Visit to Père Lachaise cemetery

The Père-Lachaise cemetery in Paris is a very special place. Although it is a place of meditation, this immense 43-hectare cemetery is home to a large number of graves of world-famous figures such as Jean de la Fontaine, Edith Piaf, Balzac, Colette and Alain Bashung. Writers, singers, musicians, statesmen and soldiers, both French and foreign, including Oscar Wilde and Maria Callas. To walk through the Père-Lachaise cemetery is to step back in time and recall the names of all the personalities who have played such an important part in the history of France and the world. Père-Lachaise is a place visited by tourists from all over the world, who come to see a fellow countryman or who are attracted by French culture.

How do I get into Père-Lachaise?

There are 5 entrances to Père-Lachaise cemetery:

• The main door: boulevard de Ménilmontant, opposite rue de la Roquette,
• Porte Gambetta: rue des Rondeaux, opposite avenue du Père-Lachaise,
• Porte des Amandiers: boulevard de Ménilmontant, opposite Père-Lachaise metro station,
• La Porte de la Réunion: rue de la Réunion, at the end of the street,
• La porte du repos: 16, rue du repos.

What are the most visited tombs in Père-Lachaise?

Among the most visited tombs at Père Lachaise are :

• Edith Piaf is laid to rest with her father, her husband Théo Sarapo and her daughter Marcelle.
• Simone Signoret and Yves Montand, the 2 actors are buried together.
• Jim Morrison, lead singer of the very popular Doors.
• Allan Kardec, founder of spiritualism, his bust is said to contain mystical power.
• The writer Honoré de Balzac liked to draw inspiration from Père-Lachaise during his lifetime.
• Alfred de Musset, who asked for a willow tree to be planted near his grave.
• Oscar Wilde’s tomb is decorated with a winged sphynx.
• There is still some doubt as to whether or not it is Molière who lies in the tomb…
• Jean de la Fontaine, next to Molière.
• Sarah Bernhardt, the first international star.
• Théodore Géricault’s famous Raft of the Medusa is depicted on his tombstone.
• Eugène Delacroix and his antique tomb in black Volvic stone.

Who is in Père-Lachaise cemetery?

Many famous people are buried in Père-Lachaise cemetery, and it is impossible to list them all, but here are just a few:

Colette, Louis Verneuil, Marie Trintignant, Alfonse Thiers, Henri Salvador, Alphonse Daudet, Gérard de Nerval, Alfred du Musset, Marcel Marceau, Ted Lapidus, Yvette Guilbert, Sylvie Jolie, Frédéric Chopin… Around 250 famous people are buried at Père-Lachaise.

How do I find a grave in Père-Lachaise cemetery?

The easiest way is to go to the Père-Lachaise website and click on the “Discover 250 personalities” button. There, you can choose to sort the names alphabetically, by theme (literature, art, cinema, etc.), or by division.

Practical information

Opening hours Père-Lachaise

November to mid-March:

• 8 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Monday to Friday,
• 8.30am to 5.30pm on Saturdays,
• 9 am to 5.30 pm on Sundays and public holidays.

From mid-March to October :

• 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday,
• 8.30 am to 6 pm on Saturdays,
• 9 am to 6 pm on Sundays and public holidays.

Price of admission to Père-Lachaise

Admission is free, with guided tours only.

How to get to Père-Lachaise

Metro and bus lines leading to Père-Lachaise by entrance :

• Main entrance: Philippe Auguste metro station (line 2) – Bus 61, 69.
• Porte du Repos: Philippe Auguste metro station (line 2).
• Porte des Amandiers: Père-Lachaise metro station (lines 2, 3) – Bus 61, 69.
• Porte Gambetta: metro Gambetta (lines 3, 3 bis) – Bus 26, 60, 61, 69, 102.
• Porte de la Réunion: metro Alexandre Dumas (line 2) – Bus 76.

Bike stations available near Père-Lachaise

• Station n°20131 : 41 rue du repos
• Station n°20030 : 52 boulevard de Ménilmontant
• Station n°20010 : 46 rue Sorbier
• Station n°20024 : 11 rue Malte-Brun
• Station n°20106 : 46 avenue Gambetta
• Station no. 20015: 44 bis rue de Bagnolet
• Station no. 11021: 212 boulevard de Charonne
• Station n°11110 : 52 rue de la Folie Regnault

Accessibility

Not all areas are accessible to people with reduced mobility, with uneven paths and old cobbled paths. However, a large part is still accessible.

What is forbidden in Père-Lachaise?

• Drink alcohol and picnic,
• Listening to or playing music,
• Leave food available for the animals,
• Dogs are not allowed, even on a lead,
• Bikes, scooters…
• It’s forbidden to play sport in the cemetery – it’s a place of remembrance, not a place for running!

Why choose a guided tour of Père-Lachaise?

If you opt for a guided tour of Père-Lachaise, you’ll learn a whole host of anecdotes, each more bizarre than the last, as well as a number of particularly unusual rituals practised by admirers… The history of the cemetery and its architecture make this open-air museum a treasure trove: architectural works and sculptures in a wide variety of styles (Gothic, Haussmannian, antique, Second Empire…).

Did you know?

Here are a few juicy anecdotes about Père-Lachaise cemetery, just a few of many:

• At least 3 of Edith Piaf’s lovers are buried very close to her grave.
• Frédéric Chopin’s heart is not in his grave.
• A surveillance camera has had to be installed at Jim Morrison’s grave since his bust was stolen.
• Pierre and Héloïse Abélard, the star-crossed lovers of the Middle Ages, are responsible for the popularity of Père-Lachaise cemetery, which was once shunned by Parisians. They thought it was far too far from the city. But the transfer of Peter and Heloise, the symbol of free love triumphant in the purest romanticism, to Père-Lachaise transformed the much-maligned cemetery into a place of pilgrimage. From 833 tombs in 1812, the cemetery grew to 33,000 in 1827.

To find out all about them, all you have to do is visit Père-Lachaise cemetery!