Long Dark Corridors to the Catacombs

Once you reach the bottom of the stairs you find yourself walking through these Long Dark Corridor.  The ceiling is really low, about 5 feet and 6 inches.  I'm 5'-4" and I thought I was going to hit the ceiling already.  It was very unsettling and I can understand how someone with claustrophobia could lose it and freak out down here.  The only reason why this shot came out like this was because I used the Flash.  But be warned: There is no Flash Photography allowed.

The Descent to The Catacombs

130 steps descending in a spiral all the way down to the catacombs.  I have to be honest that at this point I was not prepared for what I was about to encounter down there.  The temperature drops like 30 degrees from the surface as you descend down these stairs and it was about 80 degrees outside that day. It seems like the stairs would never end as it gets darker and the dim lamps on the walls light your path.

A Brief Map of the Catacombs

The entire tour will last anywhere from about 45 minutes to 2 Hours roughly 2 km,  which is about 1 and a quarter mile in distance of just Human Reamains.  You have to show up early because the last viewing group is allowed in at 4 pm and they close down on Mondays.  Admission is 8 Euros and that was in the Summer of 2010.  The entrance is at 1, avenue of Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy 75014 Paris It gets really cold down there. Somewhere around 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit and this was in the Summer time people.  

Les Catacombes

I would have never expected a place like this to exist in a city like Paris, France.   I mean here you have a city of lights and rich culture on the surface, but deep down in the city below lay the tunnels where the remains of about 6 million people are piled neatly to form walls of human remains.

The Catacombs of Paris, France

The Catacombs of Paris, France should be on a Travelers top 5 list of places to see.  It is quite understandable as to why most people would avoid this site.  It is clearly not for the faint of heart and it is not a place you would want to take the kids either.  I have to admit that I was not prepared for what awaited beyond the entrance.  I would have never expected such a place would exist in a city like Paris.