Paris Catacombs - a huge network of man-made tunnels and caverns stretching beneath the city, according to some estimates, up to 300 kilometers. In addition, it is the world's largest burial place from the end of the XVIII century catacombs took the remains of about six million people.

The catacombs were formed on the site of the quarry, who gave Paris the stone from the time of Louis XI. Then cut limestone, comfortable and durable building material. The city quickly grew, new mines opened further from the center. By the XVII century by many residential areas of Paris extended cavity formed - entire streets "hung" over the precipice.

Understanding the magnitude of the threat, Louis XVI issued a decree created the General Inspection of the quarries, which exists to this day. For more than two centuries Inspectorate conducted a great job of strengthening the dungeons.

The current appearance of the catacombs formed another problem with which Paris has faced in the middle of the XVIII century. Since ancient times, the cemetery located near the church. Only in the cemetery of the Innocents remains of two bodies were lying million ten-layer. In 1780 the cemetery wall collapsed basements filled with the remains of the neighboring houses and sewage. Fifteen months special convoys were taken away the bones and put them in a former quarry. Then the city began to clean up another seventeen cemeteries. Catacombs have become a resting place.

During the German occupation in the quarry on the left bank of the Seine was located Wehrmacht secret bunker. Just 500 meters away was the headquarters of the French Resistance.

Today, especially for tourists equipped with 2, 5 km of underground galleries. People with strong nerves can explore the ossuary itself, whose walls are composed of millions of bones and skulls. Historical exposition acquaints visitors with interesting facts: Emperor Napoleon III took in the catacombs of the important visitors, the watchman of the Church of Val-deGras here trying to find the old wine cellars, but lost - his skeleton found in eleven years, identified by 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 to tourists.