Church   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
Saint Barbara’s Church   ridabrams / Atlas Obscura User
View of the church and the Jesuit college.   ridabrams / Atlas Obscura User
Saint Barbara’s Church Exterior   Nan Palmero
Statues Leading to Saint Barbara’s Church   Nan Palmero
Saint Barbara’s Church   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
Saint Barbara’s Church   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
Saint Barbara’s Church   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
Saint Barbara’s Church   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
Flying Buttresses at Saint Barbara’s Church   Nan Palmero
One of the many beautiful windows.   ridabrams / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Chrám svaté Barbory (Saint Barbara's Church) is an enormous Gothic church built with the wealth from a silver mine under the small town of Kutna Hora.

In fact, the church is named for the patron saint of miners, whose continued protection was believed to contribute to the town’s prosperity. It was the silver mining industry, of course, that made the now-sleepy Kutna Hora a preeminent Bohemian town during the Middle Ages.

While the construction of the church began in 1388, it was interrupted numerous times throughout its development. Causes for this disruption varied over the years, including fighting from the Hussite Wars of the 15th century and the dwindling profitability of the silver mines in the 16th. Despite these hurdles, the church was finally completed in 1905.

Because the church took over 500 years to build, the building contains various features from several distinct architectural styles, including Baroque and Gothic elements. Parts of the church, however, are quite modern, including the beautiful Art Nouveau stained glass windows.

The ornate exterior of the church is visually striking, especially with its magnificent flying buttresses and distinctive tent-shaped roof, making the landmark recognizable from far away.

Perhaps the most unique aspects of Saint Barbara are the faint but still-extant frescoes depicting mining and other aspects of daily life in Medieval Kutna Hora that grace the walls.

As part of the historical center of Kutna Hora, Saint Barbara’s Church and the surrounding area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 for its outstanding architecture and historical value. 

Related Tags

Churches Architecture Art Nouveau Sacred Spaces

Know Before You Go

You can pay a small extra fee to go up to the balcony and access the exterior of the church.

Community Contributors

Added By

ridabrams

Edited By

Jaszmina Szendrey, allisonkc, Kris McCracken, markatkinss...

  • Jaszmina Szendrey
  • allisonkc
  • Kris McCracken
  • markatkinss
  • Grave with a view Marjolein
  • SEANETTA
  • nanpalmero
  • Bigoblin

Published

July 17, 2016

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  • https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/732/
  • https://destinace.kutnahora.cz/d/cathedral-of-st-barbara?lang=2
Saint Barbara's Church
Kutna Hora
Czechia
49.944931, 15.263611
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