Things to Do in Kutná Hora

Kutná Hora sits about an hour east of Prague, and honestly, it feels like stepping into a medieval fairy tale that somehow survived intact. This UNESCO World Heritage town built its fortune on silver mining in the Middle Ages, and that wealth shows in every Gothic spire and ornate facade. The town is genuinely compact - you can walk from one end to the other in about 15 minutes - but it packs an extraordinary amount of architectural beauty and slightly macabre history into that small space. The famous Sedlec Ossuary, decorated with human bones, tends to get most of the attention, but the real magic happens when you wander the cobblestone streets and realize you're walking through one of Central Europe's best-preserved medieval towns.

Kutná Hora's restaurant scene is surprisingly good for such a small town, though it's heavily focused on traditional Czech cuisine. U Fleku and Restaurace Dačický serve excellent goulash and roasted duck in atmospheric medieval settings, while Pivnice Dačický has one of the best beer selections in town. For something lighter, Café Slavia offers decent coffee and pastries with views over the town square. That said, don't expect culinary innovation - this is hearty, traditional food done well rather than anything groundbreaking. Most restaurants close early (around 9 PM) and many are closed on Mondays.

Late spring through early fall (May to September) offers the best weather and longest daylight hours, though this is also when tour groups from Prague are most numerous. I actually prefer visiting in late fall or early spring when the Gothic architecture looks particularly dramatic against gray skies, and you'll have the town largely to yourself. Winter can be magical if there's snow, but some attractions have reduced hours and the cobblestones become quite slippery. Weekdays are generally quieter than weekends year-round, and arriving early morning or late afternoon helps avoid the day-trip crowds from Prague.