Père-Lachaise Cemetery
The Père-Lachaise Cemetery is one of the most renowned cemeteries in the world
The Pere-Lachaise Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Paris. This does not include the suburbs though, just the main city. It is also known as the East Cemetery or cimitiere de l'Est. It is said to be the most frequently visited cemetery in the world and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year as they come to view the final resting place of those who have impacted France over the years in ways great and small.
The cemetery is on the property of Pere Francois de la Chaise, the confessor to king Louis XIV. The property was bought in 1804 by the city and laid out by Alexandre-Theodore Brogniart under the orders of Napoleon. The first person to be buried here was a five year old girl, Adelaide Pailliard de Villeneuve.
The cemetery was not very popular as it was not on consecrated ground and was situated far from the original city of Paris. This was remedied by the transfer of the remains of La Fontaine, Moliere, Pierre Abelard and Heloise. This caused a sudden rise in popularity as people wished to have their remains rest in the vicinity of these much loved and respected personalities. The population of the cemetery has risen from 13 in the first year to over a million, not counting those who were cremated and their remains held in the crematorium.
The cemetery is still in operation today however you have to meet a number of criteria if you wish to be buried there. You have to pass away in the capital city and you have to be at the top of the waiting list as there are not many plots still available in Pere-Lachaise Cemetery. In many instances the remains of family members are interred in the same grave or tomb to save space.
There is no admission fee for those who wish to come to pay their respects. Many people like to enter via Oscar Wilde's tomb and then visit the rest of the cemetery from there. You will also be able to see the final resting place of Chopin, Rossini, Proust, Colette and Jim Morrison.
Facts For Your Visit
Fee: NoOpen Now
Hours This Week:- Monday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Thursday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Friday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Saturday: 8:30 AM – 6:00 PM
- Sunday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Address: 16 Rue du Repos, 75020 Paris, France
Phone: 01 55 25 82 10
Official Website: Père-Lachaise Cemetery
Directions
| Metro / RER Line | Nearest Station | Walking Time |
|---|---|---|
| M2 or M3 | Père Lachaise | 0 minutes |
How to get to Père-Lachaise Cemetery by Metro / RER
By Metro: Take Metro Line 2 or 3 to Père Lachaise Station; take the Menilmontant exit and look for the entrance through the stone wall directly across the street. (0 minutes).
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Reviews
Rated out of 5
A must see in Paris ! , Don't hesitate to put it in your top 10 when you visit Paris. You can visit the graves of many many famous people from Balzac to Oscar Wilde and etc. Very good metro access at both North and south side of the cemetery. It is like a museum with the style of British gardens. The entrance is free and toilets are available. If you search for someone especial, try to find the grave address before going to the cemetery as the provided map is not complete.
Soheil Jafari - 6 days ago
A must see in Paris ! , Don't hesitate to put it in your top 10 when you visit Paris. You can visit the graves of many many famous people from Balzac to Oscar Wilde and etc. Very good metro access at both North and south side of the cemetery. It is like a museum with the style of British gardens. The entrance is free and toilets are available. If you search for someone especial, try to find the grave address before going to the cemetery as the provided map is not complete.
I just used to wake up and choose where to go. For this visit, I remembered an Oscar Wilde book I had read with some students. I didn't know much about the cemetery but I went there. The graves are as unique as you'd expect for celebrities but quite nice when you consider how long they'd been around. There's a hall with recent small memorials for other people. It gave me the impression that it's too difficult for the French to reach the age of 80, 50 years seems to be a ripe old age.
Shillyboy Letsoalo - 20 days ago
I just used to wake up and choose where to go. For this visit, I remembered an Oscar Wilde book I had read with some students. I didn't know much about the cemetery but I went there. The graves are as unique as you'd expect for celebrities but quite nice when you consider how long they'd been around.
There's a hall with recent small memorials for other people. It gave me the impression that it's too difficult for the French to reach the age of 80, 50 years seems to be a ripe old age.
Teo S - 25 days ago
Cristina Mg - 1 month ago
David Punter - 4 months ago
Video
Photo Gallery
Grand monumental markers at Pere-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris cc licensed ( BY ND ) flickr photo by NatalieMaynor -
FRANCE cc licensed photo by WeVe1 -
DSC_8922 cc licensed photo by HockeyholicAZ -
Paris PERE LACHAISE cc licensed photo by Nine LaMaitre -
Hubertine Auclert cc licensed photo by Jeanne Menjoulet -
Tree art by Jim Morrisons grave cc licensed photo by Andy Hay -
cc licensed photo by daniel.stark -
Graffiti and Jim Morrison's grave at Père Lachaise Cemetery cc licensed photo by sarahstierch -
Jim cc licensed photo by Cristian Ştefănescu -
Tree art by Jim Morrisons grave cc licensed photo by Andy Hay -
Oscar Wilde at Pere Lachaise cc licensed photo by Andy Hay
