Travel back in time by going beneath the streets of Paris ! The first place you want to check out are the catacombs. I hear the catacombs are always full of people, but since I live in Paris, I had the opportunity to visit between Covid lockdowns.
Located in the 14th arrondissement, the catacombs are 20 meters underground and are filled with a mixture of unknown human bones (over 6 million people !) that were brought to the catacombs between 1786 and 1814 because the cities cemeteries were overflowing.
Take this guided tour of the catacombs : here For the moment, the cathedral of Notre Dame is closed. In 2019, there was a tragic fire that destroyed the roof and made it unsafe for visitors. But did you know, there are archaeological crypts underneath Notre Dame that you can still visit ?? This area was archaeologically excavated from 1965 until 1970 before a parking lot was built in front of Notre Dame de Paris. You heard that right. You used to be able to park right in front of the cathedral. And before Notre Dame was cleaned, it was completely black from all of the pollution. The island where Notre Dame rests, yes, it is an island - the reason it is called the île de la cité - the island of the city. This is the oldest part of the city of Paris. It was once inhabited by pre-Romans, known as Gallo-Romans around the third century BCE before the Romans conquered the area around 53BCE and was once called Lutecia.
After you visit the archaeological crypt of Notre Dame, you can cross the oldest bridge in the city, the Pont Neuf.
Underneath the Louvre when you enter the museum are the old walls of the palace. The Louvre museum was once a castle and a fraction of the size it is today.
You can also see an inverted pyramid underground. This installation (all of the pyramids the Louvre is famous for) are not that old. They were inaugurated in 1989 by architect I.M. Pei. One last underground tour for you all : Take a sewer tour in Paris ! Sure, it sounds gross but it's not. It's a museum, Le Musée des Égouts de Paris. When you think of Paris, the sewers are probably not the first thing that comes to mind. The sewers opened to the public in 1897 during the World Expo. And now you can tour them in the museum. Paris is great to see from above, but don't forget about all of the great things underneath the city !
*This post contains affiliate links where I make a small profit if you buy at no extra cost to you.
Comments