Paris catacombs reopen after renovation

Paris catacombs reopen after renovation

From Plain English by Jeff at Plain English

June 1, 2026 · 14 min · Episode 869

About this episode

The episode discusses the recent renovation of the Paris catacombs, a historical burial site beneath the city.

Today's story: Beneath the streets of Paris is a huge network of underground tunnels filled with the bones of millions of former residents. Originally built as limestone quarries, the tunnels became a burial site in the 1700s after Paris’s cemeteries became overcrowded and unhealthy. The city recently completed a major renovation project to preserve the catacombs and improve conditions for visitors. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/869 Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/869 -- Plain English helps you improve your English: Learn about the world and improve your English Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand New stories every week Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com Mentioned in this episode: Hard words? No problem Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

People in this episode

Host: Jeff

Topics covered

  • Paris catacombs
  • renovation
  • underground tunnels
  • burial site
  • historical sites

Keywords

  • Paris catacombs
  • renovation
  • underground tunnels
  • burial site
  • history

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Paris, Paris catacombs

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