Paris Specialty Attractions

Located 20 m (65 ft) under the city of Paris, the Catacombs contains over 300 km (186 mi) of corridors, rooms and tunnels filled with millions of skeletons. The catacombs came about in 1785 as a solution to the disease and hygienic problems caused by overcrowded cemeteries. Of the miles of passageways there are only 1.6 km (1 mi) that can be legally explored. Visitors are expected to pay an admission fee before going underground.

For the sake of hygiene and town planning, the Paris Catacombes were built in the late 1700s to compensate for cemeteries that were overflowing with bones. The Catacombes, or the “quarries of Paris,” encompass approximately 300 kilometres. The tunnels of the Catacombes, which extend for 1.7 kilometres, are located 20 metres below the city of Paris and remain at a steady temperature of 11° Celsius year round. The collection of bones includes the remains of an extraordinary five to six million people. The bones have been stacked to form the walls of the Catacombes tunnels, which are divided into galleries. Mosaics and other artwork can be found on the walls of the Catacombes as well. The Catacombes were also used during the Second World War as headquarters by the French Resistance. Visitors are welcome to tour through the Catacombes. Inquire locally for hours and admission fees.

Found throughout the famed strolling district of Champs Elysees, a variety of fountains gurgle and spurt, from smaller marble fountains, to large monuments, there is no shortage of lovely water decorations to capture the imagination.