What Are the Paris Catacombs?
Stretching for roughly 300 kilometers beneath the streets of Paris, the Catacombs are one of the world's most extraordinary underground spaces. They began as limestone quarries that supplied building material for much of the city above — including Notre-Dame Cathedral. By the late 18th century, overcrowded city cemeteries were causing sanitation crises, and the solution was grim but practical: transfer the bones of millions of Parisians into the vast network of tunnels below the city.
Today, the Ossuaire Municipal — the official ossuary section open to visitors — houses the arranged remains of over six million people, making it the largest ossuary in the world. It is one of Paris's most visited attractions and, arguably, one of the most quietly powerful dark tourism sites anywhere in Europe.
A Brief History of the Catacombs
- 12th–18th centuries: Limestone quarried extensively beneath Paris to construct the city's famous buildings. The tunnels became known as "les carrières de Paris."
- 1786: The transfer of remains from the overflowing Saints-Innocents cemetery begins. Over the following decades, millions of remains are moved underground.
- 1810: The ossuary is officially consecrated and organized into its current form by Inspector-General Louis-Étienne Héricart de Thury.
- 1814: The Catacombs open to the public for the first time.
- World War II: The tunnels are used by both French Resistance fighters and German soldiers for their respective command posts.
- 1955: Entry to the tunnels outside the official ossuary is prohibited for safety reasons, though illegal exploration (called "cataphiling") continues to this day.
What You'll See on the Official Tour
The official visitor route covers approximately 2 kilometers of tunnels and takes between 45 minutes and an hour to walk. After descending 130 steps below street level, you pass through quarry galleries before reaching the ossuary itself. The transition is announced by a chilling inscription carved into the stone archway:
"Arrête ! C'est ici l'empire de la Mort." — Stop! This is the empire of Death.
Inside, bones — primarily skulls and femurs — are arranged into walls and decorative patterns stretching hundreds of meters. The artistry with which they are displayed ranges from solemn to genuinely eerie. Specific sections bear the names of the cemeteries from which the remains originated, and stone plaques reference biblical and philosophical meditations on mortality.
The "Cataphiles" — Illegal Explorers of the Deep
Beyond the official visitor circuit lies 297 kilometers of unmapped, officially off-limits tunnels. A subculture of underground explorers known as "cataphiles" has explored these tunnels for decades. They have created underground art galleries, held parties, and mapped areas unknown to city authorities. Police patrols regularly sweep the tunnels, and those caught face fines. The lure, however, is obvious — sections of raw quarry tunnel, underground lakes, and hidden rooms that few people in history have ever seen.
Planning Your Visit
Location & Access
The official entrance to the Catacombs is located at 1 Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, 75014 Paris, near the Denfert-Rochereau métro station (Lines 4 and 6). The exit is on a different street, so plan your return route in advance.
Tickets & Booking
Tickets must be booked online in advance — queue times without pre-booking can be several hours. Timed-entry tickets are available on the official Paris Musées website. Group and guided tours are also available and provide considerably more historical context than the self-guided audio tour.
Practical Tips
- Dress warmly. The tunnels maintain a temperature of around 14°C (57°F) year-round, regardless of surface weather.
- Wear comfortable shoes. The ground is uneven and sometimes wet.
- The tunnels are not stroller-accessible and are unsuitable for those with claustrophobia or mobility difficulties.
- Photography is allowed, though flash photography should be used respectfully.
- The tour involves 130 steps down and 112 steps back up — factor this into your planning if stairs are a concern.
Beyond the Official Tour
Several specialist companies now offer small-group guided tours that include sections of the tunnels beyond the standard visitor route — accessed legally with special permissions. These are worth researching if you want a deeper, less-crowded experience of this remarkable underground world.