Halloween Underground

What more appropriate place to celebrate Halloween than deep within the depths of the city, in places where sunlight cannot reach, in an endless labyrinth of underground tunnels that tempt the curious to try their luck? I speak, of course, of the catacombs. The catacombs, as it turns out, are a lot more than a collection of bones in the walls underneath Denfert-Rochereau for which tourists line up daily. The tunnel system created by the quarrying of stone from which the city was built extends through much of the left bank (Paris south of the Seine).

Every Halloween, sound systems, lighting, and decorations are brought into the depths. A subculture of cataphiles, a group of misfits and rebels, regularly navigate the underground mazes on which (and from which) the city is built. Guiding the less experienced, cataphiles and small groups descend through a host of entrances each Halloween weekend. Sam, a friend of my MIT alum friend India, was in the loop and gracious enough to take along the group: Esteban, Peter, Barrett, Jenna, and me along with India and her friend Max.

After finding our first entry blocked, we made our way in through an abandoned set of train tracks in the very south of the city near Porte d'Orléans. From here we trekked through tunnels alternately beautifully arched and raggedly low-ceilinged, at times up to our thighs in silty water. Our new galoshes didn't serve us very long. We sat and enjoyed beers with a man who spends his days here, apart from society. We crossed graffiti and carvings spanning several centuries. Isolated from any external signals of the passing of time, our paths illuminated only by our head lamps, we wound through tunnels for two or three hours reaching a hidden location somewhere near the Luxembourg Gardens. Through a tiny hole and into a staircase, we descended into an incredibly vibrant underground party. There'd even been live musicians and fire breathing performances. Surrounded by a fair number of costumed people, I was so glad to see that somebody remembered it was Halloween weekend! (Retailers try to cash in on Halloween over here, but mostly the trend hasn't caught on in France.) We danced and enjoyed a couple beers, impressed by the journey and the crowd.

Here I am (and Esteban's butt) just about to slip into the rabbit hole that opened into the party after three hours of trekking through a labyrinth of tunnels. Photo: all rights reserved www.pierremorel.net

We made it! Here's an idea of how the party actually looked. All rights reserved www.pierremorel.net

This montage from India, photos by Sam, captures our Halloween experience in the catacombs.

We got lucky and managed to leave through an exit just by the Luxembourg RER station, avoiding a three-hour return trip and, fortunately, also avoiding any fines from cops waiting to catch people on their way out. We were all a bit dustier and damper for the travels but in awe of the intricate hidden network lying just beneath our feet. Definitely worth a return trip.

After thought: here's a great link from the BBC about the catacombs in Paris.