Catacombs of Paris
Catacombes de Paris
Quarry tunnels 20 meters underground, where the remains of some six million Parisians are neatly stacked. The experience is eerie and striking.
At the end of the 18th century, overcrowded cemeteries in central Paris became a public health problem, so authorities moved some six million sets of remains into abandoned quarries on the city's south side, forming this “empire of the dead.” The visit route is about 1.5 km and involves going down 131 steps and up 112. Along the tunnel walls, skulls and leg bones are arranged into patterns, some with inscribed maxims. Entry is limited, and tickets cost about €30 including an audio guide, so book a timed slot on the official website well in advance. It is not suitable for people with claustrophobia, heart conditions or young children. The exit and entrance are not in the same place. Take metro line 4 or 6, or RER line B, to Denfert-Rochereau.
Opening hours
Tue–Sun 09:45–20:30 (last entry 19:30); closed Mon
Nearby sights
- Montparnasse Tower Observation Deck
- Luxembourg Gardens
- Panthéon
- Latin Quarter & Saint-Germain-des-Prés
- Shakespeare and Company
- Sainte-Chapelle
- Notre-Dame de Paris
- Musée Rodin