Klatovské katakomby
Crypts beneath the Jesuit church in Klatovy hold naturally mummified bodies, complemented by an exhibition on the Jesuits.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The crypts beneath the Jesuit Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary and St Ignatius in Klatovy were built as part of the church's construction in 1656–1676. They became the burial place of members of the Jesuit order and of its benefactors from the nobility and the burghers. Between 1676 and 1783 more than two hundred dead were interred here. In 1784 Emperor Joseph II banned burials in the crypts for hygienic reasons.
Thanks to a well-designed ventilation system, the bodies gradually dried out and turned into natural mummies. At the end of the 19th century some rooms were used as storerooms, and in the 1930s the ventilation was disrupted and humidity in the crypts rose. A large part of the mummies disintegrated, and in 1937 the 140 destroyed bodies were buried in the cemetery of St James. From the 1970s conservators have looked after the mummies, and the crypts were divided into a museum section with controlled ventilation and a devotional section with natural air circulation. Today there are 38 mummies and skeletal remains in the catacombs.
The museum section of the exhibition is devoted to the activities of the Society of Jesus in Bohemia and worldwide, and documents life in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Jesuits came to Klatovy in 1636 and remained until the order was dissolved in 1773; they built a large college, a church, a seminary and a grammar school. Besides the catacombs, the Klatovské katakomby association also offers tours of the Jesuit church, the Jesuit college and the archdeanery church.
Highlights
- crypts with naturally mummified bodies of Jesuits and their benefactors
- museum exhibition on the activities of the Jesuits and life in the 17th and 18th centuries
- guided tours and audio guides in six languages
- tour of the Baroque Jesuit church with illusionistic paintings
- exhibition in the Jesuit college, where Jesuits, dragoons and soldiers were based
- the church with the catacombs is a national cultural monument
Permanent exhibitions
- Katakomby – krypty a expozice o jezuitech – The tour route leads through the crypts with the mummies and a museum exhibition on the Society of Jesus, with period documents, books, objects and multimedia elements.
- Jezuitská kolej – The exhibition in the 17th-century college building presents its residents, from the Jesuits through the dragoons to the soldiers of the Czechoslovak People's Army (ČSLA), and also leads to the refectory hall.
- Operated by
- Klatovské katakomby, z. s.
Admission & discounts
| Adults | 150 Kč |
|---|---|
| Reduced | 110 Kčchildren aged 6–15, students up to 26, seniors over 65, holders of ZP and ZTP cards |
| Children & teens | 110 Kčfree up to age 5 · Children under 6 enter free. |
| Seniors | 110 KčSeniors over 65. |
| Visitors with disabilities | 110 Kčcompanion free · Holders of ZP and ZTP cards pay the reduced admission; holders of a ZTP/P card enter free, together with one companion. |
| Students & apprentices | 110 KčStudents up to 26 upon presentation of proof of full-time study. |
| Groups | –Groups can book a tour outside the stated times at rezervace@katakomby.cz. |
| Families | 390 KčAt most 5 people, of whom at most 2 adults and at least 1 child aged 6–15. |
| Route II – Jesuit church | 90 Kčreduced CZK 70, family CZK 230 |
| Route III – Jesuit college | 70 Kčreduced CZK 50, family CZK 170 |
| Route IV – Archdeanery church | 70 Kčreduced CZK 50, family CZK 170 |
| Route V – Glass Pavilion (PASK) | 80 Kčreduced CZK 60, family CZK 200 |
| Route VI – Black Tower | 60 Kčreduced CZK 40, family CZK 130 |
| Combination of routes I + II (catacombs and Jesuit church) | 220 Kčreduced CZK 160, family CZK 560 |
| Combination of routes I + III (catacombs and Jesuit college) | 200 Kčreduced CZK 140, family CZK 500 |
| Combination of routes I + II + III | 280 Kčreduced CZK 200, family CZK 730 |
| Foreign-language guide for pre-booked groups | 500 Kč |
The price given applies to Route I (catacombs). Tickets are bought at the catacombs' ticket office, and discounts are granted upon presentation of a valid card. Further combined tickets are available on the association's website; visitors to the catacombs and to PASK (Glass Pavilion) have a joint reduced admission.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Route I (catacombs) and Route III (Jesuit college) are both step-free (details at the ticket office); the churches are reached by shorter staircases. Dogs may enter only if they remain in a carrier for the whole visit; assistance dogs are the exception.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | 390 Kč · At most 5 people, of whom at most 2 adults and at least 1 child aged 6–15. |
Children under 6 enter free, and a family ticket is available.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
náměstí Míru
Klatovy can be reached by train or bus. From the ČD railway station and the bus station, city transport line no. 1 runs to the centre, stop náměstí Míru.
By car
Paid parking · 10-min walk to the entrance
In the centre you can park for a fee on náměstí Míru. Other car parks are in the grounds of the Škodovka shopping centre (about 10 minutes' walk) and below the city walls (within 10 minutes' walk); buses park in Jiráskova Street.
The entrance to the catacombs is from Denisova Street. From the station it is about 2.5 km to the centre.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 45 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (EN, DE, FR, PL, NL, RU) |
| Good to know | The catacombs can be visited individually all year round. Guided tours (in Czech, about 45 minutes) take place in April, May, June and September at weekends and on public holidays, daily in July and August, and also daily during the spring holidays (February–March). Exact times are given by the ticket office. Groups can book a tour with a German guide, and outside the stated dates, at rezervace@katakomby.cz. Audio guides are available as headsets or via a mobile phone. A tour of the college is possible only with a guide (about 45 minutes). |
