The temperature underground in the Catacombs is about 57° F (14° C), much cooler than Paris in summer. Bring a sweater, jacket, or scarf to help with the chill.
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The average temperature of the underground site is around 57 degrees Fahrenheit. The Catacombs of Paris are a great spot on your Paris itinerary for the whole family. The only rule you have to remember while visiting is to avoid disturbing the site in any way.
How to dress ? You can leave your boots at home, but be sure to wear comfortable shoes! However, waiting in front of the entrance can be long, even in winter, so don't forget to dress warmly.
The unique and fragile ossuary presented at the Paris Catacombs must not be touched. Group leaders must make their groups aware of the essential rules for preserving the works and be considerate towards other visitors. It is fordbidden to smoke, eat or drink inside the Paris Catacombs.
The tour involves descending into the earth on stairs and uneven ground. The walkways are strewn with pebbles and may become slippery in moist areas. I highly suggest you wear tennis shoes or rubber sole shoes; the more comfortable, the better as you will be walking a distance. The catacombs is a must see.
However, the strong smell of the Paris catacombs is apparently what all the initial signs were warning sensitive visitors about. At best, it could be likened to the dusty, incense-infused scent of old stone churches, but with an underlying malaise that can only be attributed to the contents of multiple cemeteries.
This unique accommodation will be offered for a single night only, to the person (and their mate/spouse/death-obsessed partner) who best explains to the host why they're brave enough to sleep under the dirt.
Hygiene. Both catacombs were dug largely for hygiene reasons. Rotting bodies in the middle of a city is not ideal, especially when they start piling up as they did in Paris. Both catacombs were created to avoid disease, but in Rome, they thought ahead.
Even though it's illegal to access parts of the catacombs other than the site open to visitors, there's a group of urban explorers called “Cataphiles” who navigate the tunnels secretly.
On exiting the Catacombs you will be searched to make sure you have brought no bones with you. There are no toilets or facilities during the tour and note you may have been queueing for some time before entry. There are guided tours you can purchase.
The tour of the Catacombs is deep underground. The walking route is about 2km, about 1.25 miles and the average independent visit takes around one hour. You will first descend 130 steps down to the Catacombs and then at the end it's an 83-step climb to street level.
Despite the ritual with which they were transferred, the bones had simply been dumped into the tunnels in large heaps. Slowly but surely the quarrymen lined the walls with tibias and femurs punctuated with skulls which form the basis of most of the decorations that tourists see today.
Is a Tour of the Paris Catacombs Worth It? Short answer: Yes, it most definitely is. The area is an engineering marvel and full of significance—you'll find yourself getting more intrigued by the minute! Not to mention, guided tours have access to areas that are off-limits to the public.