Paris Catacombs, world’s largest underground grave

Begin your journey by descending a 130-step spiral staircase into the Catacombs. The staircase has triangular steps and walls that grow increasingly damp as you go deeper. At the bottom, there’s a gallery explaining the place's history, from a limestone quarry to the world’s largest ossuary.

From the informational gallery, walk through long corridors of varying ceiling heights,  carved from limestone. On the walls are markings left behind by quarry workers so they wouldn’t get lost; there’s a thick black line along the ceiling so a visitor doesn’t get lost in the tunnels. The air down here is chilly and the damp smell of earth is strong.

The path leads you to the Port-Mahon Palace (also known as St. Phillip’s Castle), which displays magnificent sculptures erected by French quarryman François Décure. According to the story, François spent his lunch breaks creating these sculptures on the limestone walls using primitive tools. The sculptures were recreated from his memories of his five-year imprisonment at Menorca’s Port Mahon prison.

This next section of the Catacombs is reminiscent of a wishing well; it was originally used by the quarrymen to collect water for mixing cement and to wash off at the end of their workday before returning to the ground surface above.

An inscription at the entrance to the Ossuary reads Arrête! C'est ici l'empire de la Mort ("Stop! The empire of Death lies here"). Beyond this is the Ossuary where all the skulls and bones are, piled tall and wide.

End your 1.5km circuit walk by climbing the 112 steps to the surface. Exit at Comptoir des Catacombes, a privately managed souvenir shop.

• Movies: The Paris Catacombs have starred in films like As Above, So Below (2014), a supernatural thriller that takes viewers into its dark corridors, and Catacombs (2007), a horror movie centering on the mysterious underground.
  
• Books: Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables includes a tense escape sequence through the Catacombs, while Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera draws on their mystique. Modern works like The Secret Catacombs by Rick Chesler also delve into their eerie atmosphere.
  
• Art: The Catacombs have inspired haunting photography series and installations, including Philippe Auguste’s photos showcasing the ossuary as both morbid and poetic. Urban explorers and artists continue to document their uncharted tunnels.

• Writers and explorers: Alexandre Dumas and Victor Hugo reportedly found inspiration for their works here; Napoleon III arranged for his son to tour the Catacombs, fascinated by their history.
  
• Modern explorers: The Catacombs have become a playground for cataphiles (urban explorers), with some mapping hidden areas or hosting secret gatherings in the labyrinth.
  
• Notable Stories: In 2004, French police discovered a secret cinema room complete with a bar and screening area, hidden deep within the Catacombs—a story that’s now legendary among explorers.

• The disappearing adventurer: Legends tell of explorers vanishing after getting lost in the maze, with mysterious recordings like the infamous Claustrophobic Tape fueling the myth.
  
• Supernatural activity: Visitors have reported ghostly sightings and whispers from the walls, adding to the Catacombs’ reputation as one of the world’s most haunted places.
  
• Secret societies: Myths of cults or secret organizations using hidden chambers for meetings and rave parties continue to fascinate.
  
• The Gates to Hell: Some believe the Catacombs are an entryway to the underworld, a theory amplified by films and paranormal enthusiasts.