Wednesday, April 3, 2013

C is for Catacombs in Paris


Welcome to the A-Z challenge, where we'll be blogging our way through the alphabet throughout the month of  April. My theme will be places--it may be a specific place, a state, or a country. It will be whatever I think is spooky, beautiful, or intriguing. I'll be rating each stop on the way with those factors, with 5 being the highest score, and 1 being the lowest score. I hope it will inspire any writers or travelers out there in Bloggerland. So, thanks for stopping by, and enjoy!

C = Catacombs in Paris

Day three on our stop is to the catacombs.The catacombs of Paris are an underground ossuary located in Paris, France. It holds an estimate of six million people--one huge mass grave + labyrinth of tunnels = Creepy! It was created in the 18th century because of cemetery overcrowding. Cemeteries were emptied, and bones were deposited below the city streets in abandoned quarries, and mines. The catacombs went from a bone depository to becoming decorative around 1810, and the catacombs then became a tourist attraction in the 19th century. I'm sure visitors report ghostly activity in the resting place of this mass grave. 


As your walking the streets of beautiful Paris on your romantic vacation getaway, remember what lurks just below your feet. 

This would make an interesting setting in any ghost story. If I ever go to Paris, I'm definitely making a stop here. How about you? Would you dare to walk through the tunnels of bones?

Spook factor: 5
Intrigue factor: 5
Beauty factor: 1 

Biblio: Wiki,

10 comments:

Nickie said...

O_O I would definitely NOT walk down there! That's very creepy, but it would make a good setting for a story.

Julie Flanders said...

Oh my gosh, how creepy! It would be fun to write a story including these catacombs sometime. I totally agree with you on the spook factor, eek!

prerna pickett said...

that's so cool! The teen thrill seeker inside of me wants to check it out, but the whimpy part of me wants to run away.

Crystal Collier said...

I keep thinking of Poe, and the Cask of Amontillado. Honestly, I would love to wander the catacombs. (I know, I'm weird.) I think cemeteries are one of the most peaceful places on the earth, and just the ambiance of a catacomb...fodder for writing, eh?

Neil Allen said...

My C is Cthulhu. =) A bit of a murder mystery.

Kate said...

Wow! I had no idea that these existed! I definitely wouldn't want to take a stroll down there, but what an awesome location for a book!!!

Daniel B. said...

What a great setting! Excellent choice for an A to Z post.

Melody said...

Such a cool picture! I would visit it. I find stuff like that intriguing.

D.G. Hudson said...

When we were in Paris, we decided not to go, but instead explored Pere Lachaise and Crypt Archeologique near Notre Dame.

I'm not fond on being underground, either. I liked this post.

Deborah Walker said...

I went to Paris in the Autumn. The Catacombs were closed. So I went to the Paris sewers instead.