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. Nu stii niciodata!
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.
***
Visiting the Catacombs is one ofActivitățile mele preferate la Paris. Este ceva ce vă recomand să nu săriți. Este nevoie de aproximativ o oră pentru a rătăci complet și vă va oferi o înțelegere mult mai nuanțată a Parisului.
Nu -l săriți.
Obțineți ghidul dvs. bugetar extins la Paris!
Pentru informații mult mai extinse, consultați ghidul meu la Paris scris pentru călători bugetari ca tine! Acesta taie puful găsit în alte ghiduri și ajunge direct la informațiile utile de care aveți nevoie pentru a călători prin Paris. Veți găsi itinerarii sugerate, bugete, modalități de a economisi bani, lucruri de pe patul și off-the-beaaten pentru a vedea și a face, restaurante non-turistice, piețe, baruri, sfaturi de transport și siguranță și multe altele! Faceți clic aici pentru a afla mult mai multe și pentru a obține copia dvs. astăzi!
Rezervați -vă călătoria la Paris: sugestii și trucuri logistice
Rezervați -vă zborul
Folosiți Skyscanner sau Momondo pentru a găsi un zbor ieftin. Sunt cele două motoare de căutare preferate, deoarece caută site -uri și companii aeriene de pe glob, așa că știți întotdeauna că nu este lăsată nicio piatră neîncetată. Începeți cu Skyscanner mai întâi pentru că au cea mai semnificativă atingere!
Rezervați -vă cazarea
Puteți rezerva pensiunea dvs. cu Hostelworld, deoarece au cele mai semnificative inventar și cele mai bune oferte. Dacă doriți să rămâneți în altă parte decât o pensiune, utilizați Booking.com, deoarece acestea returnează în mod constant cele mai accesibile tarife pentru casele de oaspeți și hotelurile ieftine. Locurile mele preferate de cazare sunt:
Canalul Sfântului Christopher
3 Ducks Hostel
Les Piaules
Dacă căutați mult mai multe locuri pentru a sta, aici pentru pensiunile mele preferate din Paris. Dacă vă întrebați în ce parte a orașului să stați, iată defalcarea mea din cartier a orașului.
Nu uitați de asigurarea de călătorie
Asigurarea de călătorie vă va proteja împotriva bolilor, vătămărilor, furtului și anulărilor. Este o protecție extinsă în cazul în care orice nu merge bine. Nu plec niciodată într -o călătorie fără ea, deoarece a trebuit să o folosesc de nenumărate ori în trecut. Companiile mele preferate care oferă cel mai bun serviciu și valoare sunt:
Aripă de siguranță (pentru toată lumea sub 70 de ani)
Asigurați -mi călătoria (pentru cei de peste 70 de ani)
MedJet (pentru acoperire suplimentară de repatriere)
Căutați cele mai bune companii cu care să economisiți bani?
Consultați pagina mea de resurse pentru cele mai bune companii pe care să le utilizați atunci când călătoriți. Enistând toate cele pe care le folosesc pentru a economisi bani atunci când sunt pe drum. Vă vor economisi bani și atunci când călătoriți.
Vrei mult mai multe informații despre Paris?
Asigurați -vă că vizitați ghidul nostru de destinație robust la Paris pentru chiar mai multe sfaturi de planificare!