When Jim Morrison, lead singer for the legendary rock group The Doors, died on July 3, 1971, it was originally kept very quiet. The rock star had come to Paris seeking anonymity, and he was buried in Cimetière du Père Lachaise with little fanfare. Though the grave was initially unmarked, hundreds of fans began pestering the cemetery's staff to find the grave of the late icon. Now it is one of the most visited graves in the city.
Plot Division: 6
Cimetière du Père Lachaise
6, Rue du Repos, Paris 20e
Paris, France
+01-43-70-70-33
The Memorial de la Shoah is Paris' way of memorializing the Holocaust. One of the first sights that greets visitors upon entrance into the memorial is the Wall of Names, a tribute to the 76,000 French Jews who were deported from their homeland and sent to Nazi concentration camps. The memorial also features exhibits on the history of anti-Semitism around the world. On the second Sunday of each month at 3 p.m., there is a free, English-speaking guided tour of the memorial. A word of warning: as is the case with many Holocaust museums, the images on display can be graphic and may not be suitable for more sensitive visitors. The memorial is open every day except Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Memorial de la Shoah
17 rue Geoffroy l'Asnier
75004 Paris, France
+01-42-77-44-72
www.memorialdelashoah.org
Though it is not as famous as Notre Dame, the flying buttresses and gothic design of St. Eustache are certainly worth trekking over to Paris' Market neighborhood. Despite being constructed sometime between 1532 and 1640, there are decidedly modern elements to the surroundings of the church. A striking sculpture, of a head with its hand cupped to its ear, L'Ecoute by Henri de Miller, sits outside. And inside the church, visitors will find American artist Keith Haring's The Life of Christ which was given to the church after Haring passed away in 1990.
St. Eustache
2 impasse St-Eustache
Beaubourg Les Halles
Paris, France
www.saint-eustache.org
