In the multiple times I have been to Paris, the opportunity to visit its famous Catacombs was not mine to have... until now. What, you may ask, could keep me from one of the most interesting tourist venues of this iconic city?
The first time, I was staying in the Marais and I paid extra for the “fast track” ticket and made a special trip just to see it, only to be met at the entry with the following sign:
For those of you who don’t know, Paris is quite famous for its strikes. Whenever I go there, I keep aware of any possible transportation strikes that could cripple the city... and my plans. But, seeing this sign at the Catacombs was not something I could ever imagine...
even DEAD Parisians strike! The second time I tried to go was on a hot summer evening. Select tourist destinations show the peaks and slumps in their visitation times online, and being open until 8:30pm (when they are open - ahem), statistics for visitors went down after six. I didn’t make a special trip this time but was in the neighborhood when I decided to take a chance... until finding out from an exhausted sweaty woman at the front of the line that she had waited two hours. The heat of the day had hit its peak and with no shade in sight, I decided that I would not be standing outside in such a long line that night. I wouldn’t exactly call the third time a charm. After both failed attempts, I didn’t want to pay for the advance ticket but I also didn’t want to wait for two hours. Besides, I had checked online to buy tickets and there were no time slots available for at least a week! I thought that maybe I could outsmart the system and save some money by arriving at the location a half hour before it opened. Pretty smart, right? Wrong. The line had already started forming and although it wasn’t as long as I had seen it previously, I was still pretty far out.
Aha! I knew though that the tunnels were limited to 200 visitors at a time. So I started counting the people on line. I estimated that there weren’t more than 75 people in front of me. Yes! I would be at the entrance within an hour. The clock finally struck ten, the first visitors for the day started going in and the line moved... about ten feet. An hour and a half later, I could almost see the front of the line. People were starting to weigh the value of the time it was taking versus seeing other important sites like the Louvre. I wish I could say their leaving made a difference, but it didn’t.
Why did I stay?
1. It was a cloudy, mild day.
2. It wasn’t raining or snowing.
3. I hadn’t made other plans.
4. The big one for an aging, not so agile, Baby Boomer like me - how did I know there would be a “next” time?
I know that I will go to Paris again. But, when it comes to health, there are never any guarantees. I could do the six flights of stairs down and up now, but maybe not next time.
There are many ways to get to the depths of hell. An elevator isn’t one of them.
And speaking of hell, imagine getting to the front of the line and seeing this sign..,
NO PAYMENT WITH CREDIT CARD TODAY.
I had the cash but the young backpacker in front of me did not. After waiting two and a half hours, I agreed to hold her place in line while she looked for an ATM. Eventually, I had to give up on her and go in. (Sweetie, if you are reading this, I am so sorry but I waited 15 minutes!)
So, what have we learned? If you have the opportunity to spend ten extra dollars to skip the line, do you save or splurge? In this case,
SPLURGE!
Believe me, I had two and one-half hours to think about it. Get thee to their website post haste and get those tickets now!
https://www.billetterie-parismusees.paris.fr/selection/package?productId=101387403785 For those of you who haven’t made up your mind to go to the Catacombs of Paris, I say do it! The history is fascinating. This famous ossuary started out as limestone quarries outside of the city that provided the building blocks for Paris’ streets, castles and today’s museums. They were left abandoned for years until the city’s cemeteries literally started overflowing in 1774. In 1786, nightly processions from the graveyards began in quiet as the deceased were moved to the new ossuary - home to an estimated six million. (The current population of Paris is just over two million today.) Each of the cemeteries’ remains were marked with a single gravestone down below. In 1874, the Catacombs were opened up for tourism.
Here are are a few photos to walk you through it...
I was most nervous about the stairs but they really weren’t that bad! The railing was sturdy and the steps were rough so I didn’t worry about slipping. If someone came up behind me, I moved to the side and let them go around me.
There is some charming graffiti along the way.
And then you are below the bustling city! You are even below all of the electrical lines and sewers. You walk a good five minutes through these tunnels before getting to the Catacombs. Imagine tourists in the19th century when there were no lights!
Some interesting signs to remind you not to bowl with the skulls...
Just kidding! They’re the signs for tour groups...
All kidding aside, the sign that greets you at the entrance is most serious...
STOP! THIS IS THE EMPIRE OF THE DEAD!
The black line you see on the ceiling was painted long ago so that people wouldn’t get lost. Remember that people were much shorter then. I saw a number of tall tourists have to bend over to get through the tunnels.
There is a curator who makes sure the bones are stacked and arranged so they don’t collapse. No cement here!
The sheer numbers disconnect you emotionally but I was glad not to see any children’s skulls.
The remains were moved from their original cemeteries in the middle of the night and were accompanied by their respective clergymen. The bones were sent down a chute and the area was marked with a stone noting the cemetery and date.
For some reason, mortals need to leave something of themselves behind to feel immortal. It is difficult to imagine a human being this disrespectful...
Of course, no tourist site is complete without climbing six flights of stairs and arriving in the gift shop...
The Catacombs are located in the 14th arrondisement at the Place Denfert-Rochereau. Look for the giant lion... and a long line. My ticket cost €13 and it was another €5 for the audio guide, which I highly recommend as most of what you learn is not provided by labels. When you get the adult ticket online it comes with the audio guide for a total of €29. But, pay attention! Make sure you have the correct date before buying your timed pass! The scanners will not take a pass for a different day.
Whether a true taphophile ((cemetery tourist) or just someone with a deep urge for an interesting adventure, I highly recommend the Catacombs of Paris!
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