In the 18th century overly full cemeteries created a main issue in Paris and a solution had to be found. So the solution the city authorities came up with was exhuming the bones of those already buried and placing them in the tunnels of quarries that were by that time out of use. This soon came to be known as the Catacombes.

These Catacombes include a series of tunnels about 20 m underground and are open to the public. A quirky fact is that people over the age of 60 pay no entrance fee.

While taking a French Language Course in Paris you may find it interesting to head into the Catacombes for a very different outing.