Where can you see Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, and Sarah Bernhardt, all in one place? At Paris' Pere Lachaise Cemetery, that's where.
Pere Lachaise, the illustrious cemetery, was laid out during the early 19th century on the outskirts of the French capital. This 118-acre park-like cemetery is crisscrossed with brick “avenues” lined with the tombs of notable people who lived, or at least died, in Paris over the centuries.
The Residents of Pere Lachaise
The famous “residents” of Pere Lachaise include authors, Colette, Oscar Wilde, Victor Hugo and his family, Moliere, Marcel Proust, and Honore Balzac; musicians, Chopin, Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, Rossini, and Bizet; artists, Modigliani, David, and Delacroix; and the architect of Paris, Baron Haussman, among hundreds of others. In addition, the cemetery features five memorials to France's war dead and the victims of the Holocaust.
The peaceful, tree-lined cemetery, located east of downtown Paris is an interesting combination of nature, history, and art. It’s popular with residents and visitors alike. Spend a relaxing afternoon here amidst the stone monuments, the tree-lined streets, and the unique and, sometimes unexpected, epitaphs.
Visiting Pere Lachaise
Pere Lachaise is easily accessible via the Paris Metro system (Pere Lachaise station). The station is about 1500 feet away from the cemetery entrance.
The cemetery is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 6pm, on Saturdays from 830am to 6pm, and on Sundays from 9am to 6pm. Admission is free. For a truly Parisian experience, bring a picnic lunch.
If you don't have the time -- or the funds -- to visit Paris this season, you can still enjoy a visit to Pere Lachaise with the cemetery's interactive Web site.
Contact Information
Pere Lachaise Cemetery; 16 rue du Repos; Paris, France; telephone: 01 55 25 82 10
