Catacombs of Paris
Inspite of being somewhat morbid, the Catacombs are a burial plot with a rich and fascinating history and draw crowds of visitors year round
The Catacombs of France is a tourist attraction for those who like to add a little spookiness to their vacation activities. The catacombs are literally a burial plot of astronomic proportions. However, they are a burial plot with a rich and fascinating history.
Before Christianity came along, it was common practice to bury the dead outside the city walls. Christianity dictated that the dead should be buried in consecrated ground around churches and this time it was difficult to do so since the areas around the churches were already well built up and there was no space to put in large cemeteries. Those that were available soon became overcrowded and a mass burial plot was opened near the St. Opportune church. This burial plot caused a lot of sanitation problems but was still used even when the ground was saturated with human remains.
Eventually the inner city cemeteries were closed and new ones were opened outside the city limits. Even the long abandoned stone quarries outside the city were pressed into use as burial places. The transfer of the dead to these quarries started in 1786 and finished in 1788. The catacombs hold the remains of around six million people. Land was bought from a local property named "La maison de la Tombe Issoire" and many sets of bones were deposited in the underground caverns in this area along with crosses and urns and other memorabilia.
When you visit the catacombs you will travel down a staircase and then through a long tunnel to find yourself faced with a stone portal inscribed with the words Arrete! C'est ici l'empire de la Mort ('Halt! This is the Empire of the Dead'). It is beyond this stone portal that the tour truly begins. There are halls and walls of carefully arranged bones. Some of the bone arrangements are actually really artistic although they are macabre.
If you plan to visit the Catacombs then you will need to know that the site limits visitors to 200 at one time. There are also no toilets or cloakrooms and it is also good to keep in mind that it will be cooler in the underground passages. It is vital that children who are younger than 14 years of age are accompanied by at least one adult and the parents of young children are advised against bringing their children into the catacombs. If you are not very mobile then you may also want to consider other activities as there are many steps to go up and down. You do not need much time for the actual tour as it is only 2km long (around 45 min) but the queues can get rather long and entries can be stopped to ensure the 200 visitor limit is adhered to.
Nearby attractions: Rue Mouffetard Market
Facts For Your Visit
Fee: YesCatacombs of Paris Hours:
Opening hours may differ on holidays
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: 9:45 AM – 8:30 PM
- Wednesday: 9:45 AM – 8:30 PM
- Thursday: 9:45 AM – 8:30 PM
- Friday: 9:45 AM – 8:30 PM
- Saturday: 9:45 AM – 8:30 PM
- Sunday: 9:45 AM – 8:30 PM
Address: 1 Av. du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, 75014 Paris, France
Official Website: Catacombs of Paris
Catacombs of Paris Reviews
Rated
out of 5 Such an interesting experience. You feel like your walking down to the center of the earth with how many steps it is to enter. Recommend to prepurchase your tickets for a date and time. You will receive and audio tour with your ticket. It is a massive labyrinth of a mass grave. It was very cool to see all the different patterns they put into the wall of bones.
Keely Callahan - in the last week
The Catacombs were a great experience. I was there on Halloween, and it was perfect. Be sure to buy your tickets online because that's what works best. Only 200 people can be in the Catacombs at a time. You'll come out far from where you entered, so be aware of that. It's about 60 feet underground, dark, quiet, with low ceilings and tight corridors, although I don't think it's very claustrophobic, but I'm not claustrophobic so I'm not sure how people suffering from it would feel. Definitely check it out.
Solo Gino - 2 months ago
Book ahead - we luckily booked ahead and when we got there it had a sign that there were no more tours available without reservations. First off I’m a tall person 6’3” and claustrophobic so I was apprehensive to do this. To my relief there were only a few spots where I had to duck my head then it opened up to larger ceilings. It’s definitely neat to walk around and the audio guided tour helped fill you in along the way. We went with two kids and they enjoyed it as well. If you have a backpack you have to carry it so you don’t accidentally disturb the bones. This is definitely a must do if you’re visiting Paris. Understand that you will exit in a different location from where you started.
Nate Hartrich - 2 months ago
Very interesting historical place where millions of dead people are collected from cemeteries and directly after death because of the work down the city of Paris. It’s a kind of sacred place with also historical facts. If you by tickets online a tour guide by a kind of phone is included. The price is rather high but worth it to have a very different experience in Paris
Rogier van Luijk - 3 weeks ago
Must explore! This place is awesome. Ordered tickets online one week in advance for a specific time . Recommend ordering ahead of time as there are limited tickets daily.
Walk down a staircase several flights. Then start your one mile journey! You definitely cannot get lost as different corridors are blocked off. Lots of historic inscriptions. Femurs and skulls are clean and preserved. Really enjoyed the visit. A sacred place. Walking up at end of tunnel is not bad but it does spiral around just keep going!
Highly recommend.
Margo - 4 months ago
Directions
Metro / RER Line | Nearest Station | Walking Time |
---|---|---|
M4, M6, RER-B | Denfert-Rochereau | 1 minute |
How to get to Catacombs of Paris by Metro / RER
By Metro or RER: exit at Denfert-Rochereau Station and look for the small green building (and probably a queue) directly across the street from the station.
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