The Paris catacombs are quite difficult to call a visiting card of the city, but anyone who wants to present them in an unusual, mysterious and slightly frightening place will definitely like it.
The catacombs are a network of underground and winding tunnels created during limestone mining for the erection of the cathedrals and palaces of Paris. In terms of figures, the local catacombs are:
- tunnels and caves, according to various estimates, from 190 to 300 kilometers
- underground "territories", the area of which exceeds 11 thousand square meters
- the burial place of almost 6 million people
- a tourist attraction that is visited annually by about 160 thousand people
- 2, 5 kilometers of trips open for tourists
The journey to the famous catacombs begins with a small pavilion, near the exit to the metro station Denfert-Rochereau ( Dunfer-Rochero). The landmark is the sculpture of a lion, created by the creator of the Statue of Liberty - Frederic Bartholdy. Exact address: 1, avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy. Opening hours: Tue-Sun 10.00-17.00, cost of visiting - 8-10 EUR, up to 14 years old admission is free. Entrance only as part of the excursion, self-visit is prohibited
Short history excursion
In what century works began underground, for certain it is not known, but by the 17th century some residential areas of the city were under tunnels. The city was expanding, resulting in the threat of collapse. And in the second half of the 18th century, King Louis XVI issued a decree on the General Inspection of quarries. Inspectors of the inspection have created fortification structures to prevent the destruction of the underground network.
The place's history began in the 11th century from the Innocent cemetery. Here the victims of Bartholomew's night were buried, and those who died from the bubonic plague. In total, about 2 million people found their shelter here! Necropolis naturally turned into a breeding ground for deadly infections, which resulted in the banning of burial within the city walls in 1763.
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| Graphite in catacombs |
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| Catacombs |
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| Bones and skulls in catacombs |
Remains were taken out, disinf -skilled and evolved in an abandoned already at this time the quarry Tomb-Issoire at a depth of 17 meters. Bones and skulls stacked on each other, resulting in a wall from the remains. In 1786, the Ossuary was founded in the catacombs of Paris, 780 meters of galleries, located in a circle, where the remains of the deceased are located.
During the occupation by the German troops of Paris, guerrillas were hidden underground, and in In the 1980s, plague parties were held.
What can be seen
Inside the dungeon, in addition to a lot of bones and skulls, there are various monuments and artifacts, on the walls - drawings (and "modern" authors), as well as distinct traces of the work of rockets
On the walls of the underground gallery dit "black devil", which served as a guide-line for the workers. It was created long before the electricity here. After going through the "labyrinth", you find yourself in the "studio" - a wide part of the catacombs, preserved almost in its original form. The underground necropolis centuries ago was decorated with bas-reliefs and sculptures, but not many of them have survived to our time. The route ends at the inspection gallery
Reviews of the catacombs of Paris (1)
The Kingdom of Death September 30, 2013
Metro Denfert-Rochereau (lignes 4 et 6)
RER Denfert-Rochereau (ligne B)
Working time:
Tuesday-Friday from 14 to 16
Saturday from 9 to 11 and from 14 to 16
Sunday from 9 to 16 without interruption
The entrance ticket costs EUR 5.
This is the quarries inside which The remains of about six million people rest. Skulls and bones are lined in the original mosaic walls. Periodically one can see the tombstones of various famous personalities buried there. Paris ... Read full review