Brno Ossuary

The Brno Ossuary is an underground burial chamber discovered beneath the Church of St James in the city centre, containing the skeletal remains of some 50,000 people interred between the 17th and 19th centuries. Bones have been arranged in careful compositions along the vaulted corridors — stacks of skulls, geometric patterns of femurs — in the manner of the Paris Catacombs, though on a smaller and more intimate scale.

The entrance is in the pavement of Jakubské náměstí, directly in front of the church. The underground circuit takes 20 to 30 minutes and is well lit; there is an audio guide available in English. The space maintains a cool, constant temperature year-round. A combined ticket with the nearby Capuchin Crypt is available and worthwhile.

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A story
The Brno Ossuary was discovered entirely by accident in 2001, when workers laying gas pipes beneath the Church of St James broke through into a chamber containing the remains of approximately 50,000 people — making it the second-largest ossuary in Europe after the Paris Catacombs. The bones had accumulated over 300 years of plague, wars, and regular burials, then been organised and forgotten. The ossuary was finally opened to visitors in 2012 after a decade of archaeological excavation and conservation.