My Trudge Through the Sewers of Paris
Written: Oct 31 '02 (Updated Jan 03 '07)
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Pros: It's very....interesting. You'll get plenty of conversational mileage out of this one.
Cons: Aromatically challenging. Well, what did you expect? Lilacs?
The Bottom Line: I can't say it's a "must see," but for the admission price, it's one of the few off-the-beaten-track, bargain "attractions" of Paris.
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| lyagushka's Full Review: Le Musee des Egouts de Paris (The Paris Sewer Muse... |
I made two short trips to Paris this past summer. Needless to say, Paris is pretty well blanketed with reviews here at epinions. So I had to look a bit far afield to find something I thought I could contribute original material for. That's when I found The Musée des Egouts de Paris (which translates as the Raw Sewage Museum of Paris -- sounds so much better in French, n'est pas?) listed in my guidebook. Well, for sheer spectacle and to maintain my reputation (mostly in my own head) for getting well off the beaten track, even in the middle of Paris, I knew I'd have to go. Besides, I figured, there's not a chance someone else has already reviewed this one at eps. Sure enough, it wasn't even in the database. Try to affect mild surprise, here. Diverpam having kindly added it for me, here's my review...
First off, I admit to a bit of trepidation about going to the Musée des Egouts. I tried to get my dad to go with me, hoping that as a civil engineer who's designed "waste treatment facilities," he might be cajoled into forking over the euro 3.80 admission price for a gander at the proverbial Parisian poop. I was in luck. I don't know if it was professional interest, the potential conversational mileage or parental protectiveness, but he was game. And it was down into the sewers we went.
The first impression of the Musée wasn't so bad. Located near the Pont de l'Alma on the left bank, all that's visible from the street is a little kiosk, situated over a hole in the ground. Yes, a hole in the ground. However, this really is a legitimate museum, not some fly-by-night tour run by back alley shysters. I have an admission stub to prove it. From this unassuming entrance, the ah, aromas of the museum are undetectable, which is probably why they can charge admission. Oddly enough, there wasn't much of a line for this particular attraction.
To be honest I had expected a much more gruesome experience in touring the sewers. I had worn clothes I was willing to burn afterwards and brought a small vial of rose-scented oil, which I planned to rub under my nose. In truth, I didn't need it. The olfactory extras of the Museum were limited to only certain sections, and even when they were present, they were much milder than anticipated. I've encountered worse sewer odors walking the streets of Florence. In any case and perhaps by design, the smells don't hit you until you're quite a ways into the exhibition.
The Musée des Egouts consists of several interconnected, oblong galleries that the visitor must tour in sequence. Many of the galleries are parts of formerly discrete sewerage systems that predate Paris' current system. Other galleries are not actually old sewer tunnels, but were constructed or restored to look like vaulted sewer tunnels from different periods and places. The oldest of these tunnels dates from the 14th century.
The first galleries contain a few taxidermic displays of sewer rats, text heavy displays and antique "flushing machines." These last resemble satanic sleds and were actually pushed manually through the sewers periodically when they silted up or became otherwise blocked. (The mind boggles.) There is actually quite a bit of history to be learned about the disposal of Paris' wastewater, if such things interest you. If you're blessed with the slightly skewed kind of mind that I've got, you've toured castles and palaces and been duly impressed with all the magnificence, but nonetheless wondered about the more, shall we say, mundane aspects of daily life. (You'll notice if you visit Versailles while you're in Paris, that during the tour no mention is made of the toilet facilities at the palace. So, where...? And how?)
Although we weren't with any organized group or tour, we heard a young woman giving explanations in English to a group of three women. We edged closer and closer to them until we just politely asked if we could join them. It turned out that this young woman was a summer intern who was working at the Musée for small wages and academic credit of some kind. Apparently there are always interns there during the summer who speak all the major languages of Europe, giving free tours. This was especially helpful to us, since our French is basically survival-level conversational French. The technical information would otherwise have been beyond us.
In the fourth gallery, we got our first look at actual flowing waste water. I was expecting much worse. The water in this large trench was dark, not incredibly stinky and the only "objects" I could identify were leaves and metro tickets. The walkways of the museum were always about 10 feet above the surface of the waste water, so there was no worry of direct contact with the sewerage. This gallery also houses a "flushing boat," an improvement on and enlargement of the flushing machine. It was preserved remarkably well for such an old antique, dating from the 18th century.
Further on in the subsequent galleries we found displays of drawings, photographs, maps, and plans relating to the history of Paris' sewers and the architects of each successive design. These displays were sometimes quite interesting, especially the old photographs showing Paris streets and the Seine. However, these displays were also situated over another sewer basin, covered with a thick metal grid, the kind that often covers subway airshafts and the like. As we stood looking at the displays I made the mistake of looking down through the grating we were standing on. The waste water was flowing quite fast, and the only thing separating me from it was a metal grating. I confess I was spooked, mistrusting the grating, and thereafter observed the displays from a respectful distance, standing on the paved walkway.
The subsequent galleries housed displays of more modern treatment facilities, mostly complicated machines. However there was also an interesting display of the sewer "cleaning balls," from the earliest to modern models. Basically, these are large balls, sometimes huge balls (~3m diameter), sent through the pipes and tunnels to stir up sand, grit and sediment that collects in them and help clean them out. The early balls were made of wood covered in pitch, the modern ones of metal.
Just before exiting we saw the exhibit of the plans for future modifications to the sewerage system. Near the exit is, believe it or not, a gift shop. I know you're going to want to know what sort of souvenirs the Sewer Museum Shop sells. Unfortunately, it was closed when I was there, so I can't fill you in. I guess some things are best left to the imagination.
All told our visit lasted about an hour and a half, which was enough time to see everything. Those interested in the social history of Paris will find much of interest here that probably would not be covered in other historical sources.
Hours, admission, etc.
The Musée des Egouts de Paris is open, as the Lonely Planet guidebook puts it, "from 11 am to 5 pm Saturday to Wednesday from May to September except, God forbid, when rain threatens to flood the tunnels." The rest of the year, the Musée des Egouts is open until 4pm, except for the last three weeks of January, when it is closed entirely for repairs. There is a discount for students and seniors; euro 3.05 and children's admission is euro 2.30. Children five years old and younger get free admission. And no, I don't intend to speculate about why anyone would take a five-year-old child into a sewer. The Museum entrance is near the Place de la Résistance and the Pont de l'Alma in the seventh arrondissement.
Looking for advice on a slightly more mainstream tourist attraction? Check out my review of Versailles.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Students
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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