Père-Lachaise Cemetery

The Père-Lachaise Cemetery is one of the most renowned cemeteries in the world

Tree lined walkway through the Père-Lachaise Cemetery
Tree lined walkway through the Père-Lachaise Cemetery cc licensed photo by extranoise

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: No

Regular Hours:
May differ on holidays

  • Monday: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
  • Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
  • Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
  • Thursday: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
  • Friday: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
  • Saturday: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
  • Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Address: 75020 Paris, France

Phone: 01 55 25 82 10

Official Website: Père-Lachaise Cemetery

Reviews

Rated 4.6 out of 5 Star Rating

5 Star Rating Tombs, Tombs, Tombs and more tombs. This place is flooded with tombs. Each tomb belongs to a prominent family. I admire the architecture and design for each tomb. It seems these tombs belong to rich aristocratic families. There is a lot to see. Better get a warm coffee during winter and walk around. I do not know many famous families of Paris but if you do, you may find it. The chapel was closed so we were not able to view it. What I admired was the doors and the stained glass window inside the tomb. We did not have to pay a fee to visit this place. The bus took us right to where the cemetery was. I always like to read what is written on the tomb but I was not able to find it here. Toilets are available but I discovered often there is a line. You will enjoy it.
Ravi Lal - a month ago

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5 Star Rating This is a beautiful and serene cemetery, which can take a few hours to walk around if you really spend time looking at the diverse and ornate tombs and mausoleums. Even without all of the celebrity tombs belonging to the likes of Jim Morrison (his tomb is almost obscured and sort of hidden) and Edith Piaf, this is still a place of inordinate beauty. Bring comfortable shoes and a bottle of water (in case you get thirsty) and experience one of Paris's most notable landmarks.
James Mielke - a month ago

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5 Star Rating Really nice relaxing place. The place was calm and restful and full of interesting memorials. Our family was there to see where my dad’s ashes were sprinkled and we couldn’t have hoped for a better place for him. He’d have loved it. But I have to flag out a couple of things: the toilets there were filthy disgusting, so go before you get there. Secondly, this man latched on to us and followed us around and pointed out various graves. Most of his facts were wrong and we weren’t there as tourists, we were there to pay our respects. Then when we had to go he demanded money, which we neither expected or had. We gave him our only €10 note but he got really abusive and insulted some of our party when he stormed off. Watch out for people like this. We didn’t invite him and his behaviour was inexcusable. I wasn’t expecting anything like that inside, so be warned.
Phil Corbett - a month ago

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5 Star Rating Big cemetery with many cute tombstones where Chopin is buried. French cemeteries really own the cutest and most creative tombstones of all the cemeteries I ever seen (she said, with an ardent interest in visiting cemeteries). Although we were asked to get out 30 mins before its closing time (according to google maps
Tanya Z - a week ago

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4 Star Rating A large, quiet cemetery with a couple of famous people buried. At the entrance you'll get a free map of the place. This place is not suitable for wheelchair users and strollers, the road is made of cobblestones. Some gravestones are beautiful works of art, a must to see when you're in the neighborhood!
Kevin Costermans - 3 months ago

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Directions

Metro / RER Line Nearest Station Walking Time
M2 or M3Père 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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