The Streets and Squares of Kutná Hora

If you decide to break from the herd of Prague-based day-trippers and spend a night or two in Kutná Hora, one of the best things you can do is take yourself on a stroll around the peaceful nighttime streets and squares. Not only are they some of the most picturesque and romantic in the country there are also quite a few specific sites of historical interest.

Tyl’s house

Just off the main square in the direction of the train station is the birthplace of the playwright Josef Kajetan Tyl, some of whose poetry later became the lyrics to the Czech national anthem. The small museum dedicated to Tyl and his works has unfortunately been closed since mid-2004, but fingers-crossed that it will reopen sometime in the future.

City of stone

Leaving the main square (Palackého náměstí) along Husova Ul. will bring you to Šultyšova Ul, and the Marian plague column built in the early 1700’s.

Just around the corner is the Stone House (Kamenný Dům), a beautifully restored renaissance burgher’s house, now occupied by a branch of the Czech Museum of Silver mining. The museum in the stone house is open April-October (closed Mondays) from 9am–6pm. The low entry price (Adults 40Kč/ students 20Kč) is worth parting with for a peek at the interior of the building alone.

From the stone house, walking along past the gothic stone fountain (it’s the tall round thing that looks like a stone rain-water tank standing at the corner of the street) will bring you to National Resistance Square (Náměstí Narodniho Odboje) and the Jesuit College.

Valley views

Walking around the college will bring you to Barborská Ulice which is often compared to Charles’ Bridge in Prague for its collection of regularly-spaced and beautifully detailed statues. Barborská leads up to the cathedral and offers views across the forested valley of the Vrchlice River back towards Hradek and St James’ church. St James’ dates from the early 14th century, and was originally meant to have two towers. Despite the second tower never being completed, the lone tower is impressive enough for St James’ to be known as ‘the tall church’.

Finishing your stroll in this part of town leaves you conveniently near several establishments providing liquid refreshment, including the Dačicky beerhall and Restaurant V Ruthardce.