Père Lachaise hardly needs an introduction. Spanning over 110 acres, it’s the largest cemetery in Paris, and arguably the most famous cemetery in the world. Each year, millions wander the hilly, cobblestone paths to pay their respects to writers and rock stars.
Location
Address: 16 Rue du Repos, 75020 Paris, France
Nearest Métro stops: Philippe Auguste (Line 2), Père Lachaise (Line 2 & 3), and Gambetta (Line 3). I went in the main entrance, Porte Principale at 21 Bd de Ménilmontant, 75011 Paris, France
Hours: Monday to Friday: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday: 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sunday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Closed on some public holidays (I went on Easter and it was open).
History
Père Lachaise opened in 1804 due to the overcrowding of central Paris cemeteries in the late 18th century. At first, Parisians weren’t into burying their loved ones in the (then) outskirts of the city. So officials transferred the remains of celebrities like Molière and La Fontaine to boost the cemetery’s appeal. Today, more than a million people rest here.
Graves of Note
Père Lachaise is just slightly smaller than Disneyland, so I recommend arriving with a loose plan. Here’s a map, and here’s the route I followed, in the order I visited:
Mano Solo (Division 10): A French singer and son of cartoonist Cabu, Mano Solo’s grave is simple and modern, with notes and photos left by fans.
Frédéric Chopin (Division 11): You can’t visit Chopin without hearing the “Funeral March” in your head. The Polish composer’s tomb is topped with a statue of Euterpe, the muse of music, weeping over a broken lyre. Chopin was afraid of being buried alive so his body is buried in Paris but his heart was removed and buried in Warsaw.
Jim Morrison (Division 6): The Doors’ frontman died in Paris in 1971 at just 27 years old. Croatian sculptor Mladen Mikulin created a bust for the tomb’s 10th anniversary, but it was stolen in 1988. On the 20th anniversary, police used tear gas to disperse partying fans. Today, his grave is fenced off and the cemetery has prohibited alcohol, but Morrison still grabs headlines: the long-lost bust was miraculously recovered on May 20, 2025 (exactly one month after my visit!)
Alain Bashung (Division 13): A beloved French musician and actor, Bashung’s grave is covered with lipstick kisses.
André Chabot (Division 20): This life-sized camera sculpture is the future grave of French photographer, Chabot who is known for capturing images of tombs, mausoleums, and catacombs around the world.
Violaine Vanoyeke (Division 21): Had to stop at this elegant woman. The grave tells it all: she’s a writer, an Egyptologist, and a pianist (and still alive!).
Sarah Bernhardt (Division 7): The stage actress reportedly slept in a coffin, owned a pet alligator, and performed Hamlet with a prosthetic leg after an amputation. Legend.
Victor Noir (Division 92): The French journalist has the most touched grave in the cemetery. Noir became a symbol of the free press when he was murdered at age 22.
Oscar Wilde (Division 89): Wilde’s grave is an androgynous, sphinx-like figure by Jacob Epstein. Originally, it featured male genitalia, later removed and covered with a fig leaf (which has since gone missing). Fans used to leave lipstick kisses, but conservationists added a protective glass barrier.
Gertrude Stein & Alice B. Toklas (Division 94): The American writer and her life partner rest side-by-side. Stein’s name appears on the front of the tomb; Toklas’s name was added to the back later.
Édith Piaf (Division 97): France’s beloved songbird rests under her birth name, Édith Gassion, alongside her daughter and husband. Her simple grave is covered with fresh flowers.
Graves I Missed
Even after several hours, there’s never enough time to see everything.
- Richard Wright (Division 87): American author of Native Son and Black Boy. I was really sorry to miss this one. Wright was cremated and his ashes are interred near a stairwell.
- Marcel Marceau (Division 21): French mime known for his persona “Bip the Clown”
- Marcel Proust (Division 85): The In Search of Lost Time author deserves a madeleine or two.
- Molière (Division 25): The French playwright collapsed during a performance in 1673 and died shortly after. He was one of the first celebrities to be reinterred here in 1817.
- Georges Méliès (Division 64): A magician and film pioneer best known for the surreal Trip to the Moon (1902).
Burial Costs, Time, and Eligibility
I was surprised to learn that cemetery plots in France are often rented rather than owned outright. These prices are old (2018) but a 50-year lease could cost approximately €3,708 while a forever grave (perpétuelle) might run €15,528 (source). If the lease isn’t renewed when it expires, the remains can be exhumed and transferred to the Aux Morts ossuary within Père Lachaise.
To be buried in a municipal cemetery in Paris, including Père Lachaise, you must either reside in Paris at the time of death or die within the city limits
What’s Nearby
After your visit to Père Lachaise, consider exploring a few of Paris’s other resting places.
- Montparnasse Cemetery: the second largest cemetery in Paris, located in the south by the Catacombs.
- Paris Catacombs: miles of underground tunnels hold the bones of more than six million people.
