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Paris catacombs-185 miles of tunnels and underground passageways |
The City of Light harbors a city of darkness, a vast network of subterranean tunnels that once gave refuge to bandits, smugglers and saints, and cradles the bones of some 6 million Parisians.
Today, this eerie maze is the haunt of living spirits, from youths looking for adventure to urban explorers carving out a new frontier.
An underground movie house replete with bar and phone service, recently discovered by police, is but a slice of the thriving underworld below Paris.
Some 185 miles of tunnels and underground passageways honeycomb the underbelly of the city, most old quarries for the Lutecian limestone used to build the French capital. Others house electricity and telephone cables.
In the deepest sphere, some 100 feet under, lie the catacombs, holding ancient bones from overstocked cemeteries. Part of the catacombs are open to the public, but dropping into the rest city of darkness is illegal and can be hazardous.
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