Catacombs Of Paris

After living here in Paris for aprox. 10 months, and just three days away from leaving the city for good, we decided to go out and explore some spots we haven't visited yet, and one of them was the Catacombs Of Paris, which were established in 1786 when the Les Halles district was suffering from disease, which was due to contamination caused by improper burials and mass graves in church graveyards, especially in the large Saints Innocents Cemetery. So it was decided to remove the bones discreetly and place them in the abandoned quarries.

Bones and skulls are stacked on either side of a narrow corridor like merchandise at a warehouse, a lot of merchandise. The air is close and cool, with just a hint of decomposition, and there's graffiti dating from the French Revolution, mainly about the king and the feeble nobility.

some facts:

The official name for the catacombs is l?Ossuaire Municipal.

Victor Hugo utilised his knowledge about the tunnel system in Les Miserables.

In 1871 communards killed a group of monarchists in one chamber.

During World War II, Parisian members of the French Resistance used the tunnel system. Also during this period, German soldiers established an underground bunker in the catacombs below Lycee Montaigne, which is a high school in the 6th arrondissement.

The portion of the catacombs open to the public is only a small part of an extensive network of underground tunnels, which spans more than 300km.

For potential dangers, since 2 November 1955 it has been illegal to access the catacombs unescorted by officials and there are special police who patrol the catacombs.

However, secret entrances do exist throughout Paris and it is possible to enter the catacombs via the sewers, metro, and certain manholes. Occasionally people do make use of these access points and illegally enter the catacombs to hold an unusual meeting or party or simply as urban explorers.