A Solo Walk Through the Eerie Paris Catacombs

Isaac Harjo of Prowalk Tours, who took his viewers on a picturesque walking tour of Paris, ventured underground for a subterranean tour of the famous Paris Catacombs. Harjo ventured alone in the early morning hours and found that he had the ossuary to himself.

This walking tour of PARIS CATACOMBS was filmed on Saturday, July 19th, 2020 starting at 9:55 AM. I was the first person to enter the Catacombs on the morning of this walk and was down there alone the entire time.

Paris Catacombs

This particular location holds the remains of more than six million people, with bones and skulls arranged in eery but somewhat comforting order. Harjo notes that this is only a small part of the many miles of catacombs under the city.

By 1756, the cemeteries had become so full, that bodies were being left out in the open causing major health concerns. By that time, most of the underground quarries had long since been abandoned so in 1774, the decision was made to transfer the bodies into the underground mines. ….Although the catacombs comprise only a small section of the underground “carrières de Paris” (“quarries of Paris”), Parisians often refer to the entire tunnel network as the catacombs. There are over 200 miles of tunnels and they are often frequented by adventurous individuals looking to explore, illegally.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.