Where Are the Catacombs of Paris Located?

The Catacombs are located beneath the great city of Paris in France. The ossuary is located approximately 20 meters below ground and houses the remains of 6 to 7 million Parisians. The remains were gradually transferred to the ossuary between the 18^th and 19^th century due to graveyards being closed because of the risk they posed to public health.

Catacombs of Paris, France by Djtox

Notable Deceased Historical Figures

Within the Catacombs, there are many notable deceased historical figures due to the transfer of remains from various churches and graveyards. Such names include François Rabelais, Charles Perrault, Jean de La Fontaine, Simon Vouet, François Girardon, Salomon de Brosse, Jules Hardouin-Mansart, and Claude Perrault.

People that have died during the Revolution were also buried in the Catacombs, including victims of the 1792 massacres. Victims of the guillotine were additionally buried in the Catacombs, including Lavoisier, Camille and Lucile Desmoulins, Madame Elisabeth, Robespierre, and Danton.

Passages at the Catacombes, Paris, France by Oh Paris

Available Tours

Visitors can enjoy a 45-minute tour of the Catacombs spanning over 2 kilometers (1.2 miles). Visitors should dress accordingly since the average temperature is 14˚ Celsius (57.2˚ Fahrenheit). Along with the total distance traveled, visitors will also need to prepare for walking 213 steps during the tour.

The tour is available daily (except for Mondays and public holidays) from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The price of admission varies depending on if you choose full rate, concessions rate, or half rate. In order to enjoy half rates or concessions rates, you will need to have a valid piece of identification with you. Additionally, you may be able to receive group rates.

If you want to be at the Catacombs entrance bright and early for the tour, you can look into nearby Paris hotels to spend the night. If you want to discover the best rates and services, you will need to comparison shop beforehand.

Sculpture Chiselled in the Catacombes, Paris, France by Oh Paris

Conditions and Accessibility for the Tour

When taking the tour, you may experience short delays during busy times since the visitor number is restricted to 200. It should additionally be known that cloakroom and bathroom facilities are not available on site.

The tour is not suitable for families with young children or people with respiratory or heart problems. Additionally, people with reduced mobility will not be able to access the site. Children under the age of 14 will need an adult present in order to go on the tour.

If you want to explore more about Paris’ history, the Catacombs of Paris is a great place to start. However, you will just need to plan ahead and make sure that you do not have any major health concerns in order to enjoy it to the fullest.

Chris McMahon enjoys sharing his travel stories online. He has a particular love for the lesser known gem in popular destinations.

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But a Royal Mile is not just a set of streets, rather a multitude of tourist attractions, many of which are true treasures of Scottish history. And, a must see places for any visitor.

Museums, historic buildings, statues and more make the Royal Mile such a desired place for any tourist to go to.

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland, UK by Boon Low

Below I list 6 of the must see museums of the Royal Mile.

The Peoples Story Museum

The Peoples Story Museum is a celebration of the lives of the people of Edinburgh in the 18th century. Located beside the historic Cannongate the museum, through various expositions showcases the everyday lives of the citizens of Edinburgh. You can visit a recreated bookbinders workshop, kitchen, see a classroom and a creche from those times, a traditional living room and more.

What’s really fascinating about the museum is the detail in which everything has been recreated. Sometimes when wandering between various exhibitions you can really feel as if you were there, in those times.

Location: 163 Canongate, Royal Mile

Writers’ Museum

A museum dedicated to the work of Scotland’s great literature figures. The museum features an exciting collection of manuscripts, publications, first editions and even portraits of famous Scottish writers.

Location: Lady Stair’s House, Lawnmarket

Mary King’s Close

A museum not for the faint of heart. This 1600s built network of underground streets and passages is one of the darkest secrets of the city. Various tales surround the close, some saying that this has been the place where the sick where brought in to die during the great plaque of 1600s. Others claim that the place is haunted. All in all, it is not a place for the faint of heart.

Location: 2 Warriston’s Close, Edinburgh

Museum of Childhood

This is a place where you can feel a child again. Located MK of the Royal Mile, the Museum of Childhood is filled with toys from the past. Discover what children used to play with MK years ago, and perhaps even find the kind of toys that you used to play with as a child (I did!).

Location: 42 High Street

Museum of Edinburgh

If you want to discover the history of the city and find out how it develop over the years, then you must head down to the Museum of Edinburgh.

As the name suggests, this museum is all about the city. View old plans, artifacts, glassware and more.

Location: 142 Canongate

Our Dynamic Earth

Probably the most exciting of all museums on the Royal Mile, Our Dynamic Earth is a fully interactive museum presenting the history of our planet, from it’s formation to today and beyond.

Go back in time to witness the beginning of the universe and slowly move through times with this set of interactive displays and presentations. The museum also features two cinema shows, one in total 3D (and it’s great!).

Location: Very end of the Royal Mile, right at the Palace of the Holyrood.

About the Author: Thomas is a travel writer and accommodation specialist working for Staycity Edinburgh, the leading serviced apartments provider in the city.

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The National Gallery of Ireland

The National Gallery of Ireland was established in the 1860s and has since amassed an impressive collection of art, both Irish and European. Before one even enters the building, it’s hard not to pause a moment to take in its external appearance. The gallery is a traditional, noble-looking stone building on the Merrion Square side, while its Millenium Wing, which one can enter from Clare Street, was built in the Brutalist style and presents an ultramodern appearance to passers-by on that side of the building. Some of the highlights from the collection include Caravaggio’s “The Taking of the Christ”, which was thought to be lost until the 1990s when it was found in a Jesuit building in Dublin, Irish painter William Leech’s “Convent Garden, Brittany c. 1912” and the beautiful, expressionist works of Jack B. Yeats, brother to the renowned poet William B. Yeats.

The National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin by Kaihsu Tai

The Chester Beatty Library

This intimate museum is nestled between Dublin Castle and its Coach House. It was established in the year 2000, won “European Museum of the Year” in 2002 and has been described by The Lonely Planet guide as “not just the best museum in Ireland, but one of the best in Europe”. The museum hosts a small, but wonderfully curated collection of manuscripts, ancient texts, prints and drawings and its “Sacred Traditions” section gives a comprehensive and fascinating view of Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. One of the highlights of the collection is one of the first illustrated versions of “The Life of the Prophet”. As well as the permanent collections, the museum hosts interesting temporary exhibitions and has a wonderful little café where you can eat Middle Eastern food as you mull over what you have seen.

Chester Beatty Libary, Dublin, Ireland by Charles Curling

If you are planning on staying in Dublin, once you have organised your accommodation, you should read up on some of the other museums in the city as there really is something for everyone, so you won’t be disappointed during your stay in the capital of the Emerald Isle.

This article was written by travel agent Timothy Smith who organises short term lets Dublin for tourists.

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Pollock’s Toy Museum

If you are visiting London with your children, Pollock’s Toy Museum is certain to be a top attraction for you and your family. Practically any toy that has been on the market for children worldwide has a place at this site. The collections are a fascinating look at the ways kids played in the past. Come to experience a world of porcelain dolls, teddy bears, tinkertoys, board games and more. Elaborate dollhouses and toy theaters also are on display for the littlest ones in your party to explore.

Pollock’s Toy Museum, London, UK by R Sones

Freud Museum

This site was the home of Sigmund Freud after he and his family fled Austria and the Nazis in the late 1930s. Here is where you can see perhaps the world’s most famous analyst couch with its pillows and tapestries. You also can see the desk where Freud spent much time writing his papers. The family’s extensive collection of antiquities also is on display, and the ground’s gardens are worth checking out, too. The house and its furnishings are frozen in Freud’s time.

Whitechapel Bell Foundry

Lots of British and global manufacturing history can be found here, as the site exists as Britain’s oldest continuing manufacturer. Here, you can find church bells, handbells, clock tower bells (think Big Ben) and other varieties made to order. The company’s rich history extends across the pond, as the U.S. Liberty Bell was cast at the site more than 250 years ago.

Churchill War Rooms

Part of the collection that makes up Britain’s Imperial War Museum, this is the wartime bunker where British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his government officials took shelter during the London Blitz. You can see where wartime decisions were made and purchase a Churchill coffee mug in the same visit. The Map Room holds maps where you can see tiny pinholes that charted Allied progress. Next to that room is Churchill’s Room, still in existence from its time as his office/bedroom space.

The Black Museum

Better known as the crime museum, this infamous site offers a collection from London’s macabre side. In 1869, a new law allowed law enforcement to start keeping artifacts from criminals for educational purposes. Today, the museum holds weapons disguised as ordinary items, vials of poison, forensic photos and other criminal evidentiary items. The museum, while not open to the public, is open for law-enforcement training and crime lectures for legal authorities. If you are a law-enforcement official, you may be able to gain entry for a tour.

You find more London travel guides online and also accommodation in London from www.holiday-velvet.com.

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Musee du Louvre, France

It’s hard to create a list of European museums without including the Louvre. All varieties of art, ranging from antiquities that date in the B.C. era to the famed Mona Lisa, fill the 652, 300 square feet of exhibit space. While it would take days to see all these amazing works, it is more than worth your time to map out a path to your favorite artists or periods of art and spend a few hours exploring the Louvre and ogling the art.

Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci

Van Gogh Museum, The Netherlands

While the French painters certainly had their hey-day of beautiful paintings, the Dutch had equally amazing master painters. Much smaller than the Louvre is the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Here, visitors can see the largest collection of works by Vincent van Gogh, as well as works by his contemporaries, such as Paul Gaugin, Claude Monet, and Georges Seurat.

Galleria degli Uffizi, Italy

If you love the masterpieces of the Renaissance, the Uffizi is a gluttonous indulgence of riches. Here hangs some of the most famous works that came under the art-loving support of Florence’s Medici family. Michelangelo, Boticelli, and Raphael are just a few of the masters who have art here.

Museo Guggenheim Bilbao, Spain

One should visit the Guggenheim’s Spanish location even if modern art is unappealing. The architecture of the building is an amazing site to see on its own! Within this architectural landmark, visitors can see works by Basque artists and more general contemporary art from the Guggenheim collection. There are also site-specific installations. The rotating collections tend to focus on art from mid-20^th century to contemporary times.

Museo Guggenheim Bilbao, Spain by MykReeve

The National Gallery, UK

This landmark museum that towers over London’s Trafalgar Square has a well-rounded collection of paintings. Famous works by post-impressionist painter Paul Cezanne hang in rooms near Renaissance genius Titian. The National Gallery truly has something for an enthusiast of every period of Western art – plus, it is free.

Terry Carter writes about travel and backpacking for Camping Gear Outlet. 

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She was carrying 2,224 passengers and crew, but after sinking there were only an estimated 705 survivors.

The short life of the magnificent ship began in 1909 when construction began at the shipyard in Belfast. As the birthplace of the fated vessel, Belfast is home to one of the finest museums dedicated to the liner in the world.

Titanic Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK by Titanic Belfast

Titanic Belfast Visitor Experience

The building itself is a work of art as an artistic impression of four ships hulls towering 90 feet high. It’s the world’s largest attraction dedicated to the Titanic, the main exhibition taking up 11,000 square metres of space.

The façade of the building has a dynamic appearance, covered in thousands of 3D aluminium plates that, especially on a sunny day, are spectacularly enhanced by the surrounding reflective pools. It is situated just 100 yards from where Titanic’s hull was first launched. With the help of the ship building the Northern Irish city enjoyed its greatest economic boom of the 20th century.

As soon as you enter the vast exhibition you see everything from the early beginnings when the liner was just an idea to its tragic end in 1912.

The Launch

On 31 May 1911 Titanic was launched, watched by an adoring crowd of around 100,000 people. At the centre you can stand at a window and look down the slipway where Titanic once sat. State of the art technology means that you can flick a switch and as if my magic you will see the ship resting on the slipway.

The Wreckage

Titanic lies 13,000 feet below the waves in the North Atlantic, but thanks to the tireless work of oceanographers you can walk through a detailed gallery of the amazing images and footage that have been collected over the years, as the ship every day becomes more a part of the seabed.

Legendary Tales

Few stories have received as much attention in story and film as the Titanic. There’s a gallery that shows just how much it has features in pop culture. Can you tell the difference between fact and fiction?Check out the posters and paraphernalia to see how much you really know about the legend.

You mustn’t miss this, and it’s an easy trip from any centrally located hotel in Belfast, and I’m sure you won’t be far from some knowledgeable people who can help you get there.

It’s the greatest maritime story in the world and Titanic Belfast is a fitting testament.

Catherine Halsey writes for a digital marketing agency on a range of subjects. This article links back to https://www.parkinn.co.uk/hotel-belfast

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Royal Museum, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK by subberculture

In Edinburgh, museum-goers are spoilt for choice with a wide selection from aviation to xylophones. To make things a little easier, here are four of the best the city has to offer…

The National Museum

It’s probably a good idea to set aside the whole day for this one. 20,000 exhibits across 36 galleries cover everything from science and technology to world cultures and art. This impressive collection includes the skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, the mummified body of 3,000 year old ancient Egyptian Iufenamun, and specimens collected by evolutionary theorist, Charles Darwin. The National Museum even has its own Scotland gallery, dedicated to centuries of the country’s history and showing how life today is shaped by events of the past. Aptly located in the middle of Edinburgh’s historic Old Town, the museum is close to the city’s main train link. Entry is free and it’s open daily from 10am to 5pm.

Museum of Childhood

Take a trip down memory lane in the Museum of Childhood – the first museum in the world dedicated to the history of our youth. Filled with a nostalgic array of toys, books, games and more, it is more than just a collection of objects to play with; the galleries aim to explore all aspects of growing up, using interactive exhibits to spark creativity and learning. Computer games demonstrate how life has evolved since the late 20^th century, while teddy bears, trains and pedal cars remind us how certain things will always be a part of our childhood. Entry to the exhibition is free, but donations are welcome and well worth it for a theme so close to our hearts. The Museum of Childhood is open Monday – Saturday from 10am to 5pm and Sunday 12pm to 5pm.

Our Dynamic Earth

Ever wondered what it’s like to stand in a tropical rainforest, with the sticky heat on your face and the sound of animals around you? Wonder no more at Dynamic Earth, the museum that transports you around the world in a range of interactive exhibits. Come face-to-face with extinct dinosaurs, dive to the bottom of the sea and feel the earth shaking under your feet as you explore the past, present and predicted future of our planet. Although entry is payable, tickets are very reasonable at only £11.50 for an adult, £7.50 for a child, and children under the age of 3 go free!

The People’s Story Museum

Step into the Scotland of the past at The People’s Story Museum, located on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. Dedicated to the lives of the city’s working class from the 18^th century to the present, the galleries are filled with everyday objects, photos and treasures that create an intricate story to be explored by all. Learn about important trades like printing, brewing and biscuit making, compare home wares of yesteryear to the modern objects we use today, and observe waxwork scenes that bring the exhibitions to life in a dramatic and very real way.

If you live in Edinburgh but haven’t taken advantage of these great museums, why not make a plan for the next rainy day? For those visiting from elsewhere, there are plenty of hotels and serviced apartments within range of the city’s fantastic array of attractions.

The post Explore the World in Edinburgh’s Museums | United Kingdom appeared first on Europe Explored.

Hagar Qim, Neolithic Temple; Malta by John Haslam

The Four Malta Museums

The four Malta museums opening their doors throughout Valletta and Gozo include the Folklore Museum, the Gozo Museum of Archaeology, the Gozo Nature Museum and the Old Prison. With such a wide variety to suit any taste, mood or goal, there is no excuse not to take a trip out and see the sights and soak in a bit of cultural history. The museums themselves contain many key exhibitions that many will not experience in a lifetime and Heritage Malta has taken the opportunity to offer massively discounted memberships to the visiting public. The memberships entitle visitors to a host of benefits such as discounted visits, newsletters and events specifically hosted for card holders.

Ancient Pre-History

Not many people realise how many years of history is contained upon the island of Malta; museums feature art from centuries ago while megalithic structures dated to pre-history scatter the country. More than a few World Heritage Sites are situated on the island and the four museums that are opening their doors for free are a great start on a journey of discovery. While the island if teeming with underground tunnels and megalithic structures, only speculation can be made about what their purposes were in ancient times and this mystery is part of the appeal to visitors.

Diverse Cultural Background

The history of Malta is contained within their museums with ancient Phoenicians, Biblical figures, knights of the Crusade and even more contemporary World War history all telling an overall tale of the cultural history of the island nation. Mediterranean does translate into Middle Earth and with Malta at the centre of that, it’s no small wonder that so many important cultural and historical features exist there. A Malta museum is a gateway into millennia of history and the open doors of Heritage Malta’s museums begin that journey for many visitors.

Eugene Calvini is a writer addicted to Malta holidays for rest and relaxation; he enjoys sharing the many aspects of Malta so that others may share his experiences.

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Tate Modern, London, UK by Hans Peter Schaefer

Tate Modern Museum

The Tate Modern is located at the banks of the Thames River. It is Britain’s national museum of contemporary and modern art. The exterior of the structure is unique because the building was previously a power station. Inside the museum, you will find modern artworks and older masterpieces that are on temporary display.

You can see exhibits for free that feature Matisse, Cezanne, Dali, Picasso, Warhol, Hirst and Pollock among others. This coming October, you can view an exhibit that features Aldo Tambellini’s revolutionary artworks that include paintings, video, sound, slide and film projections. Tambellini’s artworks focus on political change in a creative way.

Official website of Tate Modern

Guts For Garters

Guts For Garters, located at Cob Gallery on 205 Royal College Street, offers something unique to its visitors. This innovative artistic concept integrates a shop, art exhibit and even clothes and furniture in its inventory. Typically, management arranges an exhibit based on a theme with each artist, item and designers working to create a cohesive environment. Exhibits usually instigate debate and out-of-the-box concepts that might make new visitors to the museum question their choice of exhibitions.

Themes like “Sex and Death” and artworks created with real human blood make this museum stand out from other artistic venues. Currently, Guts and Garters is planning an installment on August 17 to 19 with Cathie Pilkington called Traces. The exhibit will include commissioned objects like fabrics, furniture, jewelry and food. The exhibit, which will be located at an old Victorian building, will also feature illustrations, sound and digital art.

Official website of Guts For Garters

Royal Academy Of Arts

This museum was founded in 1768 and is one of the oldest museums on London. On permanent exhibit are some of the works of Michelangelo and personal items of Queen Victoria. To get to the venue, you have to walk through the gates of Piccadilly to get to the Annenberg Courtyard where you will find the entryway to the Royal Academy Of Arts.

You will find current exhibits featuring works from the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The show includes artworks from 19th century France that focus mainly on Impressionism. You can also view weird, wacky and wonderful architectural works of art. The Kings Artists is also being featured at the museum till October. The show features anything and everything about King George III and Queen Charlotte.

Official website of Royal Academy Of Arts

Royal Academy of Arts in Burlington House, London, UK by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)

Visiting the top London Art Galleries will allow you to appreciate what Britain is all about. What better way to absorb the culture and history of this country than to see a comprehensive collection of artworks in London’s best art museums and galleries.

This article was written on behalf of the Connaught hotel who specialise in providing the some of the best afternoon tea in London.

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Hall of Steel, Leeds / Paul8032

The view provided by the display, encompassing every floor of the armoury, overlooks the city of Leeds, Clarence Dock, and the Air/Clader navigation canal. It is a very different world from the one in which those swords were used. Conflict happens on a supposedly more sophisticated level thousands of miles away from us, out of sight and shamefully, out of many of our minds.  Our cities are no longer the fortresses they once were but rather places we come for excitement and pleasure.

We see those swords, one after the other, over 2,500 pieces of steel, and we can attempt to imagine the masses of armoured soldiers marching across the very lands we amble along with our friends. We walk those hills breathing in the fresh air, exercising our bodies that sit in front of computers, and anticipating a warm pub meal afterwards as a reward. The weight of our backpack in which we carry a couple of water bottles is nothing compared to the weight of armour those soldiers had to carry and the sense of dread and fear that could have been lurking at every turn.

We stand and stare at the largest mass display of arms and armour since the 19th century. Armour from as early as the 1600’s, and military equipment from the 1800’s. The display is beautiful, but is also sad. One wonders how much blood has been shed by the seemingly endless display of swords mounted all around. What were the emotions running through the hearts of those who held them? Fear? Anger? Exhilaration? Did those swords make those men feel powerful, or vulnerable? I suspect each sword has several stories to tell, stories we try and tell through fiction, but stories we will never really know.

The Hall of Steel sets distinguishes the Royal Armoury from other museums. One feels as though they have stumbled into a mass grave, or at best, a memorial or tribute. The men who held those swords are all dead, but we remain, wondering what it was really like. War and conflict are things we still have not managed to abolish and avoid. We are reminded that what was such a reality for them is still our reality today.

We know it’s wrong but we are fascinated by violence. We know it should not result in hurting people, but we long for something to pour lives into. We sense a thrill in risk, which compels us to jump from airplanes and hang from bungee cords. It is with great fascination that we pour over the actual weapons, armour, and equipment used throughout history, knowing that much of what has happened in the past has resulted in where we are today.

The Royal armoury has a way of satisfying our curiosity about the armour, displaying it for us to wonder about and admire, but amidst all the displays, informational videos, and artwork, the Hall of Steel stops us in our tracks and challenges us to consider the realities of war. It asks us questions we most likely don’t know the answer to, filling us with conflicting emotions of awe, admiration, pride, but also sadness, horror, and doubt.

Robert Goodwood writes historical articles on behalf of Hello Yorkshire.

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