
An Invisible City Beneath Paris - mitchbob
https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/the-invisible-city-beneath-paris
======
kweks
I lived in Paris for over 10 years, and a good deal of my social circle comes
from the catacombs.

This article, like others, are so eager to wrap an outing into the catacombs
as some type of adventure, a mystical experience, where misstep ends in death
and dying a slow death in a deep corner of a labyrinth is inevitable but for
your guide.

The catacombs are the Parisian equivalent of hanging out in the woods /
trainyard / whatever when you were 19 - 25. Paris is en expensive city. When
you're young and want to go out / get drunk / leave the watchful eye of your
parents and societal structures, you go into the catacombs.

If you go the weekends, you have to try very very hard to avoid people. There
are no "catacomb rules" or codes of conduct. It's a place used for self
expression, typically of youth, and mainly for socialising.

It's a little bit frustrating to see articles rendering what is very much a
commonplace affair hyperbolic.

~~~
therein
Did you go past the "banga" though?

~~~
kweks
Sure. It's a fun passage of you're going in via the south. Typically I'd
prefer the north and the private entrances.. less tourists, less mud, less
graffiti.

------
crazygringo
I went to the public part, on a guided tour.

You only get to see a small part of the many, many millions of bones, piled
from floor to ceiling. And somehow, while you're down there, you adapt quickly
to the "new normal" and it's simply morbidly fascinating. Like being in a
haunted house.

But then, once you take the elevator back up to the surface, and you walk down
the same street in normal life with normal people... and you realize the many,
many, many millions of bones (an estimated 6-7 million people) weren't a
horror movie you saw that's now ended, but are _still_ right there, just a
mere five stories beneath your feet. And they're not going anywhere. It was
only then that I realized... it was _real_. Not a movie, not fake. It's a
crazy experience.

------
userbinator
For those who will probably never get a chance to actually visit, a quick
Google finds maps of the tunnel system and you can see just how large it is
(public part is the red area):

[http://bienfun.free.fr/Plan-des-catacombes-
nexus-2007.jpg](http://bienfun.free.fr/Plan-des-catacombes-nexus-2007.jpg)

[https://blogs.valpo.edu/studyabroad/files/2011/03/plan_catac...](https://blogs.valpo.edu/studyabroad/files/2011/03/plan_catacombes.jpg)

(In French, naturally, but French<>English is one of the cases where Google
Translate works very well.)

~~~
pugworthy
Street View would be amazing in there...

~~~
amelius
Wouldn't that destroy a bit of the magic?

~~~
amelius
I mean, being able to visit without actually visiting could spoil a possible
later real experience.

------
flyGuyOnTheSly
One of my biggest regrets is not visiting this place when I was living in
Paris.

A friend of a friend knew the ropes and his way around and was eager to show
the foreigner his hidden playground.

I didn't entertain the offer out of fear for my own safety.

Carpe diem.

------
jimnotgym
I would love to visit, but this article made me want something even simpler. I
wish I had the time to read the New Yorker more often.

~~~
shaki-dora
The New Yorker is the one US magazine I subscribe to. It's only about 1 Euro
per week even outside the US, so I don't feel bad about not reading it. I'm
also planning to use the collected covers to paper a kitchen wall soon, which
will solidify my reputation of an insufferable hipster but also look kinda
neat.

~~~
bookofjoe
Much cheaper: subscribe to Apple News+. 30 day free trial, then $9.99/month
for total access on computers/tablets/phones. Includes the New Yorker among
the 251 magazines available in the U.S. as of March 25, 2019:
[https://www.macstories.net/news/a-complete-list-of-all-
the-m...](https://www.macstories.net/news/a-complete-list-of-all-the-
magazines-available-for-apple-news-in-the-u-s-so-far/)

~~~
morsch
Not cheaper than 1 EUR/week

Not available in most of Europe

Can't use it to paper a wall

~~~
bookofjoe
When it gets to Europe, then.

~~~
bookofjoe
Just did the math: 1 Euro/week = $1.12 U.S./week 4 x $1.12 = $4.48/month Apple
News+ = $9.99/month So, for an additional $5.51/month ($1.38/week = 1.23
Euro/week), you get full access to over 250 other magazines and a number of
newspapers.

------
UsernameProxy
Robert Macfarlane (the author of this article) has written some great books.
The last one I read was The Wild Places [1] which I highly recommend.

[1] [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2688775-the-wild-
places](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2688775-the-wild-places)

------
gumby
I went down into these a few times with more knowledgable (or foolhardy?)
friends as a teen ager. I found it pretty frightening.

------
module0000
There is an enjoyable book, written by someone who has explored these and (
_many_ ) other deep places in the world. I think I saw it posted on HN
originally.

Book name: Underground

Author: Will hunt

amazon search url:
[https://www.amazon.com/s?k=under+ground+will+hunt](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=under+ground+will+hunt)

------
Scoundreller
I’m impressed that they still stick to the carbide lamps instead of switching
to LEDs

~~~
Legogris
A seasoned cataphile invited me for the yearly gathering of the carbide-lamp
holders in the catacombs one night last year. It's really like a different
dimension of Paris and truly awesome and unique. It was a party of about 100
people or more, with stolen electricity powering a frenchcore rave dancefloor
and everything.

While I highly recommend both the public and the illegal part if you have the
chance, definitely don't go without an experienced guide as it can be
dangerous for real. There are also strict social codes that should be followed
when crossing paths with others down there.

~~~
kweks
Strict social codes ? Dangerous ?

Your friend might have been been pulling your leg (or taking himself too
seriously..)

There are no social codes. That's the appeal of the catacombs. The space
imposes no rules or structure. It is a bubble of freedom. Anything you follow
is self imposed.

~~~
Legogris
Maybe I should have formulated myself better. Like you say, it's self-
imposed/self-enforced.

The danger is definitely real. If you don't know where you're going you might
get lost and people get lost for good from time to time. In the more visited
parts someone might find you, but if you take a wrong turn and fall in bad
luck it's no good.

I don't want a random tourist go unprepared after reading this and have an
accident or require medical assistance when it could have been avoided. Just
like if you go hiking a mountain or spelunking.

~~~
hultner
Haha I'm not surprised that you've ventured down there.

Did you go the same way as in the article or via another entrance?

~~~
Legogris
o hai :D Different one.

~~~
hultner
You'll have to show me if I visit you in Paris ;) I asked Nena if she'd
ventured down there while she lived in Paris but she had only been top the
ones open to the general public.

~~~
Legogris
For sure! August is a great time to visit FWIW, Parisians flee the city for
vacation (and the tourist load is always high here any time of the year
anyway), so more quiet and calm.

The catacombs are constant temperature, so a great way to escape the heatwave
;)

------
usr1106
earlier HN item
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19386038](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19386038)

