Kutná

Kutná is a Slavic toponym used in Central Europe, typically as the first element of longer place names. The most widely known instance is Kutná Hora, a historic town in the Czech Republic. The form kutná is the feminine adjective derived from kutný, meaning mining-related or associated with mining, reflecting the area’s medieval mining heritage.

Kutná Hora rose to prominence in the 13th to 16th centuries thanks to silver mining, becoming a major economic and cultural center in what is now the Czech Republic. Its historic core includes notable churches and palaces. The UNESCO-listed historic center features the Church of St. Barbara and the Sedlec Ossuary, among the best-known examples of Gothic and Baroque architecture in Central Europe.

Beyond Kutná Hora, the toponym also appears in smaller villages and cadastral parts within the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and neighboring regions, where kutný elements recall historical mining activity or land tenure names. However, as a standalone toponym, Kutná is relatively rarely used outside of these longer names.

Today Kutná Hora remains a popular tourist destination and an example of a medieval mining landscape. The root element kutná survives in local toponymy as a historical reference to mining and related activities.