Père Lachaise Cemetery

The Père Lachaise Cemetery (Cimetière du Père Lachaise) was founded in 1804 and today contains more than 70,000 ornate tombs in a verdant, open-air sculpture garden. Take the time to wander and really explore for all the beauty and history contained in the aging and faded headstones and monuments.

Among its resting residents are famous composers, writers, artists, actors, singers, dancers and even the immortal 12th-century lovers Abélard and Héloïse. One of the most popular graves is that of rock star Jim Morrison of the Doors, who died in an apartment on rue Beautreillis in the Marais in 1971. Others include Oscar Wilde, Maria Callas, Chopin, Marcel Proust, Modigliani, Edith Piaf, Gertrude Stein and Georges Haussmann - the man who laid out Paris's boulevards.

Practical Info

Catch the Metro to stop: Philippe Auguste, Père Lachaise or Gambetta or catch bus: 26, 61 or 69. The cemetery has four entrances, two of them on blvd de Ménilmontant. Newsstands and kiosks in the area sell a detailed map, Plan Illustré du Père Lachaise.