You will no doubt see the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and Notre-Dame on your next visit to Paris. How about something different for your travel itinerary? Take a journey under the City of Lights to the dark tunnels known as the Paris Catacombs. Indulge your morbid curiosity. It is an experience you will never forget.

The entrance is just across the street from the Denfert-Rochereau metro stop. After you purchase your ticket you will proceed through the gate and descend 286 steps of a tight spiral staircase. When you reach the bottom you will enter a portion of over two hundred miles of tunnels that run below the streets of Paris.

Five minutes of walking and you will encounter a sign indicating the beginning of what you came to see - the catacombs. Are you ready for this? Arm and leg bones are stacked neatly like four-foot high woodpiles along both sides of the dimly lit tunnel. Two rows of skulls run parallel within the stacks, one at ankle height and the other at waist height. Occasionally there is an artistic variation in the skull pattern, such as the shape of a heart. At one point the cave extends well beyond the fence-like stack of bones. A moldy green skull keeps watch over the entire space, which is filled in with bones as far as the eye can see. The tunnels and bones go on and on and on.

Why would someone want to see so many bones? Because it is unlikely you will ever again see so many bones in one place at one time. It will make an impression on you. Your morbid curiosity will stir. Who were these people? Where did all the bones come from, and why are they in the catacombs?

In 1785 the city of Paris had more dead bodies than it could handle, so the government began transferring the bones to underground quarry tunnels that dated back nearly two thousand years. It took over two years to transfer the original three million bodies, and today there are bones from over six million people "buried" in the catacombs. What was Paris like when all these people were alive? What did they do for work? Did they have any regrets? The questions will bubble forth for hours, days, weeks.

Plan carefully for your visit to the catacombs, as the hours are limited. Tours are available Tuesday through Friday 2PM-4PM and Saturdays and Sundays 9AM-11AM and 2PM-4PM. While it may seem creepy at first, the bones won't hurt you. If anything, they will feed your morbid curiosity and make you glad you are alive and well...and in Paris.

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This article is republished with the authorization of Paris Eiffel Tower News - a great guide for a Paris vacation. Copyright (c) 2004 Paris Eiffel Tower News - All rights reserved.