Père Lachaise Cemetery is one of the most interesting places I went while living in Paris. For a city filled with history, beauty and charm, I'd say this is a pretty big statement. Yes, it's a bit strange to think that you might visit a cemetery on vacation or a day off, but Père Lachaise is no ordinary cemetery.
The 110 acre cemetery, situated on a hill at the edge of the city limits, opened in 1804. It is named for the confessor to Louis XIV, Père François de la Chaise, who lived in the 17th century. These days, it's the eternal resting place of legends such as Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, Gertrude Stein, Honore de Balzac, Frederic Chopin, Marcel Proust, and many "ordinary" people too. There are memorials to world wars and to those who died for their country. There are some truly extravagant graves, some very plain. Some look brand new one hundred years later, and others are falling into the ground. It's a really diverse, interesting place.
I visited Père Lachaise on a crisp February afternoon when I found myself with nothing else to do. I went alone, armed with my camera and a desire to take some good photos. I meandered, taking lefts and rights as I wanted to, stepping between graves and among them, imagining the people whose names I was reading. I walked around for so long that I ended up getting kicked out when the cemetery was closing. In my mind, there are two ways you can visit Père Lachaise. The first is to wander and explore at your leisure, assuming you'll find your way out eventually. There are gates around the border, so you'll never really be "stuck". The second is to purchase a map at one of the front gates (or bring a map from home) and seek out the graves you want to see. There are also large maps at various points within the cemetery. It depends on how much time you have and what you want to see.
No matter how you do it, Père Lachaise is well worth a visit if you have an afternoon in Paris. And with views like this, how could you pass up the chance?
Accessing Père Lachaise Cemetery:
Metro line 2 (Phillippe Auguste or Père Lachaise) or line 3 (Père Lachaise or Gambetta)
The Gambetta stop allows you to enter from the top of the hill and follow the cemetery downward; the other two stops require an uphill climb to get to the other end. There's no right or wrong way to do it. The Gambetta stop is closest to Oscar Wilde's grave, but the other stops are closer to the main entrance.
Opening hours:
From November 6-March 15
Monday to Friday: 8:00 am - 5:30 pm
Saturday: 8:30am - 5:30 pm
Sunday and holidays: 9:00 am - 5:30 pm
From March 16-November 5
Monday to Friday: 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Saturday: 8:30 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday and holidays: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Always enjoy visiting cemeteries! They are so peaceful, and it is interesting to see how old of stones we can find. It also makes a person reflect on their eternal fate. My only regret is that there isn't a little book beside each gravestone to tell us about the lives of those who rest there; it would make it so much more interesting! Good photos!
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