Charnel house (Church)

Naturpark Pfyn-Finges - In the Leuk-Stadt church there is a charnel house with a wall of skulls 20-metres long, which can be visited daily.

On the south side of St. Stephen's Church, under the nave, is the ossuary from the early 16th century with its imposing 20-metre-long skull wall.

During archaeological excavations in the parish church in 1982, it was discovered that the ossuary was far larger than had previously been assumed. As in other places, people no longer wanted to see the skull walls in the 19th century and plaster walls were erected in front of them. When these walls were torn down in 1982, piles of bones from the dead were found mixed in with numerous Gothic and Baroque sculptures, which caused a sensation throughout the country. When these were cleared out, the skull walls, which had been carefully piled up in the 16th century, came to light and are now visible again. The most valuable figures are now on display in St. Stephen's Church. (Source Swiss Art Guide - The town of Leuk).

A visit is definitely worthwhile!