If on the surface Paris is a fascinating city, the secrets the French capital hides beneath our feet are just as fascinating! Between the mysterious catacombs, the intriguing ghost stations, secret bunkers and underground lakes, a strange and out-of-this-world world is living in the belly of Paris.
So, ready to discover underground Paris?
Ghost stations
If you’re used to riding the Parisian metro, you may have noticed abandoned stations your train runs by but never stops at. They are called ghost stations. There are 16 of them. Some have been shut down or moved away, others actually never opened. Strangely enough, their mysterious look is often fascinating.
Most of these ghost stations closed during the Second World War. During this period, the metropolitan network was cut down to 85 stations. If most stations have reopened, others have joined the side of ghost stations. But what are their current purpose? In turns, they become a movie set, welcome advertising posters or are used as a place of training or workshop for RATP agents.;
Under the skirts, Paris monuments
Sometimes secrets are well-kept, sometimes they are not. Under the Parisian monuments hide uncommon places forbidden to the public. With the Phantom of the Opera, many of us learned about the existence of a mysterious lake under the Opéra Garnier opera house. But did you know that beneath the Printemps Haussmann runs an underground river known the Grange Batelière?
Are also unknown Parisian bunkers. And yet, under the Gare de l’Est and the Hôtel-Dieu is hiding a bunker. Underneath the Monnaie de Paris also lies a bomb shelter. Even under the Champ de Mars lies what’s nicknamed the bunker of the Eiffel Tower!
Underground tours
When it’s about visiting Paris, it’s often about going up with the Eiffel Tower, roam around Montmartre streets or be amazed by the Palais Garnier opera house…. But we not always think about visiting underground Paris. Yet, Paris undergrounds are worth it! Well, Paris sewers, the archeological crypt underneath Notre-Dame or even the Paris Catacombs are perfect to show you what hides in the belly of Paris.
Did you know? 3 unusual anecdotes about the Paris catacombs
The Catacombs of Paris are among the capital's most mysterious places. But how much do you really know about these ancient Parisian quarries? We reveal three unusual anecdotes about the Catacombs of Paris! [Read more]
