Imagine walking through miles of underground tunnels filled from floor to ceiling with millions of human bones. The air is thick, the corridors tight, and the ambiance is just about as creepy as you’d expect from an underground graveyard.

No, I’m not describing the latest installation of the Saw franchise (seriously, how many of those are they going to make?!)

This is actually what you’ll experience when visiting the Paris catacombs. But despite an ominous backdrop, the catacombs are a must-see when visiting the City of Light.

What Are The Catacombs?

The catacombs came about out of necessity. For over ten centuries, the Cemetery of the Innocents (near Saint-Eustache) had been used to bury the dead around Paris. However, after so many years it became a source of infection for the locals, who began to complain. It was then decided in November 1785 to discontinue use of the cemetery and move the bones.

Nearby quarries that had just been inspected were chosen to house the remains. After the site was consecrated in 1786, the arduous process of moving the bones began. Always under the cover of darkness, and always with a singing procession of priests to guide the way. This painstaking process continued until 1788 when the last bone was finally laid to rest. No small feat considering more than 6 million people are buried there!

While the site was a curiosity for royalty like Napoleon III, the future Charles X, and Francis I (Emperor of Austria), it wasn’t open to public visitation until 1874.

Today, the catacombs are among Paris’s most popular museums. But, when you visit the Paris catacombs, remember it’s a sacred burial ground. As such, you should avoid touching anything, defacing walls, taking souvenirs, or smoking.

Where To Find Them

You can find the entrance to the catacombs at 1 Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy in Montparnasse near the Denfert Rochereau metro station. And what looks like an inauspicious entrance leads down to the impressive underground graveyard. How far down? The catacombs are about 20 meters below street level (which is equivalent to a five story building!)

Creeptastic Facts

If you thought visiting the Paris catacombs was interesting already, hold on to your hat! Because there are a few fascinating facts about them that will blow your mind.

Dinner And A Movie

In 2004, a group of police officers found a movie theater, bar, and restaurant inside the tunnels. As they looked around, a camera was snapping pictures of them (creepy!) More spooky still, there was a note left on the screen that read “Do not try and find us.” It was like something straight out of a horror movie!

Come In, The Water’s Fine

If you don’t mind wading through pitch black waters, then you could join the groups of people who descend into the tunnels for a dip. But beware, to get there you have to squeeze through some panic-inducing tight spaces. Nope, nope, nope.

An Artistic Touch

As you tour the tunnels you’ll notice many of the bones have been arranged in a decorative display. Massive round pillars, hearts, crosses, ribbons, you name it! Looking for them as you walk along becomes a morbid scavenger hunt.

Secret Societies

There are groups known as cataphiles who regularly spend extensive amounts of time in the catacombs. They have fully furnished rooms and meet to visit, party, or simply escape the outside work. These urban Indiana Joneses are selective about who they let in to their secret societies though, and are tight-lipped about how to access the underground tunnels.

More Than Meets The Eye

The area of the catacombs that’s accessible to the public is actually quite small in comparison to how vast the network of tunnels is. Much of the area is unmapped, but it’s estimated the underground labyrinth is around 200 miles (320 kilometers) long!

What To Expect

To reach the catacombs you descend a 65-foot (20 meter) spiral staircase just inside the main entrance. Once you reach the bottom, you wander through what feels like an unending maze of tunnels (some of which feel quite small) until you reach the burial chambers. Don’t worry about getting lost though! The tunnels are well marked and offshoots are blocked with bars so you can’t get lost.

As you reach the subterranean graveyard you’ll notice a distinct smell like that of an old, musty stone church. The air is thick with humidity and in some areas you’ll even find moss growing on the walls and bones.

Just before you enter, there’s an ominous stone sign above a doorway which reads “Arrète! C’est ici l’Empire de la Mort” (“Stop, this is the empire of the dead!”) How’s that for a welcome wagon?

Inside the burial chambers, the walls are lined floor to ceiling with human bones. It’s an unbelievable and sobering sight to behold. Piled at least 6 feet high and 5 feet deep, the bones are arranged in perfectly symmetrical patterns. Guests wind their way through well-lit rooms and corridors until reaching the end of the tour. The experience concludes with another stairway leading you to the Paris streets above.

The entire self-guided tour takes roughly an hour to complete. And so visitors can learn about the history and nuances of the graveyard, there are audio sets available at the entrance before the spiral staircase.

Insider Tip:

Because only 200 visitors are allowed in the catacombs at a time, the line to enter can be extremely long. As in, wrap around the block long. In order to avoid the hour-long wait, simply purchase skip-the-line tickets ahead of time and breeze right through!

Visiting the Paris catacombs is an experience you’ll never forget! And while seeing millions of human bones can be a bit jarring, it’s also one of the most impressive marvels in modern-day history.

Have you been to the Paris catacombs before? Comment below, I’d love to hear what you thought!

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