Church of Sts Peter & Paul

Bohemia


Next to Mělník chateau is this 15th-century Gothic church, with baroque furnishings and remnants of its Romanesque predecessor incorporated into the rear of the building. Climb to the top of the church tower (Vyhlídková věž) for superlative views.

The church crypt is now an ossuary, packed with the bones of around 15,000 people, dug up to make room for 16th-century plague victims. The bones are arranged in the shapes of anchors, hearts and crosses (symbols of faith, love and hope). This crypt is much more visceral and claustrophobic than the Sedlec Ossuary in Kutná Hora; the floor is of beaten earth, and you literally rub shoulders with the bones.


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