Overview

Hype:

The Catacombs of Paris are underground ossuaries in Paris, France, which hold the remains of more than six million people in a small part of the ancient Mines of Paris tunnel network. Extending south from the former city gate Barrière d’Enfer ("Gate of Hell"), the ossuary was founded when city officials had two simultaneous problems: a series of cave-ins beginning 1774, and overflowing cemeteries, particularly Saint Innocents. Nightly processions of bones from 1786 to 1788 transferred remains from cemeteries to the reinforced tunnels, and more remains were added during later years. The underground cemetery became a tourist attraction on a small scale from the early 19th century, and has been open to the public on a regular basis since 1874. The Catacombs are among the 14 City of Paris Museums managed by Paris Musées since January 1, 2013. The catacombs have been called "The World's Largest Grave" due to the number of remains buried. Although the ossuary comprises only a small section of the underground "carrières de Paris" ("quarries of Paris"), Parisians presently often refer to the entire tunnel network as "the catacombs".

Time:

Fees: Entrance Fee

Recommended Ages:

	0-3
	4-11
	12-19
	20-49
	50-69
	70+

Recommended Months to Visit:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Links: http://www.catacombes.paris.fr
https://en.wikipedia.org

Getting There

Navigate to 48.833832, 2.332422.

Location

Closest City or Region: Paris, France

Coordinates: 48.833832, 2.332422

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Brochure

August 3, 2017 Trip Report

By Jeremy Dye

Trip Members

Jeremy Dye, Tara Dye, Greg Dye, Laura Dye,

Story

The catacombs were definitely one of the coolest things we saw in Paris. We did the tour with puzzle party people. Our guide was very fun. It was crazy to see all the millions of bones stockpiled in the quarry. We also enjoyed hearing the stories about the cataphiles who throw illegal parties in the underground quarries. When we finished the tour, we were late for our gourmet walking tour, so we didn't have any time to stop in the gift shop to buy a magnet. So a few days later Tara and I walked to the gift shop from our hotel only to discover that we had gone on the one day that they were closed. But not to despair, on our third attempt, we successfully bought a catacombs magnet.

Pictures