Beinhaus, Karner, Ossuary, Hallstatt

Prepare to be both spooked and awe-inspired with a trip to Beinhaus, Karner, Ossuary, the famous bone house on the ground floor of a 12th-century chapel. The site holds over 1,200 human skulls, 610 of which have been hand-painted in floral designs. In the 18th century the chapel's cemetery became too crowded, and thus the practice emerged of digging up graves 10 to 15 years after death in order to free up a lot. The unearthed skulls were kept, cleaned, and bleached. Following the custom of decorating a grave with flowers, it became a tradition to paint the skulls with flowers. The skulls are grouped by family, with the dates of death written on them. Respectful silence is expected. Put Beinhaus, Karner, Ossuary at the forefront of your travel plans using our Hallstatt trip planner.