The World’s Most Visited Gravesites

We may not like talking about death, but we do like to visit it. Some of the world’s most visited tourist attractions commemorate the dead – and even the simplest graves have become popular destinations. Here’s a selection of the most famous gravesites on the planet…

Père-Lachaise Cemetery, Paris, France

Père-Lachaise is probably the most visited cemetery in the world. Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, Maria Callas, Jim Morrison, Isadora Duncan, Frédéric Chopin, Honore de Balzac, Pierre Beaumarchais, Jean-Baptiste Moliere, Marcel Proust, Pierre Abelard, Auguste Comte, Guillaume Apollinaire, Amedeo Modigliani – these are just a few names of famous people who were buried here.

Every year more than a hundred thousand tourists visit Père-Lachaise. It became one of the most famous tourist attractions and this was totally the merit of the Paris authorities.

History says that the cemetery opened in 1804, but no one wanted to bury their relatives there. All because of the fact that it did not have its own “romantic history”….  So the government of Paris decided to create one! They transferred here the graves of several famous people, including Moliere and the popularity of Père-Lachaise started to grow.

Today, there are more than 700,000 graves in the cemetery, but the most visited by tourists is the grave of Oscar Wilde. By the way, it looks exactly the same as in the movie “Paris, I love you”: all covered with lipstick kisses and hand-written declarations of love.

Père-Lachaise Cemetery is located in the east of Paris, in the 20th municipal district. To get there is quite easy. If you go by metro you need to exit at the Philippe Auguste Station (Line 2) which is located right next to the main entrance. Don’t get confused and get out at the Père-Lachaise station, because it is actually quite far from the cemetery.

Central Cemetery (Zentralfriedhof) Vienna, Austria

The central cemetery of Vienna is one of the biggest in the world, one of the most visited and definitely the most musical.

Why one of the biggest? Because more than 3 million people are buried at Zentralfriedhof. The territory of the cemetery is so large that it even has its own transportation – buses and railway.

Why one of the most visited? Because every year there are more than 2 million tourists come here.

And, of course, the most musical, as many famous classical composers are buried here including Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Antonio Salieri, Franz Schubert, Johann Strauss, Johan Wolf, and many others. By the way, the cemetery also houses the presidential crypt, where, starting from 1951, Austrian presidents were buried with honors.

The cemetery is located in the southern part of the city, in the Simmering area. From the town square Schwarzenbergplatz to the Central Cemetery for almost 100 years goes the 71st tram. At the funeral, you can even hear: “He was taken by the 71st tram.”

Cemetery Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Recoleta is a cemetery where almost all of the Argentine elite was buried: twenty-five presidents of the country, commanders and Nobel laureates. There are no ordinary graves on Recoleta – the coffins are located in luxurious tombs decorated with statues of angels and ancient gods. All crypts and mausoleums are the work of famous architects and artists. Locals joke that it is cheaper to live luxuriously in Buenos Aires than to rest in Recoleta Cemetery.

Such a strange combination of horror and beauty makes an unforgettable impression on every tourist.

Actually, Recoleta reminds a real city with houses, streets and even districts. So in order not to get lost, it is better to buy a map at the entrance.

The most popular grave in the cemetery is the one of Eva Peron, who was the actress, the first lady of Argentina, and the true spiritual leader of the nation.

The Bridge to Paradise in Mexico

The history of this place started quite recently – in 1984. Architect Miguel Quintana Pali wanted to build a residence here, but then he changed his mind and built a park, where he also included a cemetery. It is located in the entertainment park “Skaret” (Xcaret) – an exact replica of the Mayan village.

This truly mystical place is full of symbolism and has elements of many religions and cultures. 7 graveyard levels symbolize the number of days in a week, 365 graves mean the number of days in a year, and 52 steps represent the number of weeks in a year.

“Bridge to Paradise” is a colorful place and least of all resembles a grave site. Each “building” has its own original design. It seems that there is even a competition for the most incredible one.

The cemetery is located ten kilometers from Playa del Carmen (Chetumal-Puerto Juarez Federal Highway).