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Beinhaus, Karner, Ossuary, Hallstatt

4.2
#6 of 75 in Historic Sites in Upper Austria
Cemetery · Religious Site
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.
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FROM $567 BOOK WITH VIATOR The Best of Hallstatt Walking Tour
Duration: 3 hours
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TripAdvisor traveler rating 4.0
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  • By WeakKneeTraveler
    This is perhaps one of the key attractions at Hallstatt. For a nominal entrance fee, you will be able to see skulls in this pretty small room and you will be given an sheet of information when you...  more »
  • By Shannon45678
    Interesting to see the history and how bones are collected due to a shortage of space. It's only one room but there are 100s of bones. Worth it for the price, and a must do in town. Views from the...  more »
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