Empire of the Dead: Paris Catacombs
The Paris catacombs are an illegal, clandestine playground for a tight-knit community of urban explorers called Cataphiles. “Empire of the Dead” is a 300 km maze of tunnels under the city of Paris formerly used to house over 6 million of Paris’s deceased. While approximately 1.5 km is accessible via public tour, the rest is strictly forbidden.
The entry points and maps of the tunnels are covert and closely guarded secrets of this group, and the routes underground are dangerous. Complete darkness, eerie silence, narrow openings, zero cell service and little means of rescue for solo adventurers, it is a eerie, albeit thrilling, experience.
From the street there's little indication this is an access point to the forbidden "interdit" catacombs.
Last glimpse of sunlight and fresh air for a couple hours
Much of the catacombs is crawling room height only
Wet conditions, mud up to our thighs for a good bit of time.
Underground creatures and graffiti in the catacombs.
Beach themed room inside the catacombs, places for parties complete with bonfires
The rat catacombs
Mona Lisa of the catacombs
Eerie catacombs under Paris
Location markers but true cataphiles know their way around from memory.
Stairs leading up to ground level
Made it though my forbidden tour of the catacombs.
Water line from my experience in the catacombs "sous-terre" underground