Visit

The 243 Steps

Visiting the Paris Catacombs involves a total of 243 steps. At the beginning of the route, visitors descend 131 steps through a spiral staircase into the underground quarry tunnels. At the end of the visit, another 112 steps lead back to street level. These staircases reflect the depth of the site and the historic quarry network beneath the city.

The Quarry Tunnels

Before the Catacombs became an ossuary, these passages were part of the limestone quarry network that supplied stone for Paris’s construction. As you walk through the tunnels, you can still see quarry pillars, carved walls, and reinforcement structures that reveal how workers once extracted stone here. These corridors show the original function of the underground network beneath the city.

The Ossuary

The ossuary is the most recognizable section of the Catacombs and forms the heart of the underground visit. Here the remains of more than six million Parisians were transferred from overcrowded cemeteries during the late eighteenth century. Skulls and bones are arranged into structured walls along the corridors, creating the striking displays that visitors see today.

The Entrance Inscription

Before entering the ossuary galleries, visitors pass beneath the historic inscription Arrête! C’est ici l’empire de la Mort, which means “Stop! This is the empire of death.” Added in the early nineteenth century, the phrase marks the entrance to the memorial area of the Catacombs and reminds visitors that the tunnels ahead serve as a resting place for generations of Parisians.

The Crypt of the Passion

One of the most striking structures inside the Catacombs is the Crypt of the Passion, a column formed from carefully arranged bones surrounding a quarry support pillar. Located at a crossroads of tunnels, the structure demonstrates the organized layout of the ossuary galleries. Its unusual appearance and prominent position make it a memorable feature along the underground route.

The Port-Mahon Sculpture

Carved directly into the limestone wall, the Port-Mahon sculpture is one of the most surprising artistic elements inside the Catacombs. Created in the eighteenth century by quarry worker François Décure, the carving represents the fortress of Port-Mahon in Menorca. The detailed stone work reveals the personal creativity of workers who once spent long hours underground.

Quarry Pillars and Reinforcements

Throughout the underground route, visitors encounter large stone pillars and reinforced supports that stabilize the former quarry tunnels. These structures were strengthened in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to prevent collapses beneath the growing city above. The pillars demonstrate the complex engineering work required to transform abandoned quarries into a safe underground ossuary.