4 Best Sights in Day Trips from Prague, Czech Republic

Getting to this beautiful cathedral is nearly as pleasurable as a visit to the Gothic church itself. It's about a 10-minute walk from the main Palackého náměstí along a road lined with baroque statues, from which you can gaze at the surrounding countryside and watch the massive shape of the cathedral come closer. From afar, the church resembles a grand circus tent more than a religious center. As the jewel in Kutná Hora's crown, it's a high point of Gothic style, although through the centuries there have been alterations and improvements. St. Barbara's was started in the late 1300s; it drew on the talents of the Peter Parler workshop as well as two luminaries of the late 15th century, Matyáš Rejsek and Benedikt Ried.

Upon entering, look up. The soaring ceiling is one of the church's most impressive features. It was added in 1558 and replaced and restored in the late 1800s. At the western end of the church, take the stairs up to the elevated section for closer views of the ceiling and the lavish organ, decorated with golden angels and cherubs. There are also some interesting casts of reliefs and other decorative church elements here, including a gargoyle of a cat with a fish in its paws, a sculpture of angels carrying the miners' guild coat of arms, and a small statue of an oddly fed-up-looking Jesus. Head out to the balcony for views over the garden; lean out a little and you can see the town center, including the visibly leaning tower of the Kostel sv. Jakuba (Church of St. James).

Once outside, take a stroll through the gardens and courtyard and venture down into the ancient Kaple Božího těla (Corpus Christi Chapel). This free-to-enter, 14th-century cemetery chapel, with its beautiful vaulted ceiling, is used today mainly as an exhibition and concert space.

Avoid purchasing the opera glasses on sale at the front desk (50 Kč); the cathedral's elevated sections mean that all but the most short-sighted won't need them to get a good view of the ceiling.

With origins dating back around 1,000 years, this is one of the oldest churches in Bohemia, with a dramatic Gothic interior. But it's what lies beneath, and what rises above, that's really of interest. Below the church is a crypt with an ossuary, containing the skeletal remains of 10,000 to 15,000 people. Like a smaller-scale version of Kostnice Sedlec in Kutná Hora (but without the tourist hordes), bones and skulls are arranged into various sculptures, including an anchor, a cross, and a heart to symbolize hope, faith, and love. The remains date from between the 13th and 18th centuries, and have been used by academics to learn about diseases in medieval Europe.

Above the church soars the 127-foot tower. Climb to the top, through rooms of exposed stone walls and wooden beams, past the three 15th-century bells and the intricate clock mechanism, and you'll emerge onto an open-air platform. From here, you can enjoy the best panorama in Mělník, with views of the town in one direction and vistas of the rivers, vineyards, and rolling hills in the other.

If you are visiting outside of summer, email to arrange access to the crypt and tower.

The Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady and Saint John the Baptist, to give it its full name, sits across the street from the ossuary at the former Sedlec Monastery. It exemplifies the work of one-of-a-kind architect Giovanni Santini (1667–1723), a master of expressive line and delicate proportion who fathered a bravura hybrid of Gothic and baroque.

Tickets must be purchased from the nearby ticket office at Zámecká 279.

If you've already been to St. Barbara's, you'll have seen the tilting tower of this church next to the old mint. It doesn't keep normal operating hours, but go ahead and try the door anyway. It was originally built in the Gothic style, but a massive baroque transformation occurred in the 17th and 18th centuries; the onion dome was added in 1737. The baroque paintings on the wall are Czech masterpieces.