Catacombs of Paris

"Catacombs: Paris' Underground Cemetery In the 14th district of Paris are the Catacombs, also known as the underground ossuary (or l'Ossuaire Municipal) where 6 million skeletons are stacked in an orderly fashion and date back several centuries ago. This was done because Paris cemeteries were running out of space while the city itself was expanding, thus it was agreed to move each cemetery's collection of skeletons underground. It is an eerie place to visit and I wouldn't recommend it is for the faint of heart. Still, not a sight to miss. People like Charles 10, François the 1st (Emperor of Austria ), Napoleon III and his son all took a stroll through the long and ominous halls of the Catacombs to pay a visit. It really is a sight like no other, and is great to visit if you've already seen all the main tourist sites, or even a rainy afternoon to escape dreary weather. It was interesting to discover the cause of death by looking at some of these skulls. In this particular picture I captured a skull which did not die of a natural cause. It had a perfect circle in the left cheek, indicating a gunshot wound. It was a scary discovery, but I felt compelled to photograph it. Tickets are either 8 Euros full price, 4 Euros for youth tickets (age 14-26), and free 13 and under. By Celine Laheurte"