Kutná Hora
Guess I was lucky here twice. First, I wasn't here during the summer when the leaves would have totally obstructed the view on the magnificent Saint Barbara Cathedral. Second, there was an amazing fireworks that evening just after sunset because of new year's celebrations. The whole of the city went out to the Barborská, a beautiful promenade next to the Cathedral with a view on the opposing hill wherefrom the fireworks were lit.
Chrám svaté Barbory, Kutná Hora, 1941. Photo: Kurt Hielscher.
Saint Barbara Cathedral in Kutná Hora, 1st of January 2020. Photo: Casper Molenaar.
To find the right spot wasn't so easy. I left Kim and the boys for a coffee and a hot chocolate in a bar on the central square when I tried to find the place where Kurt Hielscher made his photo. It was a nice walk with a beautiful view on the Cathedral and the Saint James Church, the Kostel sv. Jakuba. It was longer than I thought though. I had crossed the Vrchlice river and followed its stream even further than the path's ending till I had the angle right only to notice that I did not have enough height, not by far. I had to go up some way, but how? When I looked up there were only fenced private grounds.
Kostel sv. Jakuba
Dusk came and I almost gave up till I saw a small path going up. I wasn't sure if I was allowed to use it. That feeling became stronger when I passed a traintrack. The heighth became better, the angle not yet. I arrived in a kind of park with trails surrounding the hill. Later it turned out that the fireworks were lit from here. It was not easy to get a view through the woods, but I had found the exact same place. It was hard to make a good photo through the branches. I ran back to my family in the bar where they just finished their drinks and it was time to leave for the Cathedral to see the fireworks, which we enjoyed a lot.
In the city centre of Kutná Hora.
Kostnice Sedlec
In the afternoon before we visited the city center of Kutná Hora, we visited the famous bonechurch on that first day of 2020 after we celebrated new years eve in Český Krumlov.
Souvenirs in 2020
I had bad luck as well. Starting 2020 it wasn't allowed anymore to take photos within the famous Kostnice Sedlec, the bonechurch, and the guards were strict on this. It was the first day of their new policy. As a youngster I visited the church in 1991 with my secondary school. 40.000 human skeletons exhibited as artdecorations. At that time the weather was cold and foggy and we were the only visitors. It also was more dimly lit and kind of messy to complete the spooky atmosphere. In a corner, bones were piled up. Now it was more like a fancy museum, but still, bones are bones and the atmoshere kind of grimm.
Inside the church in 1991 with me on the left.
Fireworks in the evening of the first day of the year in Kutná Hora.
Below: view on the Chrám svaté Barbory and the Galerie Středočeského Kraje, the Central Bohemian Gallery.
