Paris Catacombs, France

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Paris is a hotbed of sprawling cemeteries that house the remains of famous souls, from Jim Morrison to Baudelaire. There is, however, a darker side to Paris’ dead. Originally Paris had only one cemetery, Les Innocents, in the center of the city. However, with time and its increasing role as a European hub, the cemetery walls literally burst with the weight of all the bodies. After this, Paris had to figure out a place for its dead. That place was the catacombs. Beneath Paris, 200 miles of tunnels existed from limestone quarries that were used to build the city we know today. The bones of Les Innocents were shifted into the old quarries where walls of remains can be seen – and visited! – to this day.

 

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