According to Atlas Obscura, mystery and darkness pervade the subterranean world of catacombs, galleries and tunnels that exist far below the bustling streets of Paris. While the ossuary is open to public viewing and many people are aware of its existence, it is not common knowledge that it represents only a fraction of all there is to see. It is believed that millions of skeletal remains and more than 200 miles of complex tunnel structures exist below the city, which date back to Roman times and remain unexplored to this day.
During the World War II occupation of Paris, the Nazis set up an underground shelter within the catacombs. Members of the French Resistance used the very same network to pass messages back and forth between members. Today, underground parties frequented by cataphiles—as these clubbers are named—flourish in this netherworld, although they are always fearful and watchful of police intervention.
Paris Is a City of Many Headless Statues
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