Pere Lachaise Cemetery - the lure?
 

What is the lure for so many to visit the Pere Lachaise Cemetery? I understand that it is the resting place for Jimi Hendrix, Edith Piaf, Frederick Chopin, etc. etc. So, do people go just as a pilgrimage of sorts? Is it worth a visit otherwise? Why?

I visited Pere Lachaise Cemetery several years ago,and, although, there was some work going on, it was still beaustiful. It is quite large andit's got a wonderful feeling about it--almost as if you are being transported back in time. Many of the tombstones are rather eerie, but that's half the fun of going. I remember being very frustrated because I could not find the markers of Abelard and Heloise. I looked and looked and although the map had them in a very exact spot, their markers were so worn I never did know if I had found them or not.<BR><BR>Is it worth a visit? I would certainly go again, but then, maybe old cemeteries aren't your "thing".

I thought Jimi Hendrix was buried in Seattle, Washington, USA, his hometown? Perhaps Jim Morrison of The Doors is in Pere Lachaise.

Yes. It's Jim Morrison. And I agree with the other poster. A lot depends on whether cemetaries are your thing or not. Based on recommendations of others it had been my goal for several trips to "do" Pere Lachaise. Finally did it last year. Can't say that it was a biggy for me but my husband liked it. I found the grave of Chopin to be the most beautiful. Edith Piaf's was a bit of a letdown, it's for her entire family. So was the grave of Yves Montagne and Simone Signoret--together under a single white slab. I guess my comments suggest that I'm not much of a romantic. Perhaps that's why the allure of the place was lost on me. My husband liked it far better, and is certainly the more romantic of the two of us. If you're a romantic who enjoys personal histories I guess this place is a biggy. If you're a foodie who enjoys a great bistro, save your time and go directly to the Bistro d'Amour nearby and have some of their aligot (mashed potatoes with garlic and cantal cheese) and sausages.

Like any other sightseeing, some places appeal to some people, and some don't.<BR>If seeing the gravesite of an historical figure doesn't interest you, then don't go; if it does, go.<BR>I had wanted to see Oscar Wilde's grave, and that of Heloise and Abelard.<BR>I was very glad to have gone, may go again some day.<BR>If you do bring sneakers or comfortable walking shoes to Paris, this is the place to wear them. The roadways in the cemetery, such as they are, are cobblestone. To find some of the graves you have to walk among them in the dirt. And most notable of all, there are very very steep hills in this cemetery.<BR>Near the main entrance (at the Pere LaChaise metro stop) there is someone who sells maps of the cemetery, and there’s no point in going in unless you have a map. However, I kept my map because next time I’m going to travel to the next metro stop on the same line, the Gambetta stop. Perhaps there is someone at that entrance also selling maps. That stop is closer to the graves of Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, and Gertrude Stein, but more importantly, it might avoid having to climb those amazingly difficult hills. If there is no one at that stop selling maps (and I’d be surprised) it would still be better to buy the map at the Pere LaChaise entrance and then walk on the street around the cemetery, or get back on the metro for one stop to get to the other entrance, rather than scaling the hills through the cemetery.<BR>

I'm a hopeless romantic, and a foodie, sosounds like it might be a trip worth taking.<BR><BR>Thanks for the bistro recommendation, and for the hills info. Didn't know that.<BR><BR>Oh yeah, it was Morrison, oops.

By all means,GET a map, if not,you'll<BR>be strolling along aimlessly..happy travels.

The "lure" for me was a friend who had been there before and convinced another friend and I to go, on a trip to Paris in February, 1996. (I might have visited it eventually anyway, however, if only because I've heard and read so much about it.) Being a big fan of The Doors, I suppose I was most intrigued by seeing Jim Morrison's gravesite and it was quite interesting to see the scene there. (Jimi Hendrix is buried in the city of Renton, south of Seattle.) <BR><BR>Anyway, what I thought was the most moving part of Pere Lachaise was the Holocaust Memorial, in the (as I recall) southeast corner and, if you go, I'd highly recommend it. I thought the sculptures were very powerful, especially the one in the photo on this website (about half way down on the right): <BR><BR>http://www.nejman.com/todiefor/Paris2001.htm

We visited the P&egrave;re-Lachaise as part of a self-guided tour that included the catacombs of Paris. A map is helpful, you can buy one from a street vendor at the entrance.

Thanks all, for the tips. And thanks Capo for the interesting web address. I'm officially curious and will plan for a visit.

The lure: gorgeous funereal architecture. The drawback: every Tom, Dick, and Huck asking, "Is this the way for Jim Morrison?" Poor Jim.

For the cemetery fans out there (and you know who you are), there's a book called "Permanent Parisians" by Judi Culbertson and Tom Randall. It describes graves and tombs of interest not only in Pere Lachaise but also elsewhere in the city. The authors also other "Permanent" books -- Italians, New Yorkers, Californians, and Londoners, as I recall. I don't know which ones are still in print. The books discuss burial places that are noteworthy either because famous people are buried there or because of aesthetic interest or curiousity. The maps are sometimes a bit sketchy, though.<BR><BR>

I have seen wonderful "coffee table books" with photographs of the gravestones, wow,most are really great works of art..some are so touching,some are funny.I believe one is a composer and it is his death mask and it is eerie! I will go there next trip~

Poor Jim? Really? You don't think he'd enjoy his popularity in death? (And doesn't Jim belong with Tom and Huck? :~)<BR><BR>KT, I've seen "Permanent Parisians" in used bookstores and have thought about picking it up. Great title! Amazon.com says it's out of print, but they have limited copies of the less-alliterative "Permanent Londoners."<BR><BR><BR>Want to know where Graham Greene, or Henri Matisse, or Nick Drake, is buried? Here's an interesting website I just found: "Find a Grave."<BR><BR>http://www.findagrave.com/tocs/alphabet.html<BR><BR><BR>

It looks like a little village and there are maps for sale to seek out who ever you may like to visit at their grave site. Some of the statuary is astonishing and I was amazed that no one stole some of the little stain glass and metal wreaths.

I ALWAYS visit cemeteries when I travel and I have been just about everywhere (expat life). They are fascinating and I don't care who's buried in them, I just like to see how different nationalities/religions treat death. The ones in Paris are about the best. I also always go to department stores and supermarkets to get the same feeling of what living in that locale is like.