Exposure: This is what the secret tunnel network of Paris looks like, which has become the locals' illegal playground

Few know about the existence of the underground labyrinth of Paris, which stretched for 300 kilometers and has been there since Roman times.

Secret agents sneak away from the police to go inside and hang out with others: "Here no one is judging you for your appearance. We're all dirty in the mud."

Not to be missed

07/07/2022

Thursday, 07 July 2022, 23:39

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A woman surfing under the largest cemetery in the world (story in a minute)

While the creepy underground bone cellar of Paris, the Catacombs of Paris, is a popular tourist destination - very few know that in the French capital there is also a whole network of secret tunnels frequented mainly by local artists who have heard about its existence by word of mouth.

The many tunnels and caves that were forgotten from the Roman period are actually former quarries from which a considerable part of the stones for the construction of the city were dug.

Now the network has become the illegal playground of thrill-seeking Parisians and tourists who have heard of it.

300 miles of underground tunnels are also great material for ghost stories, with an endless maze of caves that have housed the remains of up to six million Parisians.

This happened during the 18th century, while the city was trying to deal with the problem of overcrowding in cemeteries.

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Secret tunnel network in Paris: Room Z in the city's fifth district (Photo: GettyImages, Sygma)

Some parts of the underground network have remained open to this day for visitors for guided tours, although since 1955 large parts of the catacombs have been sealed.

However, this did not prevent people from breaking in.

A buried bunker built during World War II with an armored door leading directly to the quarries is only one way in, but there are many other entrances that those who know of their existence keep them a secret to preserve their underground world.

Certain parts of the underground network remain open to this day for visitors for guided tours (Photo: GettyImages, AFP)

The humidity in the place is very high - the walls and ceilings are dripping with water, and in some places you have to go through mud puddles that reach to the ankle, the Guardian reported after a tour under the French capital.

This has not prevented catapults - a term given to those urban explorers who illegally tour space - to create spectacular underground galleries.

A 1984 photo of a man in an underground tunnel flooded with certain parts of it (Photo: GettyImages, Gamma-Rapho)

Another attractive aspect, according to those who like to live in tunnels, is the equality they provide.

"You can not be judged on your appearance because we are all dirty in the mud and wearing boots," said a 45-year-old pastel artist named Misty, in a conversation with the New York Times, "so the banker and the punk are celebrating together."

More about the secret underground tunnel network in Paris:

Today, trespassers risk a fine of 60 euros if they encounter police units that sometimes patrol underground, but even that does not stop them from visiting the "Wonderland" from time to time.

"We're here for the same passion and we share the same things, regardless of who and what we're up to," said Gaspard Doble, a catapult in his 40s who discovered the network 6 years ago and has since gone down there several times a week, mostly for the purpose of filming. "I do not care about your social status here. It's perfect," he added.

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