Photo courtesy of Pere Lachaise Cemetery

Cimetiére du Pére Lachaise

Type: Historic Sites, Sightseeing

Last updated on February 28, 2022

10Best Says

Named for Louis XIV's confessor, who once lived in the vicinity, this cemetery was established in 1804. It was planned as a repository for human remains when authorities sought to improve sanitation by moving graves from the center of the city to its outskirts. Now park-like in its appeal, P� Lachaise is a much-desired place to be buried. Within its bounds are the graves of Moli�, Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Chopin, Edith Piaf, Sarah Bernhardt, Marcel Proust, and other famous figures. The very first burial at the cemetery however was Ad�� Paillard de Villeneuve, a five-year-old girl who was the daughter of a bell-boy. Her grave no longer exists today because it was a temporary concession. Stately trees and beautiful memorials add to the cemetery's present-day calm. METRO: P� Lachaise, Philippe Auguste

Address:

8 boulevard de Ménilmontant
Paris, 75020

Phone:

01 55 25 82 10

Website:

pere-lachaise.com

EXPERT TIPS BY: Paige Donner
Former Contributor

Sightseeing, Historic Sites: "Schedule a whole day if you want to explore the entire cemetery: There are a whole 110 acres to cover and many famous tombstones to hunt down in addition to Jim Morrison's and Oscar Wilde's."
Best Attractions & Activities: "Schedule a whole day if you want to explore the entire cemetery. There are a whole 110 acres to cover and many famous tombstones to hunt down, in addition to Jim Morrison's and Oscar Wilde's."

Best for Sightseeing Because: This cemetery, with its Jim Morrison claim to fame, is the second most visited site by tourists in Paris.
Recommended as Best Attractions & Activities Because: Can you really come all the way to Paris and not pay tribute to Jim Morrison's grave?
Best for Historic Sites Because: Napoleon, declared Emperor three days prior to the cemetery opening, proclaimed, "Every citizen has the right to be buried regardless of race or religion."