Paris catacombs – a huge network of artificial tunnels and caves that stretch under the city, according to some, to 300 kilometers. In addition, it is the largest burial place: from the late eighteenth century the catacombs took the remains of about six million people.

Catacombs was formed in place of the quarries, giving Paris a stone since the days of Louis XI. Cut here limestone, comfortable and durable building material. The city quickly grew, new mines were opened farther from the center. By the seventeenth century, under many residential areas of Paris formed a long hole appears – whole streets were left hanging over the precipice.

Realizing the magnitude of the threat, Louis XVI issued a decree which created the General Inspectorate of quarries, which exists to this day. More than two centuries the Inspectorate carried out a tremendous job of strengthening the dungeons.

The present appearance of the catacombs formed another problem with which Paris had faced in the mid-eighteenth century. Since ancient times, the cemetery was located near churches. Only the cemetery of the Innocent, the remains of two million bodies were lying ten layer. In 1780 cemetery wall collapsed, the cellars of the neighboring houses were filled with the remains and excrement. Fifteen months special convoys took out the bones and put them in a former career. Then the city began to clean up seventeen cemeteries. The catacombs became a place of rest.

During the German occupation in the quarry on the left Bank of the Seine, housed a secret bunker Wehrmacht. Just 500 metres from him was the headquarters of the French Resistance.

Today specially equipped for tourists 2, 5 kilometers of underground galleries. People with strong nerves can explore and ossuary, whose walls are composed of millions of bones and skulls. Historical exposition acquaints visitors with interesting facts: the Emperor Napoleon III was taken in the catacombs of important guests, the watchman of the Church of Val-Degras tried to find the old wine cellars, but lost his skeleton was found in eleven years, identifying keys. And during the cold war in the underground galleries were equipped with bomb shelters in case of nuclear attack.

Now the catacombs are temporarily closed for tourists.