Hôtel Littéraire Arthur Rimbaud, BW Signature Collection
Haunting Literary Walks in Paris for Halloween
A Capital Haunted by Words and Shadows
In 1848, the Parisian press spread like wildfire the terrifying story of the “Vampire of Montparnasse”: a sergeant caught desecrating graves in the Montparnasse Cemetery, opening coffins, and mutilating corpses.
A few decades later, inspired in part by this sensational crime, Maupassant published La Chevelure, the tale of a macabre obsession born from a simple braid of hair locked inside a piece of furniture. Both narratives converge in their fascination with death, their morbid obsession, and their haunting of the absent.
In October, when lanterns flicker and façades darken, this past resurfaces, offering wanderers a spectral Paris—haunted by its writers and its ghosts—from the narrow streets of the Marais to the avenues bordering Père-Lachaise Cemetery.
I. Literary Cemeteries and Writers’ Legends in Paris
Paris is the perfect setting to experience the Day of the Dead with intensity. And how better to immerse oneself in this atmosphere than by strolling through its emblematic cemeteries?
The most famous of all, Père-Lachaise Cemetery, is a true library of stone. Here lie the graves of Balzac, Proust, Apollinaire, and Oscar Wilde. Between Gothic mausoleums and timeworn headstones, every step recalls how writers have left an indelible mark upon the capital.
What to read on site: Maupassant’s La Chevelure, in the shadow of a cypress or seated on a bench, to feel the chill of the tale come alive among the tombs.
II. Catacombs and Subterranean Readings in Paris
Beneath the cobblestones of the city stretches another world: the Catacombs, a mineral kingdom where millions of human remains were transferred in the 18th century.
Twenty meters underground, after descending 131 steps, the visitor discovers the largest ossuary in the world. This sepulchral labyrinth, inscribed with carved quotations, seems destined to host nocturnal readings of Gothic tales.
What to read on site: Maupassant’s The Horla, for total immersion in madness and the fantastic, surrounded by the bones of the Catacombs.
III. Ghosts of Parisian Streets and Theatres
To experience Halloween in Paris to the fullest, explore the capital with fresh eyes, following a path through its most mysterious sites.
After Père-Lachaise, make your way to the Île de la Cité and the majestic Notre-Dame. Between gargoyles and stained glass, the cathedral plunges visitors into the mystical atmosphere so dear to Victor Hugo, where stone itself seems ready to awaken.
The medieval alleys of the Marais, especially near the rue des Francs-Bourgeois and the turrets of the Hôtel de Sens, still whisper forgotten stories. Covered passages offer a hushed, timeless ambiance—perfect for imagining the shadows of literary phantoms.
Further south, the Opéra Garnier preserves the memory of a lovesick ghost wandering its underground maze, and conceals beneath its stage a vast artificial lake, long known only through rumor. Today, the Opera’s Mystery Tours, held outside public opening hours, invite visitors to rediscover this enigmatic monument in the silence of twilight.
What to read on site: Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera, the legendary novel that built the myth of the Opéra Garnier.
A Literary Haven in the Heart of Paris
After such wanderings, to return to the clarity and comfort of a place dedicated to books and writers is a rare privilege.
The Literary Hotels, including the one devoted to Arthur Rimbaud, offer an elegant atmosphere where books and the memory of authors accompany travelers. Thus, after the city’s shadows and specters, literature continues to illuminate the night, providing the perfect refuge for lovers of Halloween in Paris and of literary strolls.
