Catacombs of Paris

The Catacombs of Paris are, in fact, the city's municipal ossuary. Sure, that might sound a bit macabre, but this is a place worth visiting at least once. Located in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, the Catacombs were originally old underground quarries. It wasn't until the end of the 18th century that the remains of six million people were transferred there.

Highlights

The labyrinthine galleries

"Stop! This is the empire of the dead," reads the inscription at the entrance to this extraordinary world. What follows is an impressive 1.7-kilometer walk through a labyrinth of former Parisian quarry galleries. Among the remains are those of notable historical figures such as Charles Perrault and François Rabelais, as well as guillotine victims like Camille and Lucile Desmoulins, Danton, and Robespierre. The corridors are narrow and low, and the atmosphere is eerie — but you'll be thrilled to have explored this other world.

The tomb of Philibert Aspairt

Legend has it that Philibert Aspairt, a doorkeeper at Val-de-Grâce during the French Revolution, got lost and died in the underground quarries of Paris on November 3, 1793. He wasn't found until eleven years later, and was buried on the spot. There's no proof this story — or even the man himself — is true, but his tomb does indeed exist within the Catacombs of Paris.

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