Ossuary | schwingeninswitzerland

Most people have seen Hans Rudolf “Ruedi” Giger‘s work, even if they don’t know who he is. Giger is best known as the designer for Ridley Scott‘s Alien movies, for which he won an Oscar. Incredibly creative, he paints and sculpts too. Giger was way ahead of his time in foreseeing the increasingly close relationship between the human body and machines.

The Château St. Germain in Gruyères (yep, like the cheese), Switzerland houses the H. R. Giger Museum, which is a permanent repository of his work. The nearby Giger Bar is a stunning, slightly surreal bar designed by him. Built in 2003, it was way ahead of its time, foreseeing the increasingly close relationship between the human body and machines. There are two Giger Bars; the other is in his hometown of Chur in the Graubünden Canton of Switzerland.

Giger excels at represent human bodies and machines in a cold, but connected, intriguing way. Sitting in the bar, you feel like you’re in the belly of the beast. It is an incredibly imaginative and slightly surreal mixture of skeleton and fantasy.

While it’s dark, structural and even biomechanical, it’s not cold. We went early and at an off hour so that we could fully explore the place. We oohed and aahed as we discovered details everywhere. It definitely makes for an unforgettable drink.

The ceiling has the skeletal structure of vertebrae, like a fantastic ossuary.

Once upon a time (the 1980’s), there was another Giger Bar in Tokoyo. Unfortunately Giger wasn’t as involved in that one. Its design was constrained by earthquake codes. Perhaps most damagingly, it became a hangout for the Yakuza. Giger disowned it and never even entered.

By the way, Giger is spelled with only one ‘e’. Hans Geiger, known for his work on the radiation measuring known as the Geiger Counter, was German.

Kayersburg has experienced countless conflicts. Kayersberg (in Alsace, France near Colmar) was badly damaged during the second world war. Wandering through the streets today, you’d never suspect the previous damage and turmoil. Like Eguisheim, it is one of the prettiest towns in France (Les Plus Beau Villages de la France).

Located on the famous wine route, this beautifully preserved village is packed with history and traditions. Kaysersberg‘s half-timbered buildings, rivers (the Sambach and the Bogenbach) and wonderful flowers make it one of the prettiest towns in France. It’s location in a valley surrounded by vineyards doesn’t hurt either.

We strolled through the streets. After eating our 600th pretzel of the trip, he checked out the church Saint-Croix ( and the neighboring Chapelle Saint-Michel). I walked around the exterior, admiring the architecture. I saw a sign that said “Ossuarie” (ossuary in English, a chest, building, well, or site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains) and was intrigued. Although it was locked, you could clearly see inside. For us, it was a foreign, unfamiliar sight. Bones were piled meters high all around the building.

The quote translates from German to “that’s it because the master is enslaving by his 1463.” The rest has been lost.

The ossuary was built in 1514. The bones are from the old cemetery which was moved outside the town walls in 1511. The full German inscription on the ossuary has been lost. It is believed to say someone about the master resting next to the servant.

We climbed up to ruins of a medieval castle. Our eyes were immediately drawn down to the town and the tower of its 12th century church. The surrounding countryside and vineyards were stunning.

Like the rest of Alsace, Kayersberg has a Christmas Market. Theirs is reputed to be one of the most traditional and authentically Alsatian. In a setting like this, would you expect anything less?