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St Barbara's Church in Kutna Hora: Tickets, Hours and What to See
St Barbara's Church Kutna Hora is the Gothic cathedral of the silver miners, and an adult walks in for $8.27 (180 CZK) with no time limit inside. This guide covers tickets, opening hours, what to look for inside, the history in brief and how the church fits into a day trip with the Sedlec Ossuary.
Quick answer Tickets, hours and the visit at a glance
Unguided entry to St Barbara's costs $8.27 (180 CZK) for adults, $6.43 (140 CZK) reduced and $2.76 (60 CZK) for children from 6, and children under 6 go in free. From April to October the church opens daily 9:00 to 18:00, with shorter hours the rest of the year. Your time inside is unlimited, so you set the pace.
Key takeaways
- Most guided day tours include the church ticket: compare them on the Kutna Hora day trip from Prague page
- The Sedlec Ossuary needs a timed online ticket, St Barbara's does not
- A guided tour of the church is booked at least 2 weeks ahead
- See what else fits the day in things to do in Kutna Hora
How much are St Barbara's Church tickets?
An adult ticket costs $8.27 (180 CZK), reduced $6.43 (140 CZK), children from 6 and ZTP holders $2.76 (60 CZK), and under 6 is free.
Prices are set by the cathedral and the time inside is unlimited on every ticket.
Entry Prices
The table shows the unguided entry prices from the cathedral's own ticket page. St Barbara's sits outside the Sedlec ticket: the combined Sedlec ticket only covers the ossuary and the Cathedral of the Assumption, so St Barbara's is always a second ticket if you go independently.
| Ticket | Price | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Full | $8.27 (180 CZK) | Adults |
| Reduced | $6.43 (140 CZK) | Reduced category on the cathedral's ticket page |
| Child and ZTP | $2.76 (60 CZK) | Children from 6 and ZTP holders |
| Child under 6 | Free | No ticket needed |
Guided Visits
A guide for the 60-minute tour The Story of a Perfect Cathedral (groups of up to 40) costs 600 CZK on top of entry during opening hours. Outside opening hours the guide costs 1500 CZK plus 90 CZK per person. The Roof of Barbara tour takes up to 15 visitors for 60 minutes.
Guided tours are booked at least 2 weeks ahead by phone on +420 775 363 938 or by email at info@chramsvatebarbory.cz.
Source: St Barbara's Church.
The nave of St Barbara's Church, looking east into the choir. Photo: Txllxt TxllxT, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What are the opening hours of St Barbara's Church?
From April to October St Barbara's opens daily 9:00 to 18:00, and in the colder months it opens at 10:00 and closes at 16:00 or 17:00.
The church is open every day of the year except 24 December.
Hours by Month
Hours change with the season. If you arrive by a late train in winter, St Barbara's is the stop to do first, since it closes at 16:00 in January and February.
| Months | Hours |
|---|---|
| January and February | 10:00 to 16:00 |
| March | 10:00 to 17:00 |
| April to October | 9:00 to 18:00 |
| November and December | 10:00 to 17:00, closed 24 December |
The Infocentre at the Church
The infocentre at St Barbara's is at Barborska 685, 284 01 Kutna Hora, tel. +420 327 515 796, and keeps the same hours as the church. It is one of four information centres in town, along with Sankturinovsky dum, the one at the main railway station and the one in Sedlec.
Source: St Barbara's Church.
Tours That Include St Barbara's
Guided day trips from Prague with the St Barbara's ticket in the price.
from $81
Editor's pick
Kutna Hora UNESCO Tour by Train with Bone Chapel
A 6-hour train-based group tour with English guide, ossuary and St Barbara's entries and round-trip train tickets included for $81 per person
Check Availability
from $65
Guided Kutna Hora Tour with Ossuary Entry
A coach day with an English-speaking guide and the ossuary and St Barbara's entry in the price.
Check AvailabilityWhat can you see inside St Barbara's Church?
Look for the medieval frescoes of mining life, the stained glass by Frantisek Urban, the net vaulting and the Renaissance pulpit.
The interior mixes Gothic, Renaissance and baroque work because the building took centuries to finish.
Frescoes, Glass and Vaulting
UNESCO describes the church as the most striking in Kutna Hora, a Gothic jewel whose interior frescoes show the secular life of the town. Scenes of the working town on church walls are rare for the period.
Painter Frantisek Urban made the stained glass in the early 20th century. In 2014 the last clear window in the southern aisle received a stained glass of Saint Agnes of Bohemia. Benedikt Ried designed the triforium, the tented roofs and the rounded vaulting of the main space. The nave is dominated by a Renaissance pulpit with baroque facing, and the Jesuits later added baroque altars, statues and paintings.
The Gallery
The inner gallery with the organ hosts exhibitions and gives a view down the nave. The roof gallery, with the best view of the town, is reached by a narrow spiral staircase and only by prior arrangement, so it cannot be added at the door. Wheelchair access covers the ground floor only.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
What was Saint Barbara's miracle?
Barbara is an early Christian martyr honoured as the patron of miners and everyone in dangerous work, which is why a silver town built its great church for her.
Her story explains the church's place in a mining town.
Why Miners Chose Her
The cathedral is dedicated to the virgin Barbara, an early Christian martyr and patron of miners and of all people with dangerous occupations. Kutna Hora lived on silver, and the miners and townspeople who paid for the church wanted their patron watching over the shafts.
The church was also a statement of independence. It was founded by the miners and townspeople rather than the powerful Cistercian monastery at Sedlec, and it stands on a ridge above the Vrchlice valley, outside the old town.
Why did St Barbara's Church take so long to build?
Work began in 1388, stopped during the Hussite wars, stopped again in the middle of the 16th century when the mines ran out of silver, and the church was completed only in 1905.
The building follows the fortunes of the silver mines.
Key Dates
The timeline below lists the turning points. The west end you see today was closed off when money ran out, and the original plan was far larger than the church that stands.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1388 | Construction begins |
| 1420s | Work halts during the Hussite wars |
| 1481 | Building resumes under Matej Rejsek and Benedikt Ried |
| Mid 16th century | Work stops when the mines run out of silver |
| 1626 | The Jesuits take over the church |
| 1884 to 1905 | Final restoration and completion |
Why is St Barbara's Church a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
It is part of the Kutna Hora World Heritage Site inscribed in 1995 together with the historic centre and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec.
The listing covers the whole medieval silver town.
The Listing
The site is called Kutna Hora: Historical Town Centre with the Church of St Barbara and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec. It was inscribed in 1995 under criteria (ii) and (iv), reference 732. The cathedral is one of four cathedral-type buildings in Central Bohemia.
The three tent roofs are the church's signature from the outside. The best approach on foot is along Barborska street past the Jesuit College, with the church filling the view at the end.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
How do you visit St Barbara's Church and the Sedlec Ossuary in one day?
Do the Sedlec Ossuary first on a timed ticket, then move into town for St Barbara's, which needs no time slot.
The two sights sit at opposite ends of Kutna Hora, so the order matters.
A Simple Order
The ossuary sells tickets online for a set date and time, and entry without a reservation is not guaranteed. The combined Sedlec ticket for the ossuary and the Cathedral of the Assumption costs $8.27 (180 CZK) for an adult. Lockers for large bags are at the Sedlec Information Centre, Zamecka 279.
After Sedlec, head up to the old town. The Czech Silver Museum is at Barborska 28, close to St Barbara's, so the silver story and the church fit together. Because St Barbara's has no time slot, it is the flexible end of the day.
If you would rather not plan the timed slot yourself, most guided tours book it for the group. See the Sedlec Ossuary guide for the ossuary rules.
Source: Sedlec Ossuary.
Which tours include St Barbara's Church?
Most shared day tours from Prague include the St Barbara's ticket, from $65 per person.
The tours below list the St Barbara's entry in the price.
Day Tours with the Ticket
These tours list the St Barbara's entry as included. On Kutna Hora Day Excursion with Bone Church at $72 the tickets are included only on the option with entries, so pick that option when you book.
| Tour | Price | Length | St Barbara's ticket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kutna Hora from Prague - The Bone Church & St Barbara's | $65 per person | 6 hours | Included |
| From Prague to Kutna hora - GUIDED TOUR TO KUTNA HORA | $65 per person | 6 hours | Included |
| Kutna Hora UNESCO Site Tour with Bone Chapel | $81 per person | 6 hours | Included |
| Kutna Hora, St Barbara's Church, Sedlec Ossuary | $86 per person | 6 hours | Included |
| Kutna Hora Day Tour Including Sedlec Ossuary | $91.24 per person | 7 hours | Included |
Sources: St Barbara's Church, UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
A painted boss in the vault of St Barbara's Church. Photo: JensKunstfreund, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
St Barbara's Church: Questions
Is Kutna Hora worth it?
Yes for most visitors: one day covers a UNESCO-listed Gothic cathedral, the Sedlec bone chapel and a medieval silver town. A guided Kutna Hora day trip from Prague handles the transport and tickets.
What is the most beautiful church in Prague?
Prague has famous candidates, and St Vitus Cathedral is the one most visitors name. St Barbara's is outside the city, and UNESCO calls it the most striking church of Kutna Hora, which is why it is worth the trip.
What is the most famous Gothic church in the world?
Lists usually name the great cathedrals of France, Germany and Italy. In central Europe, St Barbara's in Kutna Hora is one of the best known Gothic churches and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
How long should I spend at St Barbara's Church?
There is no time limit on the ticket. Allow time for the frescoes, the stained glass and the gallery, and add the walk along Barborska street.
Is St Barbara's Church wheelchair accessible?
The ground floor is accessible, and the stairs to the galleries are not. Accessible toilets are at the tourist information centre next to the church.
Do I need to book St Barbara's Church in advance?
Not for an unguided visit, you buy entry at the church. Guided tours of the church need booking at least 2 weeks ahead.
More Guides
- Sedlec Ossuary: Tickets, Hours and Tours to the Kutna Hora Bone Church
Adult tickets cost $8.27 (180 CZK) and are sold for a timed slot in 2027, entry daily from 9:00. See the prices and rules.
- Things to Do in Kutna Hora on a Day Trip from Prague
The ossuary, St Barbara's, the Hradek mine and the Italian Court fill a day about 1 hour from Prague in 2027. Compare tours.
- Kutna Hora Bus Tours from Prague with the Bone Church
Kutna Hora bus tours from Prague in 2027 start at $65 for 6 hours, with the Bone Church tickets included on three of four. Compare tours.