A monastery in the Czech Republic has a ghoulish secret for those willing to venture underground - two dozen corpses clutching rosaries are on display.

The bodies in the Capuchin Crypt of the Holy Cross Church, in Brno, date back hundreds of years, but they were only recently rediscovered and opened to public viewing.

The below-ground chamber's unique soil structure and a system of ventilation ducts allowed the corpses to be mummified in the open air, according to a Brno tourism website.

 

 

 

This allowed for the bodies to be lined up in rows along the crypt's walls to the tune of nearly 200, according to church officials.

Only 24 remain, but the visual is haunting.

Monks and church members lying on their backs with arms crossed and holding an ancient rosary.

The burials started several hundred years ago and only concluded at the end of the 18th century.

The church itself is decorated with Baroque sculptures dating to 1765, but the real attraction is the bodies.

One visitor reviewing the cellar visit on TripAdvisor said visiting is 'not for the squeamish [but] worth seeing if you have the touch of the ghoul about you.'

Another called it 'bizarre and definitely not for children.'

For the equivalent of a few dollars, anyone can take a tour.