Père Lachaise Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Paris and one of the most visited in the world, a hillside of tree-lined avenues, chapels and sculpted tombs in the east of the city. It opened in 1804, and today Père Lachaise Cemetery holds the graves of writers, composers, singers and painters from many countries, from Chopin and Oscar Wilde to Édith Piaf and Jim Morrison. It is free to enter and makes a calm, absorbing half day away from the busier sights.
Why visit Père Lachaise Cemetery
When it first opened, the cemetery was considered too far from the centre and few Parisians wanted to be buried there. To change that, the authorities moved the remains of the writers Molière and La Fontaine, and later the medieval lovers Abélard and Héloïse, into new tombs. It worked, and the cemetery became the fashionable place to rest. The result is an outdoor museum of funerary art, with every style from Gothic chapels to modern sculpture, set among old trees and cobbled lanes. It is also a working cemetery, so visitors are asked to behave respectfully.
Getting to Père Lachaise Cemetery by metro
Three stations serve different gates, and the cemetery is on a slope, so choosing well saves energy:
- Philippe Auguste on line 2 is close to the main entrance on Boulevard de Ménilmontant, the traditional starting point.
- Père Lachaise on lines 2 and 3 is a few minutes' walk from a side entrance on Avenue du Père Lachaise, also on the lower side.
- Gambetta on line 3 is near the upper entrances. A good plan is to start here and walk downhill through the cemetery, leaving by the main gate.
Entry, maps and opening hours
Entry is free. Opening hours follow the seasons, with earlier closing in winter, and the gates shut on time, so do not leave your last stop until the final minutes. The cemetery is run by the City of Paris, and current hours are listed on the city's official website, paris.fr. Maps are posted near the entrances, and it helps to download or photograph one before you set off, because the paths are a maze and signal can be patchy among the trees. Guided walking tours run by independent guides are a good option if you want the stories behind the graves.
Best time to visit and how long to stay
Before you set off, make a short list of the graves you most want to see and mark them on your map. The cemetery covers more than 40 hectares, and wandering without a plan is pleasant but can mean missing the names you came for. Many tombs are also worth seeing for their sculpture alone, even if you do not know who is buried there, so leave some time to explore side paths.
Mornings are quiet and the light through the trees is beautiful. Autumn is a favourite season, when the leaves turn and the paths feel almost rural. Spring is lovely too. Allow two to three hours to find a selection of famous graves without rushing, and wear good shoes, as many paths are cobbled, steep and uneven.
Famous graves and highlights
Jim Morrison
The grave of The Doors singer is one of the most visited in the cemetery. It is fairly modest and is usually protected by a barrier.
Oscar Wilde
Wilde's tomb is topped by a winged figure carved by Jacob Epstein. A glass screen was added to protect the stone from visitors' kisses.
Frédéric Chopin and Édith Piaf
Chopin's grave, with a mourning muse, is often decorated with flowers. Piaf rests in a simple family tomb in another part of the cemetery.
Other well known names
Look for Balzac, Molière, Proust, Colette, Gertrude Stein, Modigliani and Abélard and Héloïse, among many others.
The Mur des Fédérés
A wall in the eastern part of the cemetery where Communards were shot in 1871 at the end of the Paris Commune. It remains a place of political remembrance.
Nearby on the same metro line
- Belleville: a lively, multicultural neighbourhood a short ride or walk north, with street art and good cheap restaurants.
- Parc de Belleville: a hillside park with one of the best free views of the city.
- Rue Oberkampf and Ménilmontant: streets full of bars and cafés for after your visit.
To see more around the station, open Père Lachaise Cemetery on Around the Metro, or browse other stops on the Paris metro map.