Top Unusual AttractionsIn Paris City

Most of the visitors to Paris just follow the traditional route and visit the Notre Dame Cathedral, Eiffel Tower, etc. If you are looking to avoid the beaten path, there are a few great attractions that are worth a visit. Here are the top 4 Paris attractions that are not normally visited by tourists:

Les Catacombs

Les Catacombs are located below the streets of the city of Paris. It is one of the most gruesome attractions that Paris offers to its visitors. These tunnels were created because of the non-availability of space to bury the dead in cemeteries. In the 18th century, the remains of a countless number of people were exhumed and then laid to rest in Les Catacombs. You have to go down along a spiral staircase to see a maze of tunnels with eerie skulls staring at you.

You will find long queues at Les Catacombs, especially during weekends. Therefore, you must be prepared to wait for at least 30 minutes in the queue to visit the Catacombs. The busiest period is the noon and if you can come in as early as you can, you may be able to avoid long queues.

Sewer Museum

The name of the museum can put off many people, but it can give you an experience that you will never forget. You can reach the bowels of Paris by going down the steep staircase to the Musee des Egouts de Paris. You can walk along the walkways suspended over the sewer systems.

You should not eat before your visit to the Sewer Museum. This is because the smell can be very strong and you may throw up. A short ten-minute walk along the River Seine from Eiffel Tower will take you to this strange museum.

Musee Dupuytren

This museum showcases waxworks of oozing bodies and the consequences of different illnesses in great detail. The collections found here were made during the 1800s. Though the lack of funds has threatened the extinction of the museum, later on most of the exhibits have been saved. In the museum, you get to see brains kept in jars, wax models of diseases including tumors.

Visiting this morbid place can be an expensive affair, especially when there are 5 to 6 people travelling with you. The cost per head may be less but it can easily add up fast if you taking a group around. The best option in front of you, therefore, is to travel during off season times. For example, if you travel before the schools are closed down for holidays, you may be able to save on flight tickets as well.

Cemeteries

The visit to the cemeteries in Paris may not be a terrible experience as you expect it to be. You will be able to see visitors exploring the graveyards looking for sites where famous people like Oscar Wilde are buried, artists making sketches on their notepads and lovers walking along holding hands.

Many people who come to the cemeteries visit rock legend Jim Morrison’s grave. They leave alcohol and cigarettes as a mark of respect. You can also see the graves of author Samuel Beckett and poet Charles Baudelaire in Cimetiere Montparnasse.

Choose a hotel near the Quartier Latin, it’s a great area to explore and close to some of these attractions.