Walk in the Footsteps of Paris' Cultural Elite

The Pere Lachaise Cemetery is located in the 20th district of Paris and is one of the best known public cemetery in the world. Other than famous French nationals, many famous people who have contributed to France are buried here. Some 69,000 tombstones can be found here and more than 100,000 tourists visit every year. Famous people buried here include Rossini, Balzac, Wilde and Chopin.

Tombstones here are like works of art. Many sculptures of famous people are all decorated with fresh flowers and do not seem scary at all. Rather it is very peaceful and calm here. Wilde’s tomb has received so many kisses from tourists that they fenced off the area. The Doors’ lead singer Jim Morrison is the only one whose tomb has railings. Every year tens of thousands of fans come here to pay homage.

The Pantheon is located in the Latin quarter of Paris. It was once the Cathedral of St. Geneva built by Louis XV of France. After several changes it has now become the resting place for the most famous of France. Those from the Enlightenment - Voltaire, Rousseau, Hugo, Dumas and the Curies were all buried here.

Compared to other hotspots in Paris, there are fewer tourists here and it’s very calm and quiet. The Pantheon is exemplary of the style of the Neo-Classical style. The front is a nod to Rome’s Parthenon and is a very glorious structure. The underground room and the main building is the same size. You can see many tombstones of various people from the past.

Auvers-sur-Oise is a town of arts and culture located in the Val d’Oise region in France. Here, not only can you see real rural living in France, as Van Gogh spent his last days here where he committed suicide and was buried, this is often referred to as Van Gogh town.

Here you can compare the real sights to 26 of Van Gogh’s paintings, such as the "Orville City Hall", "Wheat Raven" and "Orville Church". Van Gogh’s home is the #5 room at the hotel where he used to stay. A lot of people still pay homage to him by heading to the fields where he committed suicide by a gun shot. They would lay a flower on his tomb.

Maison de Victor Hugo is located at Place des Vosges. The literary giant Victor Hugo lived here for over 16 years. The museum has an Oriental sitting room, a Medieval style dining room and sleeping quarters. The museum primarily shows this writer’s manuscripts and portraits.

The museum is not big and it’s a pity that some of the text shown there is in French. If you want to visit, you’re encouraged to learn more about Hugo first. He is a fan of China and you can see elements of China in the ceramics in his home. You’ll also be surprised to know that the literary giant is a designer.

The Maison de Balzac is located in the 16th district of Paris. It is about 1 km away from the Eiffel Tower. The home is a small house on the hill overlooking the River Seine. It has a small garden and is particularly quiet and peaceful. Balzac’s name is written on the door. This is where Balzac wrote “The Human Comedy”.

When you’re here you’ll noticed that Balzac lived a very humble life. You’ll see first prints of his books, manuscripts and illustrations. There are many images and texts depicting sceneries and individuals on the walls. It’s very interesting to see. The visitor’s book has lots of comments from fans and tourists from around the world, expressing their admiration.

The Cemetery of Montparnasse is one of Paris’ three major cemeteries. It is where many elites are buried in France. The writer Maupassant, the poet Baudelaire, the car engineer Citroen, the existential masters Sartre and his wife Beauvoir, and the new wave director and writer Duras are found eternal living here.

At the north entrance you can see Sartre and his wife Beauvoir’s tomb. Other than their names and dates of birth and death nothing else is written. The tombstone is white and very clean. It is perhaps the simplest of all tombs. The cemetery is also where fallen Parisian police and firefighters are laid to rest.