The Eiffel Tower’s lift and the Sainte-Chapelle’s stained glass windows are two things every tourist remembers from their trip to Paris.
That said, there’s a lot that goes mostly unnoticed in the City of Lights, from the plaque about human zoos to the city’s smallest house.
This post will help you find the lesser-known details of Paris.
9 Lesser-Known Details About the City of Lights
The Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Musée d’Orsay, and Centre Pompidou are all highly-visited attractions (not to mention some of the most photographed in the world!). Let’s set them aside and check out some obscure details, sites, and facts instead:
1. The Jardin d’Acclimatation Has a Shocking Plaque (And History)
A couple of million people visit the Jardin d’Acclimatation every year. Mostly, they go for the merry-go-rounds, petting farms, and roller coaster rides.
Not many people notice the commemorative plaque by the entrance, though. If they did, they would know about the garden’s dark history.
In 1877, the park was a human zoo. People from African tribes were held in enclosures as Parisians watched them. During that period, the number of visitors doubled!
It wasn’t until 1931 that the ethnological expositions were shut down.
2. Traces of Guillotines Are Still Around
Credit: CarlottaOlmez, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
If you head to the corner of Rue du Croix-Faubin and Rue de la Roquette, you’ll notice five indents in the road. Most tourists wouldn’t give them a second look, believing these are just regular concrete patches.
But these indents are the remnants of a Parisian guillotine. The five rectangles are exactly where the foundation stones were set.
Safety Tip: If you want to photograph the stones, do it from the sidewalk rather than standing in the middle of the street.
3. Paris Has a “Chernobyl on the Seine”
Marie and Pierre Curie in their lab, Paris. Credit: Wellcome Images, Wellcome Trust, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Marie Curie’s work was groundbreaking and helped save about a million lives.
Yet, her lab in Arcueil (a commune in the city’s southern suburbs) isn’t open to visitors. In fact, it’s been surrounded by a concrete wall to keep trespassers out.
Why? Well, it’s not meant as a sign of disrespect for Curie but rather an effort to preserve public health. The lab is still radioactive to this day!
4. There’s an Abandoned Railway Circling the City
Credit: Celine Harrand, Public Domain, via Flickr
Between 1862 and 1934, urban travelers used the Petite Ceinture (which translates to “Little Belt”), a double-track railroad circling Paris. Then, the Paris Métro took over and rendered the Petite Ceinture obsolete.
It’s not fully obsolete if you’re a curious tourist or a photographer, though.
Today, some parts of the railroad are overgrown with greenery, while others are full of vivid street art. You might even come across an old station that was “recycled” into a cafe.
5. The Dust Lines in Père Lachaise Might Be Cremains
Credit: Guilhem Vellut, CC-BY-2.0, via Flickr
Père Lachaise is one of the most famous cemeteries in the French capital. Molière, Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, and Edith Piaf are all buried there. The father of Spiritism, Allan Kardec, himself is buried there, too.
So, it’s not surprising that tourists flock to this cemetery. One detail they might miss is the “dust” on the grass.
At first glance, you might think someone has drawn lines with chalk or dust. However, Atlas Obscura reports that these are scattered human ashes.
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Given the cemetery’s fame, many would like to be buried there. But that’s not always feasible for logistical reasons (limited burial spots, long waiting lists, etc.). So, instead, some people choose to be cremated and have their ashes spread in the cemetery.
6. Paris Has an Underground Empire of Death
Over 200 miles of tunnels run under the City of Lights, and these aren’t just any tunnels. In some parts, the walls are lined floor-to-ceiling with human bones.
In the 17th century, the city’s cemeteries were overflowing. At one point, a cemetery wall collapsed, and rotting corpses spilled out.
That’s why the city moved bones to a centuries-old tunnel system (from the time of limestone quarries). The work took 12 years. In total, bones from 6-7 million bodies rest in the Paris catacombs.
About a mile of the “Empire of Death” is open for visitors. You can check it out if you’re not claustrophobic and don’t mind some steps.
Note: It’s okay to take photos of the catacombs for personal use as long as you don’t use a flash or set up a tripod. The tunnels are already narrow, and you don’t want to block the way!
7. There’s a World of Urban Art Under the Palais De Tokyo
Bones aren’t the only thing to see under the city.
In 2012, Palais de Tokyo dedicated the building’s underground corridors and stairways to urban art. That’s the Lasco Project.
8. The City’s Smallest House Often Goes Unnoticed
If tourists visit Rue du Château d’Eau, what catches their eye might be the large buildings, like the monumental Bourse du Travail at No. 3.
But tucked away at No. 39 is the city’s smallest house. The house is so tiny that it’s hard to believe it’s a separate building; it’s about 1.5 meters wide!
Apparently, the house was born from a dispute over the ownership of the tiny passage between two buildings.
9. ~100 Parisian Museums
In 2023, nearly 9 million people visited the Louvre. However, the museum has more rooms and exhibits than you might think. So, you’ll likely miss many details there even if you spend the whole day touring the museum.
Still, there are way more details you’ll miss out on by limiting yourself to the Louvre. Paris has several specialty and quirky museums to check out, from the Sewers Museum to the Museum of Counterfeiting.
Where to Look for Hidden Gems in Paris
If you want to find even more obscure spots and details, you can check out:
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking to photograph any of these lesser-known details, double-check each attraction’s rules first. Some don’t allow flash photography, while others might be closed to all unauthorized visitors.
Credit : Source Post
