Pere-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris

One doesn't usually associate a cemetery with a romantic stroll-- but a visit to Pere-Lachaise begs exactly that. Tucked away in a corner of northeastern Paris, the cemetery is affectionately called la cite des morts-- the city of the dead-- by Parisians. With its rolling hills, thousands of trees, winding paths with carefully plotted "street" names, and elaborate sepulchers and tombs, it's easy to see why Pere-Lachaise is considered Paris' most hauntingly beautiful place of rest. And countless great figures have their resting place here, including Chopin, Proust, Colette, or Jim Morrison. A true Paris must-see.

• Principal entry: Rue de Repos, "Porte du Répos". Metro Philippe Auguste
  (Line 2)
  
  
• Secondary entry: "Porte des Amandiers". Metro Père-Lachaise
  (Line 2,3)
  
  
• Secondary entry: Rue des Rondeaux, "Porte Gambetta". Metro Gambetta
  (Line 3).
  
  
• By bus: Lines 26 or 76.
  
  
• Located in the 20th arrondissement, nearby Belleville and Oberkampf.

• Info by telephone: +33(0)140 717 560
  
  
• Visit the website (Free virtual visit and interactive map)

• Mid-March through early November: 7:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Mon.-Friday; 8:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Saturday; 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Sunday and bank holidays.
  
  
• Mid-November through early March: 8:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.-Friday; 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturday; 9:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Sunday and bank holidays.
  
  

• Guided tours are available by advance telephone reservations.
  Price: 3 Euros (children), 6 Euros (adult) (approx. $4-$8).
  
  
• Free maps are available at the principal entries (Porte des Amandiers and Porte Gambetta.) You can also take a fascinating virtual tour of the cemetery ahead of your visit.
  
  
• A partial index of famous graves with direct links to locations on the map.

• The cemetery was named after Père de la Chaise, who was King Louis IV's confessor. The priest resided in a Jesuit residence that stood at the site of the present-day chapel.
  
  
• The Emperor Napoleon I inaugurated the cemetery in 1804. In order to mark the new cemetery as a place of prestige, the remains of French playwright Molière and famous lovers Abelard and Heloise were transferred to Pere Lachaise in the early 19th century.
  
  
• Housing some 300,000 graves, Pere-Lachaise is Paris' largest cemetery and one of the globe's most-visited cemeteries, with hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

• Try to go on a sunny day. Pere-Lachaise can be a remarkably wonderful place to amble in the sun. In the spring and summer, the greenery and blooms make for a picturesque visit. Enjoy the play of light and shadow on the tombs.
  
  
• Familiarize yourself with the cemetery ahead of time and choose a few sites you'd like to visit. You'll get more out of your stroll that way.
  
  
• Make sure to walk up the hill to the cemetery's summit. Beautiful views of Père-Lachaise and parts of Paris can be had from the hilltop.

War Monuments: Southeast Corner

• One of Pere-Lachaise's more moving features is its memorial to World War II Deportees and Resistants. The five monuments are located in the cemetery's southeast corner, near the "Porte de la Reunion" entrance.
  
  
• Another historic war site is the Communard's Wall (Mur des Fédérés, where nearly 150 people were massacred during the last week of the Paris Commune in 1871.

A Few Famous Graves

• Mideastern Section/Principal Entry:
  • Colette (writer)
  • Alfred de Musset (poet)
  • Baron Haussmann (19th-century architect who designed modern Paris
  • Frédéric Chopin (classical musician)

• South-Central Section:
  • Molière, La Fontaine (playwrights)
  • Victor Hugo (writer)
  • Jim Morrison (American rock musician)
  • Sarah Bernhardt (actress)

• Northern Section:
  • Richard Wright (American writer)
  • Isadora Duncan (American dancer)
  • Marcel Proust (writer)
  • Delacroix (painter)
  • Guillaume Apollinaire (poet)
  • Balzac (writer)

• Far-east and Southeast Corner:
  • Oscar Wilde (Irish writer)
  • Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas (American writers)
  • Edith Piaf (musician)
  • Modigliani (Italian painter)
  • Paul Eluard (poet)