Under Notre Dame

There’s a popular French phrase “Sous les pavés, la plage” or, “Under the cobblestones, the beach”. But if you dive a little deeper, you’ll find there’s more beneath your feet than just sand. There are also traces of the earliest civilizations who inhabited Paris long before it became the capitol city of France. You can discover vestiges of the Gallo-Roman city know as Lutetia in the Crypte Archéologique du Parvis Notre-Dame. Follow the steps down from the square in front of the cathedral and you’ll find a fascinating peek into how each successive generation inhabiting the Ile de la Cité built their homes, streets, quays and ramparts on the ruins of the people who came before them. It’s a great alternative to the Catacombes for those who get creeped out by bones…and long lines!

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