πThe Catacombs π
πBy: Gabriel Ramirez π
Eeeek!
One of the more daunting monuments found in France, the Catacombs, is an underground cemetery packed with skeletal human remains. During the late 1700's, the need to get rid of dead bodies was urgent. Back then, the current place to dispose dead bodies was a graveyard called "Les Innocents." That cemetery was so overflowed back then, that the rotten flesh of the bodies in their graves oozed through the soil, and into Parisian's water supply. Therefore, intoxicating Paris citizens. To prevent further damage of the overflowing cemetery, they built the immense subterranean structure, to harbor "Les Morts." The ossuary nowadays, contains the bones of at least 6 million people, and is a bustling tourist hot spot that's visited by thousands of people each year.
Conditions and Accessibility (From Official Website)
- Visitor numbers are restricted to 200 at any time. Admission may be delayed for a short time during busy periods.
- Distance covered: 2 km. Duration of the tour: 45 minutes.
- No toilet or cloakroom facilities available. Animals are forbidden.
- 130 steps to go down and 83 steps back up to street level. (210 total)
- Temperature: 14Β°C (57Β°F.)
- The tour is unsuitable for people with heart or respiratory problems, those of a nervous disposition and young children.
- The Catacombs are not accessible for persons with reduced mobility.
- Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
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