Last Updated: 9/30/20 | September 20th, 2020

Paris may be known as the City of Lights but it hides a dark and disturbing history.

Underneath the city, there is a enormous honeycomb of tunnels. The system is a huge maze and no one knows quite how numerous tunnels or chambers there are out there (that’s how big it is). (Paris is, after all, a very old city that has been built and rebuilt numerous times.) What we do know is that there are at least 320km (200 miles) of tunnels under the city. It’s a literal maze.

These tunnels and chambers are what is left of rock quarries that used to be on the outskirts of the city. much of the limestone that built the city was extracted from these mines, but as the city grew it expanded to where the quarries were and quarries had to be abandoned.

The French resistance used these tunnels during world war II, and rave parties flourished there during the 1990s. Victor Hugo used his knowledge about the tunnel system when he wrote Les Misérables. In 1871, communards killed a group of monarchists in one chamber.

Yet, in this maze of tunnels, one part open to the public: the well-known Catacombs of Paris.

The Catacombs of Paris were “created” at the end of the 18th century. As the cemeteries filled up and had to be moved outside the city, a portion of the tunnels was turned into an ossuary (a place where human skeletons are stored) that contains the remains of millions of Parisians, who were gradually transferred here between the late eighteenth and mid-nineteenth centuries. (Fun fact: The bones were always moved at night to a ceremony made up of a procession of priests who sang along the way to the Catacombs.)

At first, they were deposited in a rather haphazard manner and the ossuary simply piled up. Eventually, the bones were organized and displayed in the way that you see them today.

Since the first day they were complete, the Catacombs have been an object of curiosity, even for royalty. In 1787, Lord of d’Artois, who became King Charles 10, went down there with the ladies from the Court. In 1814, François 1st, Emperor of Austria, went to visit and explore them while he was in Paris. In 1860, Napoleon III went there with his son. The catacomb walls are also covered in graffiti dating from the eighteenth century. everyone has left their mark on this place. towards the end of the 18th century, the catacombs became a traveler attraction and have been open to the public on a regular basis from 1867.

In the dark galleries and narrow passages, you’ll see bones organized in a macabre display. Catacombs are eerie. They are quiet, dark, damp, and a bit downright depressing. There are lots of bones around and many of them are just stacked up on each other. You’ll never know who is who – that skull you are taking a look at could be someone who died from the afflict or be a rich aristocrat. Je weet maar nooit!

I’ve went to this site multiple times and I always find it very creepy yet very interesting. I’ve been to numerous unusual places over the years, and the Catacombs of Paris is certainly one of the best. The history is fascinating and you can see the markings and initials from the centuries of visitors on the walls.

Interesting Facts about the Catacombs of Paris

Here are a few interesting facts about this unusual traveler attraction:

The depth of the Catacombs is equivalent to a five-story building.

The area is 2 kilometers long.

It takes at least 45 minutes to explore the Catacombs.

The constant temperature in the Catacombs is 14 Celsius.

The surface area of the ossuary is 11,000 square meters.

There are over 6 million dead Parisians here.

Both sides in WWII used the Catacombs for clandestine operations. The Germans built hidden bunkers while the French Resistance used the tunnels for navigating the city unopposed.

There are secret, unmapped pools in the Catacombs that explorers visit and swim in (but people have also gotten lost down here and died so don’t go exploring by yourself).

How to visit the Catacombs

To get to the Catacombs of Paris, you can take the subway and the RER to Denfert-Rochereau or use Bus 38 and 68. The museum is open Tuesday-Sunday from 10am-8:30pm (closed Mondays).

The number of visitors is limited to 200 at a time so the line can get really long. I highly recommend reserving your space in advancement to avoid the line. (Seriously, the line gets to be hours long!). If you can’t reserve a spot online, make sure you get there as early as possible.

Advance tickets cost 24 EUR while last-minute tickets at the door cost 14 EUR (last-minute tickets are currently unavailable due to COVID; you need to book in advancement until the pandemic ends).

There are audio guides available in English, French, German and Spanish for an extra 5 EUR. They are certainly worth the money if you don’t have a guide as they add a lot of historical context to your visit.

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Visiting the Catacombs is one ofMijn favoriete activiteiten in Parijs. Het is iets dat ik je ten zeerste aanrade niet over te slaan. Het duurt slechts ongeveer een uur om er volledig doorheen te dwalen en geeft je een veel veel genuanceerder begrip van Parijs.

Sla het niet over.

Koop uw uitgebreide budgetgids naar Parijs!

Bekijk voor veel uitgebreidere informatie mijn gids voor Parijs geschreven voor budgetreizigers zoals jij! Het snijdt de pluis uit die in andere gidsen wordt gevonden en komt meteen naar de nuttige informatie die u nodig hebt om door Parijs te reizen. U vindt voorgestelde routes, budgetten, manieren om geld te besparen, dingen op en off-the-beaten-path, niet-touristische restaurants, markten, bars, transport- en veiligheidstips, en nog veel meer! Klik hier om nog veel meer te leren en ontvang vandaag nog uw exemplaar!

Boek je reis naar Parijs: logistieke suggesties en trucs
Boek uw vlucht
Gebruik Skyscanner of Momondo om een ​​goedkope vlucht te vinden. Ze zijn mijn twee favoriete zoekmachines omdat ze sites en luchtvaartmaatschappijen over de hele wereld zoeken, zodat je altijd weet dat geen steen ongemoeid blijft. Begin echter eerst met Skyscanner omdat ze het belangrijkste bereik hebben!

Boek uw accommodatie
U kunt uw hostel boeken met hostelworld omdat ze de belangrijkste inventaris en de beste deals hebben. Als je ergens anders dan een hostel wilt blijven, gebruik dan Booking.com, omdat ze consequent de meest betaalbare tarieven voor gastenhuizen en goedkope hotels retourneren. Mijn favoriete plekken om te verblijven zijn:

St. Christopher’s Canal

3 eenden hostel

Les Piaules

Als u op zoek bent naar nog veel meer plekken om te verblijven, hier voor mijn favoriete hostels in Parijs. Als je je afvraagt ​​in welk deel van de stad moet blijven, hier is mijn afbraak in de buurt van de stad.

Vergeet de reisverzekering niet
Reisverzekering zal u beschermen tegen ziekte, letsel, diefstal en annuleringen. Het is uitgebreide bescherming voor het geval er iets misgaat. Ik ga nooit op reis zonder dat ik het in het verleden meerdere keren heb moeten gebruiken. Mijn favoriete bedrijven die de beste service en waarde bieden, zijn:

Veiligheidsvleugel (voor iedereen onder de 70)

Verzeker mijn reis (voor die ouder dan 70)

MedJet (voor extra repatriëringsdekking)

Op zoek naar de beste bedrijven om geld mee te besparen?
Bekijk mijn resource -pagina voor de beste bedrijven om te gebruiken wanneer u reist. Ik vermeld alle mensen die ik gebruik om geld te besparen als ik onderweg ben. Ze zullen je geld besparen als je ook reist.

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Bezoek onze robuuste bestemmingsgids over Parijs voor nog veel meer planningstips!