valthezeh

I hated the movie, but the actual place is pretty fun! Definitely fun to see.

I think that a lot of people miss the catacombes when they travel to Paris. When I went, it was completely empty, which made the whole experience that much more amazing. You take a stairway down for what feels like forever, and then you’re alone, in the dark, with hundreds upon hundreds of real bones and skulls staring back at you. It was surreal, and one of the most unique experiences I had while I was visiting France. I definitely recommend it to everyone!

I think that the song that they choose to sync the fountains to is critical to my enjoyment of it – I was really lucky that the first time I saw it they chose a really nice classical piece. I saw it from further away later during my trip and they were playing “Viva Las Vegas” – which seemed pretty tacky and overdone, and the choreographing wasn’t nearly as impressive. Luckily they have the show pretty frequently, so if you get a bad song you can always try again.

I’ve been here several times, twice with my family and once on a trip with a group I was part of during the summer of 2001. It’s a very impressive memorial, and the atmosphere is peaceful and calm in a city that is otherwise quite busy and crowded.