A tour of the Père Lachaise Cemetery

Departure from the Père Lachaise metro station (lines 2 and 3). Take exit 1 Boulevard de Ménilmontant.

N.B.1. In the cemetery, the main paths are paved and signposted. The route also takes secondary gravel paths that are not signposted and do not appear on the map.
N.B.2. In the following description, names appearing on the graves are indicated:
- either they are famous people or particularly original monuments, in which case a lowercase letter in brackets refers to a short note in the "During the walk" section, where these names are listed in order of appearance on the route ;
- or they simply represent a good landmark in the area.

(S/E) When you exit the metro station, cross Boulevard de Ménilmontant (to the left if you took the stairs, to the right if you took the escalator). Walk along the boulevard for a few metres on the right and you will immediately see the entrance to the cemetery on your left.

At the top of the stairs, turn left and walk up Avenue de l'Ouest. At the crossroads, turn right onto Avenue Circulaire. After about 50 metres, turn right onto Chemin de Luzarraga. On the right, behind the tomb of Tang Khanh Nghi, you will find a tomb with a Middle Eastern motif and the tomb of Louis Vigneron (a) decorated with a cannon barrel.

Back on Chemin de Luzurraga, take a path perpendicular to the right of the J. Dubois family tomb. Note some original decorations on the left (guitar, pseudo-rocks, etc.). At the T-junction, turn left and you will come to a crossroads with several statues, including that of Anatole de la Forge (b).

Then turn right and follow Avenue Circulaire, ignoring the side roads. At the junction with Avenue Latérale du Nord, continue straight ahead and, just before the next junction, you will find Colette's tomb on the left (c).

(1) Turn left and go up the main avenue. On the left, note the tombs of Louis Visconti (d), Gioachino Rossini (e) and Alfred de Musset (f) with that of his sister behind. Shortly before the war memorial, turn right, climb a staircase and walk past the tomb of Félix Faure (g). Then pass by the statue of Sergeant Hoff (h). First turn right then left, climb some steps and head towards the monumental chapel (there is a beautiful view if you turn around).

Turn right onto Avenue de la Chapelle and you will find the tomb of the painter Géricault (i) on your right. At the fork with Chemin du Bassin, leave Avenue de la Chapelle and take the path on the right, Chemin de Talma, signposted a few metres further on. Turn right and follow this path downhill until you come to a moving recumbent statue on your left (j).

Continue and turn left at the T-junction. Note the graves of Mano Solo (k) and Claude Chabrol (l) side by side on the right. A little further on, you will find the grave of Michel Petrucciani (m) on the left and, opposite, the very simple grave of Pierre Desproges (n) and his wife.

Ignore a path coming from the left and, at the fork that follows, turn left and go down Chemin Méhal. At the T-junction, turn left and you will immediately come to an intersection with Chemin Serre.

(2) Continue straight ahead and, after a few metres, turn left onto a path that starts to the right of the tomb of A. Reicha. Turn right and head for the monument that houses the remains of Héloïse and Abélard (o). Go around the monument on the right and turn right to return to a paved path. Follow it to the right until you reach the previous intersection.

(2) Then turn right onto Chemin Serre. Take the first left, Chemin Maison. At the T-junction, follow Chemin Lauriston to the left. At the next junction, turn right at an acute angle and you will find the tomb of Jim Morrison (p) on your right behind some barriers.

Retrace your steps and continue along Chemin Lauriston. On the right-hand side, note the grave of a victim of the Paris attacks of 13 November 2015. At the T-junction, turn left and you will come to a roundabout with a monumental statue of Casimir Périer (q) in the centre.

Go around the roundabout and continue along the path opposite. When you reach Alain Bashung's grave (right), turn right onto a narrow cobbled path leading uphill. Ignore the first set of steps on the left and climb the second set, at the corner of the Lehuic family grave.

At the top, turn left between the Bravin family tomb on your left and a stele on your right. Continue straight ahead and, just after a tomb on the left with verses by Catherine of Siena, turn right (bust on the right). At the end of the path, you will immediately see a crossroads on your left.

(3) Then turn right onto a gravel path that runs alongside the Loyson tomb. Ignore a path coming from the left and find the side-by-side cenotaphs of La Fontaine (s) and Molière (t) on the left behind a gate. Continue along the path, with the tomb of Alphonse Daudet (u) on your right, until you reach an intersection with a sign for "Chemin de Molière et La Fontaine 25ème division".

Then walk back a few metres to the left to find, before Avenue Tranversale n°1, the tomb of Antoine Parmentier (v), whose decoration illustrates his profession.

Back at the sign, continue left on Chemin de Molière et La Fontaine. At the crossroads, go straight ahead onto Chemin Saint-Louis. At the T-junction, turn left and, at the next crossroads, you will find the tomb of Marshal Ney (w).

Then turn left. At the next intersection, stay right on Chemin Suchet et Masséna. At the next intersection, first turn left then right to climb a staircase and follow Chemin des Anglais. At the fork, turn right. At the next junction, turn right onto Avenue Greffulhe, a narrow cobbled lane that widens after a few metres.

At the next intersection, turn left onto Avenue Transversale n°2. On the right-hand side, you will find the recumbent statue of Victor Noir (x). Immediately after, turn right onto a gravel lane and note the two surprising female sculptures on the left (a half-naked woman and a woman breastfeeding a child). This will take you to a paved lane; follow it to the left.

At the crossroads, turn right onto Avenue Carette. On the left, you will see Oscar Wilde's tomb (y) topped by a winged figure. Turn left onto a gravel path that starts to the left of the tomb.

(4) At the end, turn left and walk past a monumental Christ on your right. At the crossroads, continue straight ahead, noting the simple tomb of Tsilla Chelton (z) on your left, and walk along the crematorium on your right. At the next crossroads, with the tombs of Yves Montant (aa) and Simone Signoret (ab) opposite on your right, turn right into Allée Transversale n°2.

Opposite the entrance to the crematorium, take a gravel path on the left. Opposite the "Picon-Dublanchy" grave, first turn left then right. Shortly afterwards, with the Priestley family grave opposite on your left, turn right onto a narrow gravel path. Walk past the symbolic grave of Imre Nagy (ac) and, at the end, you will find the dolmen-shaped grave of Allan Kardec (ad).

Then take the paved path on the left, then right onto Avenue Transversale No. 1. Next, take the first left onto Avenue Eugène Delacroix (ae), go downhill and ignore a path on the left, passing the black tomb of the painter on the right.

At the next intersection, turn right and go up. Note the tomb of Balzac (af) on the left and, opposite, that of Gérard de Nerval (ag). Continue uphill and pass at the foot of a very tall conical monument. Continue straight ahead on Chemin Casimir Devigne.

At the intersection, follow Avenue Transversale n°2 to the left. At the corner of the Cadou family tomb, take a gravel path on the right. At a crossroads, at the corner of the Millet family tomb, take the gravel path on the left. Note the sculpture of a couple on the right and, on the left, the tomb of Fulgence Bienvenüe (ah) and his family.

At the end of the path, follow the paved lane to the right. At the next intersection, turn right onto Avenue Transversale No. 3, then left onto Avenue des Thuyas. Turn right onto this lane and, after about 100 metres, take the exit on the left out of the cemetery.

(5) Immediately turn left onto Rue des Rondeaux. At the traffic lights, turn left into Jardin Samuel de Champlin and follow a cement path uphill. Stay at the top and as close as possible to the cemetery wall, ignoring all the paths on the right. The upper path descends and leads to the monument erected in memory of those shot during the Paris Commune.

Continue and leave the garden on the right. Turn left and follow Avenue Gambetta slightly downhill. At the crossroads, turn left to cross Boulevard de Ménilmontant and return to the metro station (lines 2 and 3) (S/E).

Simple trainers are sufficient for this urban walk.

Toilets are located near the main entrance on Boulevard de Ménilmontant (which is not part of the itinerary) and on Rue des Rondeaux (5). Water points are shown on the map. Bars and restaurants are located near the metro station (S/E).

A detailed map is required (at least the one accompanying this description). We recommend purchasing the map provided by the Paris City Hall. The Métropolitain publishing company offers an even more detailed map, which is very useful and usually available for purchase at the entrance used by the itinerary (€2.50 in January 2018).

Opening hours:
Père Lachaise Cemetery
- Opening times: between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. depending on the day.
- Closing times: from 6 November to 15 March, 5.30pm; from 16 March to 5 November, 6pm.
See detailed opening hours.
Samuel de Champlain Garden
- Opening times: weekdays at 8 a.m.; Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays at 9 a.m.
- Closing times: 5pm until 8.30pm depending on the season.
See detailed opening hours.

Needless to say, beyond being a place open to visitors, a cemetery is a place of contemplation, and discreet and respectful behaviour is required.

Return option:
Once you have left the cemetery (5), continue straight ahead on Avenue du Père Lachaise until you reach the Gambetta metro station (line 2).

Walk completed by the author on 27 January 2018.

Some facts about the history of the Père Lachaise Cemetery:
The Père Lachaise Cemetery is located on a hill that was long used for agriculture. The land was acquired by the Jesuits in the early 17th century. Confiscated during the Revolution, it became the property of the city of Paris in 1803. At the request of First Consul Bonaparte, it was laid out as a garden with the aim of establishing a cemetery, which was opened in 1804.
The cemetery was the scene of bloody fighting in March 1814 when Russian and Prussian troops entered Paris. During the Paris Commune in May 1871, the Federates entrenched themselves in the cemetery, which was besieged by the Versaillais and the Prussians. The 147 survivors were shot on 28 May 1871 in front of the wall, which was subsequently named the Mur des Fédérés (Wall of the Federates).

Some famous graves:
a - Louis Vigneron (1827-1871) Boxer who performed a circus act in which he carried a cannon barrel on his back and was shot at (which killed him).
b - Anatole de la Forge (1820-1892) Journalist and politician, who distinguished himself in the defence of the town of Saint-Quentin (Aisne) during the 1870 war.
c - Colette (1873-1953) Woman of letters.
d - Louis Tullius Joachim Visconti (1791-1853) French architect of Italian origin.
e - Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) Italian composer, best known for his operas, the most famous of which are undoubtedly The Barber of Seville and The Thieving Magpie.
f - Alfred de Musset (1810-1857) Poet and playwright, best known for Lorenzaccio and On ne badine pas avec l'amour.
g - Félix Faure (1841-1899) Politician, President of the French Republic from 1895 until his death in dramatic circumstances; his tomb is adorned with his recumbent effigy wrapped in a French flag and a Russian flag, recalling his diplomatic role in the alliance between the two countries at the end of the 19th century.
h - Ignace Hoff (1836-1902) Hero of the 1870 war, the pedestal of his statue bears the motto "France, remember".
i - Théodore Géricault (1791-1824) Painter and sculptor, whose most famous work is The Raft of the Medusa, a reproduction of which appears in bas-relief on the pedestal of his statue.
j - This is not a famous person (no name is visible), but this recumbent figure holding his wife's face in his hands is truly original. The epitaph is particularly moving: " They marvelled at the beautiful journey that led them to the end of their lives."
k - Mano Solo (1963-2010) Singer and cartoonist, son of cartoonist Cabu (1938-2015) and journalist Isabelle Monin (1937-2012).
l - Claude Chabrol (1930-2010) Film director.
m - Michel Petrucciani (1962-1999) Jazz pianist.
n - Pierre Desproges (1939-1988) Comedian; his grave is also the resting place of his wife, Hélène (1947-2012).
o - Héloïse (1092-1164) and Pierre Abélard (1079-1142) Famous lovers with a tragic destiny, who later entered monastic life.
p - Jim Morrison (1943-1971) American singer and poet, co-founder of the rock band The Doors.
q - Casimir Perier (1777-1832) Politician and businessman.
r - Alain Bashung (1947-2009) Author, composer and performer.
s - Jean de la Fontaine (1621-1695) Poet, author of the famous fables in which he describes human failings through the actions of animals (The Wolf and the Lamb, The Fox and the Crow, The Cicada and the Ant, etc.). he also wrote bawdy tales which, unlike his fables, are not suitable for children...
t - Molière (1622-1673) Playwright and actor, famous for his comedies mocking the foibles of the bourgeoisie. He created a series of characters who have become iconic, such as Monsieur Jourdain (the upstart), Harpagon (the miser), Tartuffe (the hypocrite), etc.
u - Alphonse Daudet (1840-1897) Writer, author of Lettres de mon moulin, among other works.
v - Antoine Parmentier (1737-1813) Agronomist who introduced the potato (a plant native to South America) into agriculture and the French diet.
w - Michel Ney (1769-1815) General during the Revolution and Marshal of the Empire, he particularly distinguished himself during the disastrous Russian campaign, at the heart of the offensive and responsible for the rearguard during the retreat. during the Restoration, he rallied to the Bourbons but, during the Hundred Days, at the head of an army corps charged with intercepting Napoleon, he rallied to him. He took part in the Battle of Waterloo. During the Second Restoration, he was imprisoned, sentenced to death for treason and shot.
x - Victor Noir (1848-1870) Journalist shot dead by Prince Pierre Napoleon Bonaparte; the bronze of the recumbent figure is polished in "a specific place that my mother strictly forbade me to name here" (as Georges Brassens said), due to a superstition popular among couples who wanted children.
y - Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) Irish writer and playwright, author of The Picture of Dorian Gray, among other works; a brilliant and original personality, he was sentenced to two years of hard labour for immorality (due to his open homosexuality) and ended his days in Paris in poverty.
z - Tsilla Chelton (1919-2012) Actress and drama teacher, she began her career as a theatre actress and became famous for her role as Tatie Danielle in the film of the same name. She taught acting to many actors, including those in the Splice theatre company. initially a theatre actress, she rose to fame for her role as Tatie Danielle in the film of the same name; she taught acting to many actors, including those of the Splendid theatre company (Michel Blanc, Marie-Anne Chazel, Christian Clavier, Gérard Jugnot, Thierry Lhermitte).
aa - Yves Montand (1921-1991) Singer and actor, husband of Simone Signoret.
ab - Simone Signoret (1921-1985) Actress, wife of Yves Montand.
ac - Imre Nagy (1896-1958) Hungarian agricultural economist and politician; President of the National Assembly of the People's Republic of Hungary from 1947 to 1949 and Prime Minister from 1953 to 1955; during the 1956 uprising, he became Prime Minister again; the Soviet army invaded Hungary in November 1956 and Imre Nagy was arrested by the KGB; convicted of "counter-revolutionary conduct", he was executed on 16 June 1958 in Budapest prison; he was officially rehabilitated in 1989. His boat-shaped tomb in Père Lachaise Cemetery is symbolic in that it does not contain his remains, which are in Budapest.
ad - Allan Kardec (1804-1869) Founder of spiritualism.
ae - Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863) Painter, major representative of French Romanticism in painting; author of large-scale works, including the famous Liberty Leading the People, painted in 1830.
af - Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) Writer; he seems to have been the first public figure to be buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery.
ag - Gérard de Nerval (1808-1855) Poet.
ah - Fulgence Bienvenüe (1852-1936) Chief engineer of bridges and roads, father of the Paris Metro.

Sources: Paristoric and Wikipedia. For more details and a relatively complete list of personalities buried at Père Lachaise, see the Paristoric website, with names from A to G and names from H to Z.

Wall of the Federates:
In Square Samuel de Champlain, just before the exit, stands the Wall of the Federates, a monument in memory of those shot during the Paris Commune in May 1871.