Paris Catacombs: History and How to Visit Them (2023)

In the French capital, few places arouse morbid curiosity like the Paris catacombs – and with good reason. A relatively small part of the vast underground network open to the public consists of about 1.5 km/1 mile of tunnels, carved out of limestone and perfectly lined with the remains of about 6 million corpses. Surprisingly, this represents only a small partcatacombs.

An anonymous memorial to the millions of nameless deceased inhabitants of a bygone era, the Parisian catacombs are filled with human femurs, skulls and other bones - stacked in unusually ornate, orderly displays and narrated by poems and quotes about death. Leave it to the French to do something so terrible and philosophical, right?

But as neat as the millions of piled-up bones and skulls are, they also reach the point of taboo.

Countless corpses speak to both our fear of mortality and our fascination with societiesgoverndeath from a logistical point of view. In the West, where death is rarely directly confronted in everyday life, it seems appropriate to relegate it underground. A bit like Hades or the subconscious realm of the nightmares of the ancient Greeks.

Built in the late 18th century, the catacombs may seem like an old-fashioned oddity. However, they are actually the result of more modern, hygienic and efficient ways of dealing with human remains. And his almost poetic curation in a kind of "museum" is connected with the development of tourism in the 19th century - another extremely modern phenomenon.

{Related: These Are The Weirdest Museums In Paris}

Read on to learn more about the history of this intriguing site, what to look out for when visiting the catacombs, and my full tips on how to get the most out of your visit.

Creepy story: the exhumation of the Cimetière des Innocents, a crowded cemetery

The history of the Paris catacombs begins in the late 18th century, when the authorities began to recognize that the city's traditional cemeteries had become a rotten, overrun and deeply unsanitary disaster.

A central place for hundreds of yearsCemetery of the innocentit was the afterlife of generations of Parisians. Built in the early Middle Ages, it served as a burial ground for Notre-Dame-des-Boischurch from the 5th century. It soon became the main city cemetery.

{Related: Take a Self-Guided or Virtual Tour of Medieval Paris}

Located on the corner of the busy animal market Les Halles (since transformed into a monstrous and confusing shopping mall), the cemetery was crowded and chaotic, with many layers of tombs and human remains piled on top of each other.

In 1780, conditions worsened. To make room, the tombs of Parisians who had been dead for decades or centuries were exhumed, and their remains were packed together inmass graves (mass graves) built into the cemetery walls.

The main cemetery reportedly rose two meters (over six feet) above the ground compared to the surrounding streets, with layers of graves separated only by loose mounds of earth.

The 16th-century French writer Rabelais alluded to the terrible conditions at the cemetery in part of his famous multi-volume work.pantagrual, describing Paris as

"a good city to live in, but not to die in, because the beggars of the {cemetery} of São Inocêncio would warm their asses over the bones of the dead."

(«a good city to live in, but not to die in; because robbers(beggars)from São Inocencia they warm their asses with the bones of the dead».

And in the middle of the 18th century, merchants and residents began to complain about the foul and horrible odors that wafted from the Innocents and infected the neighboring buildings. The most famous is 1780.the owner of a restaurant called Gravelot was horrified to discover that part of the mass grave had collapsed; the cellars of his restaurant in the Rue de la Lingerie were "invaded" by corpses.

{Related to Strange Paris History: The Dancing Plague in Strasbourg 1518}

Some historians claim that this horror movie-worthy incident was the "event" that led local authorities to close the Cemetery of the Innocents in 1785 - leading to the creation of new cemeteries and, of course, the Catacombs.

Creation of the Paris Catacombs: a new location on the Left Bank

To solve the problem of moving the remains of millions of people from Les Innocents, urban planners and authorities had to be creative. They identified the vast network of underground limestone quarries on the Left Bank – many of them outside the borders of Paris – as an ideal place to store the remains of millions of Parisians.

Therefore, starting in 1785 and continuing until the following year, the city undertook the first major "evacuation" of remains from the cemeteries and mass graves at Les Innocents. The transfers were completed at night in an attempt to avoid criticism or shock from church residents and officials.

Workers piled the bones into quarry shafts and then stacked them in the galleries of the former underground quarries. The place, near today's Montparnasse, was declared the "City Ossuary of Paris" in 1786.

{Related & Upcoming: Montparnasse Cemetery Tour}

In later decades and after the French Revolution, other cemeteries and churchyards in the city center were exhumed, and more remains were moved to the catacombs. Design increased significantly after 1840, when efforts by Haussmann and others to modernize the city gained significant speed.

In 1809, the catacombs were opened to the general public, but only with an announcement. It quickly became a hit among local residents and tourists, and even personalities like Emperor Napoleon III. and his son used to visit the place.

Part of the appeal was its mythical connection to the ancient Roman catacombs in neighboring Italy. Another part is the 19th century romantic interest in the macabre (and medieval). And in the mid-19th century, early photographers like Felix Nadar brought the catacombs and their "realm of death" to world attention.

Today, the catacombs are connected and managed by the same team behind itCarnavalet Museum, dedicated to the history of Paris.Of course, I recommend visiting both.

Visiting the Paris Catacombs: Highlights and Tips

A visit to the Paris catacombs is fascinating, but (at least for me) it's more of an archaeological adventure than a spooky attraction suitable for a Halloween excursion. The 45-minute circuit takes you down a long spiral staircase to the old limestone quarries.

As you pass through the tunnels - some quite narrow and almost claustrophobic, others wide "galleries", notice how thousands of bones and skulls are crammed into the sides.

Some form crosses or other recognizable symmetrical patterns, while others appear to be unceremoniously crammed into high piles and rows, sometimes behind metal fences and under low ceilings.

There is something irresistible and touching, but also unusually impersonal, in that spectacle. WHOthey areall these people, and what kind of lives did they live? We know, as mentioned above, that many fell victim to the plague. But beyond that, their uniqueness melts away, forming a mysterious sea of ​​anonymous bones, eye sockets and smiling teeth.

It is a reminder of our smallness, our impermanence, our fragility. As far back as memory goes, many or most of these anonymous people already had graves that marked their lives, distinguishing them from the rest. All these individuation marks were erased when these remains were exhumed and transferred to the catacombs. Who knows which skull belongs to which femur?

The only way to tell the difference between one group of bones and another? You'll see signs indicating the origin of a particular set of remains and the date they were exhumed, such as this one that says “Bones from the Ancient Cemetery of St-Jean (60 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre) / Deposed 1846-1847. in the western ossuary and transferred to the catacombs in September 1859.":

If you're a Buddhist, you might find erasing individual lives liberating or even a little funny. With the exception of the odd tomb of distinguished Parisian aristocrats, no ego can thrive here, and the boundaries between rich and poor, distinguished and ordinary, have all but disappeared.

But if the thought of being remembered means anything to you, there's something quietly terrifying and deeply troubling about it all.

Fortunately, your existential musings will be aided by carefully placed songs and philosophical musings on looping mortality - one of my favorite aspects of the screenings.

The above block is roughly translated as follows:

"What sieges have been opened! what tight spaces

Occupy, within these walls, the dust of the races!

It is in these places of oblivion, and among these tombs

Let time and death come over your false (hoods),

That the dead pile up and press underground!

The numbers here are nothing, the fans are alone"

Whether you find these poems and musings pretentious or thought-provoking, their presence reminds you that you are in a carefully constructed and curated space: a space that has become one of the largest over the decadesThe most popular tourist attractions of Paris.

My tips for visiting the catacombs

The Catacombs can easily be visited year-round (scroll down for practical information on how to get there, tickets, etc.), but I have a few suggestions for getting the most out of your exploration:

Best time of year to visit:Try to go early in the morning or during the low season (around mid-October to March). Crowds are generally smaller at this time, which makes for a more relaxed (and less claustrophobic) experience. Trust me, some of the tunnels are narrow enough. You don't want to feel crowded as you walk past them.

What to wear:Even in summer, wear long sleeves, sturdy closed shoes and preferably a light jacket. The catacombs are kept quite cold (about 14 C/57 F) to preserve the remains from damage. Also, make sure your shoes have decent traction, as some areas on the trails can be slippery and even wet.

Use the audio guide: Available in English, French, Spanish and German, the audio guides cost just a few euros more and allow you to better understand the history and highlights of the site.

What about the "secret" Paris catacombs? Can I visit them?

As documented inAtlas Obscura,BBC, and various other sources, there are nearly 200 miles of "off-license" catacombs that they have occasionally exploredcat: curious residents, squatters, artists and DJs who organize (literally) underground parties.

Unofficial tunnels, accessed from various secret locations in the city, includewells and pools, cataphilic bars, sculptures, “street art” and even a makeshift auditorium that offers secret film screenings and is full of cinematic references.

Sounds amazing, doesn't it? Unfortunately, the general public is banned from accessing these unofficial parts of the underground network - and probably very dangerously so. While I understand the appeal (and would especially like to be able to see the secret cinema for myself), I highly recommend not trying to visit them.

{Book Viator's Skip-the-Line Catacombs Tour with VIP Access to Restricted Areas}

They can be structurally unstable, reportedly rat-infested and riddled with power lines, and you may not be able to find your way out except with a very experienced local guide. Even if you feel safe and think you can navigate them, you could be fined or even arrested if you're caught wandering through tunnels that aren't open to the public.

In short: enjoy many interesting photo essays and podcasts on the topic of secret catacombs, including the ones listed above. But unless you like breaking the law and putting yourself in danger, don't try to exploit them yourself.

Paris catacombs: how to get there, buy tickets and practical information

The catacombs are open all year round, from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Box offices close at 19:30. The attraction is closed on Mondays and on January 1, May 1 and December 25.

Where is the entrance to the Paris catacombs?

The entrance is at 1, Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, na Place Denfert-Rochereau,
75014 Paris (14. district).

Metro/RER:Denfert-Rochereau (M linija 4, RER linija B)

When you exit the metro at Denfert-Rochereau, look for the building with the light green glass entrance and ticket office, where you can access the long, winding stairs down to the catacomb tunnel (131 steps).

Accessibility and rules for visitors

Accessibility:Unfortunately, the catacombs are not wheelchair accessible, and visitors with other types of physical disabilities or cardiovascular conditions may want to avoid this attraction. This is especially true as you will have to climb 112 steps back to the street. In addition, visually impaired visitors must be accompanied by a guide.

The exit is at Avenida René-Coty, 21 bis.It can be a little disorienting to exit in a different place than you entered, so make sure you have a street map (digital or printed) handy to get you back to the subway or your next destination.

Only 200 people are allowed at a time,so you may have to wait during peak times.

You may only take a small purse or purse with you during your visit.,and the catacombs are not equipped with storage for coats or luggage. Leave large bags and other things at the hotel before your visit.

Buying tickets for the Paris Catacombs (in advance and on the day)

You can buy tickets on the spot/on the day at the booth at the entrance (see current prices here) or buy them in advance.

• To save time and hassle, consider buyingskip-the-line tickets (including audio guide) to the Paris Catacombs here (via Tiqets).
• You can also opt for asemi-private guided sightseeing in English(also from Tiqets).

Contact details and more information

Please visit this site, not the official sitefor more information on the conditions and rules for visiting the catacombs, including current health and safety guidelines and updated ticket prices. For all questions, you can write to this address:catacombes.reservations@paris.fr.

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