The Decanal Church of St. Bartholomew is both the dominant of Kolín as well as the most valuable monument of this historic town. The early Gothic church was founded in the middle of the 13th century and its construction was carried out in several stages by orders of King Přemysl Otakar II and his successors, the last construction works were done at the beginning of 14th century.

The whole area of the so-called Cathedral Hill, which was revitalized extensively in 2018–2020, is truly unique. You will find here most notably the ossuary with rich ornamental decoration or the building of the former parish school, which houses an interactive exposition. The bell tower is a place where the cathedral treasure is kept and a lapidarium can be found. From atop it also offers a view of the town centre. The green baileys invite you to have a walk and relax in the herb garden or in the rosarium.

It was Giovanni Domenico Orsi, an important builder of Jesuit buildings and an Italian architect born in Vienna, who was the author of the project of the early Baroque building. The partially preserved plans show that he originally chose an E-shaped plan and the current F-shaped plan is the result of the project never being fully completed. After Orsi’s death, Carlo Lurago continued the construction and the College was completed in 1750.

St. Barbara’s Cathedral, a jewel of late Gothic architecture and one of only four cathedral-type buildings in Bohemia, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist as well as the historic centre of Kutná Hora.