Brno is Czechia’s second-largest city and is much more affordable than Prague. It is nestled between Prague and Vienna and is easily accessible by train from either direction. It has a thriving city center that splits the two destinations listed below, the Capuchin Crypt and an underground Ossuary. The Capuchin Crypt houses mummified remains of local Capuchin friars from 1656 - 1784. The unintended natural mummification of the bodies occurred because they were stored in a sophisticated ventilation process using holes that were over the vault of the church.

Across the city center is the Brno Ossuary which is located underneath an impressive Catholic church, Kostel sv. Jakuba, which dates back to the 13th century. Throughout the Middle Ages, the bodies of the deceased were exhumed after a decade and their skeletons were placed in ossuaries. This one in particular saw a buildup of bodies of the Thirty Years War, and it is estimated to hold approximately 50,000 skeletons. It was actually closed due to sanitation reasons in 1784 and forgotten about until it was rediscovered due to city planning and excavation in 2001. The church was closed when I was there in the Spring of 2023 due to construction, but should open up again by the end of the year.

Here’s a look around the city center: