Adventures in Paris: Visiting the Catacombs of Paris with Restricted Exclusive Access
- Ava Lyn
- Aug 4
- 4 min read
Disclaimer: Please note that I have included photos and videos in this review. The photos may be disturbing for some so please exit the page if you do not feel comfortable with these images. The photos and videos are for informative purposes only and by no means mean any disrespect to the many who have died and are laid to rest here in the Catacombs of Paris.
The Catacombs of Paris has been on the list of 'To Visit' for the longest time. After several visits in Paris in the last few years, we finally decided that this time was it! And I am so glad we decided to visit this symbolic, iconic location in Paris. We decided to join a tour of the Catacombs of Paris that brought us into restricted access areas.
Contrary to what many may think, the Catacombs of Paris is not a mass burial ground. In fact, it was a network of abandoned tunnels where limestone was quarried for the Parisian buildings and bridges in over 300 km which became an ossuary in the early 1800s. In the late 1700s, Paris faced a problem with overcrowding in cemeteries, like that of Cimetiere des Innocents. It had become so overfilled that graves were stacked and decaying matter were leaking into nearby wells and homes. When the wall collapsed at Les Innocents in 1780, spilling rotting corpses into the street, the city was forced to act. Which is when the abandoned tunnels were fortified and bones were transported in the night, to become an ossuary. Initially the bones were just dumped, but in the early 1800s, the catacombs were transformed into a more structured ossuary where the skulls and femurs were arranged in patterns and signs were installed to honor the dead.
We descend down what felt like forever. Over 130 steps and 20 m underground in a steep, narrow stairwell. At the end of it, a damp, cool air hits you are you see large panels describing the catacombs and tourists with their audioguides. Thankfully, we were only in this area for a few minutes before our guide brought us into the restricted areas. A nondescript gate marks the border between the public section and the restricted areas. After unlocking it, our guide led us into the deeper parts of the tunnels, areas that are not mapped on tourist brochures and rarely seen by outsiders. These hidden catacombs aren't curated or lit. Here, the walls are raw limestone, dripping with moisture, and the bones are less orderly, often resting where they were left centuries ago.
Walls of carefully stacked femurs and skulls of more than 6 million Parisians, some arranged in decorative patterns that hinted at a surreal kind of reverence. The reality of this is that only the larger bones have made it, many of the smaller bones have disintegrated into fine dust, or are piled deep into the tunnels, not in the nicely stacked frontage. Some skulls and bones are also darkened or have shifted or collapsed and this could be due to a variety of reasons, including tourists touching them. In the past, there was not much surveillance and many tourists came through the Catacombs and vandalised, stole bones or touched these bones and skulls, leading to alot of structural weakening of the walls. These days, we are told that the staff are very on the ball and you would get kicked out immediately if you tried any of the above. But honestly, I don't quite understand the appeal of stealing a bone of the dead...
Interestingly, our guide also shared about how there are cataphiles (secret catacomb explorers) who dedicate themselves to the study and navigation of the catacombs. The cataphiles map forgotten sections, restore old signatures and create secret meeting places (like makeshift libraries, cinemas and rave parties). In fact, the Paris police rely on these people who help share when there may be dangerous situations (cracks in the walls) or collapses that require maintenance.
There is a need to constantly maintain the bone walls, some of the sections we saw that the bone wall was starting to collapse and nets were placed around it to prevent it from crumbling. Other parts we saw the bone wall restoration efforts, which involves stripping down the bone wall and removing the stones, rebuilding the wall to ensure balance between the front portion of the wall (using femurs and skulls) and the back portion where smaller bones are stacked.
What is our take?
The Catacombs of Paris was phenomenal. It is hard to capture this in words but it was truly one of a kind. Walking through forbidden corridors with a torchlight, surrounded by walls of centuries old bones and untouched history was surreal. It left us disconnected from the hustle and bustle that was Paris above and in a world that was hauntingly beautiful.
Our exclusive tour was at maximum capacity of 6 people, which made it incredibly special. No audio guides, just real stories from a guide who loves the Catacombs. We would absolutely recommend this tour by Memories France:
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