House of Bones – When You Run Out of Room to Bury Your Dead (Video)

Halstatt, Austria- built into a mountain. Home of a beautiful lake, salt mine and a small church complete with crypt-like Bonehouse.

The town began as a settlement for those working in the very productive salt mine. Because it is sandwiched between the lake and mountain, there is very little room to bury the dead. After about a dozen years, each body is exhumed to make way for the newly dead.
As you watch the video and check out the pictures, you will see a few skulls sitting on Bibles. These belong to the priests and holy people in the town.

Some skulls are beautifully painted with laurel or other symbols. These all have meanings, and sometimes a person chooses what will be painted on their skull. Those on their way to the grave may also choose who will paint their skull in the future if they so choose.

There is a bit more information on this site, which I enjoyed reading.
http://www.hallstattaustria.net/the-painted-skulls-of-hallstatt/

And, as a reward for reading all this, here is a video we took of the bonehouse. Please enjoy.
If you are ever close to this place, consider spending a day or two here. It is a place of such surreal beauty, and just the right touch of macabre.