Paris is lovely. Paris is romantic. Paris is stylish. Paris is… creepy? Believe it or not Paris is a fantastic place to spend Halloween. With such a gory history of war, plague and revolution there are is no end to the dark corners just waiting to be explored. Here, in no particular order, are our top five scary Paris Halloween activities.

The Catacombs of Paris

As you walk the streets of Paris you might be surprised to learn that right below your feet is a series of catacombs that stretches for almost 300km, housing the remains of around 6 million corpses. Indeed, walking through the non-descript door and climbing down the dank steps into this maze is like stepping into another world. Instead of the rich cream brickwork and bright display windows of the city, the walls down here are lined with bones stacked up to 2 metres high and several metres thick in places. In a bizarre and grotesque tribute to the millions of Parisians that died from disease, starvation or violence but who could not afford a grave, the bones have been fashioned into elaborate designs – a heart shape made of skulls, a real life skull and crossbones and elaborate doorways.

Creepy stuff - the Paris Catacombs

The entrance reads Arrette! C’est ici l’empire de la mort, ‘Stop! This is the empire of the dead’ and it’s one threshold that takes guts to cross. If you think you have what it takes to tread the sinister underbelly of Paris, consider one of our skip the line access tours. Only 200 people are allowed into the Paris Catacombs at any one time which makes it a fantastic experience once you’re down there but can lead to queues up to two hours long. To read a full review of this tour click here.

Paris Sewer Museum

Well I never said our Parisian Halloween sights were glamorous. The Paris Sewer Museum, or Musée des égouts de Paris is a fantastic and icky attraction that is especially great for anyone who knows and loves Les Misérables, since much of the musical and Victor Hugo’s novel upon which it was based, takes place in these long sandstone corridors. Don’t worry, you won’t be wading knee deep in the city’s toilet fluids. The sanitary sewers feed into separate pipes these days. Think more along the lines of mannequins dressed up as sewer workers, a five-ton flushing boat and the odd stream of drainwater coming in from the streets. Be warned though, there have been reports of the odd rat lending a little more “authenticity” to the experience. I hear the museum have them on payroll.

Get down and dirty in the Paris Sewers

The Paris Sewer Museum is in the 7th arrondissement beneath the Quai d’Orsay. It’s open every day but Thursday and Friday from 11am to 4pm this time of year. Tickets cost a pittance but access is free on a Paris Museum Pass (only worth it if you plan on blitzing a lot of museums). Tickets and access are from a very easy-to-miss blue and white kiosk with a descending staircase beside it. For the official website see here. The site is in French but never mind, the literature you get there is in English too.

Dark Heart of Paris

As I said, Paris has a very dark and bitter history. Don’t believe me? Watch Les Misérables, read A Tale of Two Cities or even have a flick through The Hunchback of Notre Dame. There are elements of Parisian history that you probably know well, like the French revolution where the streets were literally painted with blood. You may know about the guillotine that claimed so many heads, including Marie Antoinette’s. Or how about the Bartholomew’s Day massacre that ended 30,000 lives. But even if you know all of this you’ve still probably only seen the tip of the iceberg.

Let us show you the rest on a Dark Heart of Paris tour that will take you through the streets of Paris under a cloak of darkness. Your guide will tell you the shocking details that are never published in French travel brochures, made all the more eerie when you are standing in the exact place where they happened. Heads chopped off, crusaders burned at the stake and criminals tortured in front of a captive audience – can you think of a scarier way to spend Halloween?

La Conciergerie

Not scared yet? You will be

Although it was built as a palace, La Conciergerie is best known for its long history as a Parisian prison. Just next door to the Palais de Justice where criminals and the not-so-criminal were tried and charged with various crimes, the dungeons of La Conciergerie were a handy place to throw them before their appointment with La Guillotine. Take a tour of the dungeons where 2,800 prisoners were kept and drop by a reproduction of the cell where Marie Antoinette spent her last few hours. It’s not all death and suffering though, the palace is also home to one of the largest surviving medieval halls in Europe, the Salle des Gens d’Armes which draws its fair shares of ooh and ahhs. Just to take the edge off after dungeons of course.

Note: unfortunately La Conciergerie is closed from October 17th to November 17th for an exhibition but next time you’re in town be sure to drop by to scare the daylights out of yourself.

Père Lachaise is more treat than trick

If you prefer your Halloween activities a little less spooky and a little more pleasurable, Père Lachaise cemetery is a great option. Home to such legends as Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Chopin and who could forget the man who brought potatoes to France, there are more noteworthy celebs here than there are at most Oscars ceremonies. Hop on one of our tours to make it easier to find your way among the maze of beautiful crypts and graves and to hear all the stories that bring the place to life. Who knows, it might even give you some good ideas for a Halloween costume! Mr. Potatohead anyone?