One does not usually associate a cemetery with a romantic walk, but a visit to Père-Lachaise asks for exactly that. Tucked away in a northeast corner of Paris known to locals as Menilmontant, the cemetery is affectionately called the cite des morts , the city of the dead, by Parisians.
With its gentle rolling hills, thousands of trees in dozens of varieties, winding roads with carefully laid out, elaborately named avenues, and elaborate graves and tombs, it’s easy to see why Père-Lachaise is considered the most hauntingly beautiful resting place in Paris. If that wasn’t a compelling enough reason to take a stroll there, great figures have their resting place here, including Chopin, Proust, Colette or Jim Morrison. It’s no wonder, then, that a cemetery is on our top 10 list of Paris sights and attractions.
Location and main entrances
- Main entrance: Rue de Repos, «Porte du Répos». Metro Philippe Auguste
(Line 2) - Secondary entrance: «Porte des Amandiers». Père-Lachaise Metro
(Line 2,3) - Secondary entrance: Rue des Rondeaux, «Porte Gambetta». Gambetta Metro
(Line 3). - By bus: lines 26 or 76.
- Located in the 20th arrondissement, near Belleville and Oberkampf
Guided Tours and Maps
- Guided tours are available through advance telephone reservations.
- Free maps are available at the main entrances (Porte des Amandiers and Porte Gambetta). You can also take a fascinating virtual tour of the cemetery before your visit.
Key facts and history
- The cemetery is named after Père de la Chaise , confessor of King Louis IV. The priest resided in a Jesuit residence that stood on the site of the current chapel.
- Emperor Napoleon I inaugurated the cemetery in 1804. To mark the new cemetery as a place of prestige, the remains of the French playwright Molière and the famous lovers Abelard and Heloise were transferred to Pere Lachaise in the early 19th century.
- With some 300,000 graves , Pere-Lachaise is the largest cemetery in Paris and one of the most visited cemeteries in the world, with hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
Tips for visiting
- Try to go on a sunny day. Pere-Lachaise can be a remarkably wonderful place to walk in the sun. In the spring and summer, the greenery and flowers make for a picturesque visit. Enjoy the play of light and shadow on the tombs.
- Familiarize yourself with the cemetery in advance and choose a few sites that you would like to visit. You will get more out of your ride that way.
- Make sure you go up the hill to the top of the cemetery. Beautiful views of Père-Lachaise and parts of Paris can be had from the top of the hill.
Highlights of your visit
Before your visit, get an idea of how the cemetery is laid out – it can be confusing even for regular walkers. Be sure to check the maps at the entrances to the cemetery, and use the following as a general way to stay oriented.
War Monuments: Southeast Corner
One of the most moving features of Pere-Lachaise is its monument to the Deported and Resisters of the Second World War. The five monuments are located in the southeast corner of the cemetery, near the “Porte de la Reunion” entrance.
Another historical war site is the Wall of Communard ( Mur des Fédérés , where nearly 150 people were massacred during the last week of the Paris Commune in 1871.
Some famous graves
- Middle East Section / Main Entrance:
- Colette (writer)
- Alfred de Musset (poet)
- Baron Haussmann (19th century architect who designed modern Paris
- Frédéric Chopin (classical musician)
- Center-south section:
- Molière, La Fontaine (playwrights)
- Victor Hugo (writer)
- Jim Morrison (American rock musician)
- Sarah Bernhardt (actress)
- North Section:
- Richard Wright (American writer)
- Isadora Duncan (American dancer)
- Marcel Proust (writer)
- Delacroix (painter)
- Guillaume Apollinaire (poet)
- Balzac (writer)
- Far East and Southeast:
- Oscar Wilde (Irish writer)
- Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas (American writers)
- Edith Piaf (musician)
- Modigliani (Italian painter)
- Paul Eluard (poet)
