Take an underground tour of Paris's grisly mass graveyard, where the bones of a staggering six million human remains are on macabre display. Wandering these corridors is a fantastically eerie experience, and you'll learn all about life (and death) in 18th-century Paris with the multilingual audio guide. Discover the dark side of Paris!

In the late eighteenth century, when major public health problems tied to the city’s cemeteries led to a decision to transfer their contents to an underground site. Paris authorities chose an easily accessible site that was, at the time, located outside the capital: the former Tombe-Issoire quarries under the plain of Montrouge. The first evacuations were made from 1785 to 1787 and concerned the largest cemetery in Paris, the Saints-Innocents cemetery.

The site was consecrated as the “Paris Municipal Ossuary” on April 7, 1786, and, from that time forward, took on the mythical name of “Catacombs”, in reference to the Roman catacombs, which had fascinated the public since their discovery. Starting in 1809, the Catacombs were opened to the public by appointment.

Today you can dive into the heart of history and explore at your own pace the corridors where the skulls are neatly stacked. And with a multilingual audioguide, you will learn more about this secret part of Parisian history.

• For safety reasons, it is forbidden to enter the Catacombs with suitcases and luggage. Only bags up to 40x30cm are allowed and they must not be carried on the shoulders. There are no cloakroom facilities available onsite
• Temperatures in the Catacombs can be as low as 14°C, so dress appropriately
• Audio guide: Bringing your own headphones is advised for a better experience