I recently visited the Catacombs in Paris. The entry is quite discreet even though it’s near a major subway station. Beyond the main black doors, which say simply “Entrée des Catacombs”, there is a tiny white waiting room. Few chairs line the walls. The floor is covered in simple linoleum squares.
After handing over a few francs to the blasé-looking lady behind the counter, you are given a ticket and directed towards a smaller inner door just a few feet away. There, a man takes your ticket – tears off the stub – then opens the door, beyond which is a staircase. This is where it gets interesting.
