A little tour of the Montparnasse Cemetery

Published by Manon de Sortiraparis, Laurent de Sortiraparis · Photos by Manon de Sortiraparis · Updated on March 19, 2024 at 11:23 a.m. · Published on July 11, 2018 at 03:57 p.m.
The Montparnasse cemetery is the final resting place of many famous personalities, and a stroll through it is a free and instructive pleasure.

If you're passing through the Montparnasse neighborhood, don't miss the large and beautiful Montparnasse Cemetery. The second largest cemetery in Paris, it was built in 1824, at the same time as other Parisian cemeteries (Passy Cemetery, Montmartre Cemetery, and Père-Lachaise Cemetery). 

With nearly 1,200 trees, strolling through the cemetery is a free pleasure. You can wander among the graves of unknown people and famous figures from history, art, cinema, literature, painting, and more. If you would like to take a detailed tour of the cemetery, a map is available free of charge at the entrance, showing the locations of the famous graves. 

Among the famous people who have their graves here are writers (Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Charles Baudelaire, Robert Desnos, Samuel Beckett, Eugène Ionesco, Marguerite Duras, Joseph Kessel, Guy de Maupassant, Pierre Louÿs, Vercors, and Henri Troyat), actors (Mireille Darc, Bruno Cremer, Serge Reggiani, Jean Seberg, Philippe Noiret, Jean Poiret, Delphine Seyrig, and Jean Carmet), and filmmakers (Jacques Demy, Éric Rohmer, Maurice Pialat, Alain Resnais, Gérard Oury, Claude Sautet, and Jacques Becker).

But also composers (Camille Saint-Saëns), photographers (Gyula Brassaï, Man Ray), painters (Eugène Carrière), historical figures (Alfred Dreyfus) and politicians (Simone Veil, Raymond Barre). 

Don't forget to visit Serge Gainsbourg's grave, where fans from all over the world continue to leave flowers every day, as well as subway tickets and even cabbages! 

For the record, the Montparnasse Cemetery was built on the site of three farms, and it is still possible today to see these vestiges of the past, as one of the towers of one of the flour mills is still standing in the cemetery and has even been classified as a historical monument. 

A beautiful walk in prospect. 

Practical information

Dates and Opening Time
Starts December 16, 2025

× Approximate opening times: to confirm opening times, please contact the establishment.

    Location

    3, boulevard Edgar Quinet
    75014 Paris 14

    Route planner

    Accessibility info

    Prices
    Free

    Official website
    www.paris.fr

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