{"id":11452,"date":"2023-03-23T17:01:58","date_gmt":"2023-03-23T21:01:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cf-staging.takewalks.com\/blog2\/?p=11452"},"modified":"2025-09-24T12:06:50","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T10:06:50","slug":"paris-catacombs-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/paris-catacombs-story","title":{"rendered":"The Unbelievable Story of the Paris Catacombs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Want to see the creepiest attraction in Paris? By the middle of the 18th century, Paris stunk. It may have been one of the largest and most prosperous cities in the Western World. Its own rapid growth caused the city\u2019s cemeteries to literally overflow with the bodies of the dead<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reek of decomposing flesh attained epidemic proportions in certain areas of the city. The area around the main food market of Les Halles suffered the most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Public health was at risk, so something had to be done. Few expected that the solution would create one of the most singular and spooky tourist attractions in the world. This was an incredible feat of architectural derring-do, marketing genius, and downright hard, nasty work. This transformation turned the city from a stinking, pestilent warren of medieval chaos into one of the most beautiful and progressive cities in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, it\u2019s a story of progress, of foresight, and a bit of macabre interior design. It\u2019s the story of the Paris Catacombs, which you can see for yourself on our <\/strong>Catacombs of Paris Tour<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong> A local historian will lead you through one of Europe’s largest catacombs. You\u2019ll see macabre arrangements of bones and learn about the history of this enormous burial ground. Be prepared for an experience like no other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"piles<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Do you have what it takes to walk around the eerie Paris Catacombs? Photo credit: Chelms Varthoumlien<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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