Montparnasse Cemetery is one of largest cemetery of Paris. It is located in the 14th arrondissement in the south of Paris. The closest metro stations are the Edgar Quinet, the Raspail, the Denfert Rochereau and the Gaité.
Explore Montparnasse Cemetery
France This Way review: Montparnasse cemetery is a lovely peaceful spot containing the tombs of many well known figures.
In the 19th century the cemeteries of Paris were closed down due to disease and four new sites at the outer limits of the city as it was then were created.
These were Pere-Lachaise cemetery in the east, Montparnasse cemetery in the south, Montmartre cemetery in the north and Passy cemetery to the west.
The occupants of the Cimetière des Innocents, which was the main cemetery in Paris at the time were moved to the Catacombs.
The Montparnasse cemetery is the second largest cemetery in Paris. It covers about 19 hectares and has around 35,000 graves. It is divided into 30 divisions.
Before the land was obtained by the city of Paris it was occupied by three farms owned by the Hotel Dieu hospital and an estate owned by a religious group, the Brothers of Charity.
You can still see a mill in the cemetery which is all that is left of these. The mill is in the south western corner in division 9 of the cemetery.
The main entrance is on Boulevard Edgar Quinet which is close to the Edgar Quinet Metro station.
Inside the cemetery the main alley, the Rue Emile Richard, runs from north to south and divides the cemetery into what are known as the large cemetery and the small cemetery.
From east to west the main alleys are the Avenue du Nord and the Avenue Transversale. Smaller alleys then crisscross the site to create the 30 divisions.
These run straight in a grid-like formation unlike the more organic plan of the Pere-Lachaise cemetery.
On the Avenue Transversale there is a 'roundabout' with a bronze statue by Horace Daillion. This is the 'Genie du Sommeil Eternale', or 'Genius of Eternal Sleep'.
The Montparnasse cemetery is not the resting place for as many well-known figures as Père-Lachaise but it still has a good number of tombs of famous writers, musiciens, artists etc.
There is a map at the main entrance to help you to locate the graves you wish to visit or you can download a map to your telephone or printer.
These include the French writers and philosophers Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir who share a grave. This is one of the most popular in the cemetery and is covered in lipstick kisses.
The Irish writer Samuel Beckett is buried here. Although Irish Beckett lived most of his life in Paris and died here. He was active in the resistance during WW2 and received the Croix de Guerre medal.
Guy de Maupassant is buried here as is the poet Charles Baudelaire. Charles Baudelaire also has a cenotaph commemorating him which can be found between the 26 and 27th divisions of the cemetery.
Marguerite Duas, a writer and film-maker is also buried here.
The famous French singer Serge Gainsborough is buried here as is the actress and model, Jane Birkin with whom he had a long relationship and a daughter, Charlotte.
The artist Man Ray is buried here. Although American he spent most of his career in Paris.
Ossip Zadkine, the sculptor is buried here and there is a small museum nearby, the Musée Zadkine nearby featuring some of his work.
The Jewish military officer Alfred Dreyfuss is buried here. His wrongful accusation of treason in 1894 caused a huge scandal for the French Republic.
The cemetery is open everyday from 09.00 to 17.30 as a minimum and longer in the summer and weekdays.
Attractions nearby
The Montparnasse tower overlooks the cemetery and whilst something of an eyesore in itself it does have great views of the area from its top floor.
As well as the Musée Zadkine, the Musée Bourdelle is nearby and has a collection of great sculptures by Antoine Bourdelle.
The Paris Catacombs which contain the bones of several million people are close to the Montparnasse Cemetery.
You can find more travel ideas in the Paris region guide.
To make travel arrangements to visit Montparnasse Cemetery see HERE
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Map of Montparnasse Cemetery and places nearby
Places to visit near Montparnasse Cemetery
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Zadkine Museum
The Zadkine museum holds an excellent collection of work by the 20th century sculptor and painter.
Zadkine Museum guide
Jardin du Luxembourg
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Pantheon
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Church Saint-Germain-des-Prés
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