Catacombs of Paris - Paris France

In the 18th century the Catacombs of Paris were created as a way for people that were not able to be buried in cemeteries to have a final resting place. The catacombs house over six million remains and is a must see if you are in Paris. There are a few things that you need to know before visiting this site. The first is that it is underground, its a series of winding tunnels that are underneath the city, meaning that if you don't like tight spaces or dark places, this might not be a good idea for you. But if you think that you can handle the two then its well worth the visit. Also if you don't do well with stairs its important note that you have to go down 130 steps and up 83 steps during your visit and there are no bathrooms so make sure that you go before you visit. And its also a good idea to make sure that you pay attention to how many people they are going to admit when you enter. There is a limit as to the amount of people that are allowed in the catacombs at one time so they will hold people back from entering and you don't want your party to end up being split up. Also it gets a little chilly so make sure that you bring a jacket.

Once you go down the stairs and are in the catacombs you are in a very tight place with the remains of over six milion people. You can reach out and touch the remains, that's how close you are. But before you do remember that they are real remains. During my visit I saw people touching the walls (which are made of reamins) and I was a little mortified at the lack of respect that people had for the place. During your trip through the catacombs then its a little creepy as you are looking at bones and alters and what I can only assume are a sort of memorial. Being that they were written in French and I speak very little French it made the feeling and the experience a little creepier I think.

You will also note that there are certain areas that you are note allowed to go. If you look through the gates that close it off you might see areas that they are restoring and piles of bones that they are putting back into place. For some reason I found this interesting so it might  be worth it to try and a take a look while you are there. As I was leaving I noticed that a guard was checking every person's bag as they left and he had a small pile of bones and a skull next to him. I sat down beside him as I was waiting for the rest of my party and he told me that those were bones that people were trying to sneak out, and the areas that were closed off were places that people had damaged, as well as places that were worn due to age. So remember if you were thinking about stealing anything you won't get away with it (although I don't know why you want to).

Overall on my trip to Paris this is one of the top three places that I visited. My only regret is that I didn't have more time, and had taken more photos. I would recommend this place to anyone going to Paris and say that its a must see for anyone looking for an interesting or historic place to visit.


The Catacombs are open 10 a.m. to 17 p.m. every day except Monday, and the last admission is one hour before closing. The entrance address is 1, avenue of Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, and the phone number is 01 43 22 47 63