Dead bodies haven't always been buried in coffins. In fact, in Czechoslovakia it wasn't until the 11th century that this idea was put into practice. Hence, thousands upon thousands of skulls and skeletons never made it into a bone home of their very own. If you want to read about the archaeological dig that unearthed these bones as well as the human treatment and classification of these dead bodies, you can Google it. Here, I'm just going to review the business of paying to see bones. The ossuary is located on the Kostel sv Jakuba grounds and is accessed through stairs from the concrete walk leading to the church. You will pay a fee, 280 Czech Korunas, or almost $12 USD for two people. There are discounts offered for various things so check to see if you qualify for one. You will receive a printed information sheet in your own language. This is a self-guided tour and I'm not sure that it could be anything other than self-guided due to the limited size and content. There are some very interesting historical details posted along with some "special" finds before you step down into the underground tunnels filled with wall-to-wall skulls and bones. The tunnels aren't very long so there's no chance whatsoever of being lost in them. I don't want to steal anyone's joy over looking at skulls, but the souls that lived in them have surely moved on. It could be a thoughtful tribute to those souls but I found the dramatic music and uplighting more of a distraction from rather than a complement to their memory. I was looking for history, not entertainment, yet piped in music made it seem like it was supposed to feel like a haunted house. In summary, paying to see skulls and bones in an exhibit of this scale doesn't seem to be worth $140 Korunas per person unless it brings you face to face with your own mortality. In that case, it may be worth it. Otherwise, your Korunas are better spent at the Špilberk Castle down the street where admission to tour the entire lower level of the prison, plus the upper levels and museum complete with dozens upon dozens of exhibits, including archaeological, art, and history exhibits, costs nearly the same amount. read more

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