THE SEWER

MUSEUM

●LocationThe Sewer Museum is located in the heart of Paris, 10 minutes away on foot from the Eiffel Tower in the 7th arrondissement.

● HistorySewers have been draining wastewater in Paris since the beginning of the 13th Century, when the city's streets were paved and drains were built on orders from Philippe Auguste, the king of France from 1180 to 1223. Covered sewers were introduced during the reign of Napoléon Bonaparte, and today's network of more than 2,100 km (1,312 miles) of sewer tunnels was begun in 1850.The first tours of the sewers were offered in 1889. Initially, they did it by carts that were suspended from the walkways along the tunnel walls, later by carriages drawn by a small locomotive, and until the 1970s, in boats. Nowadays, the museum is prepared to be visited on foot.

●What you can see in the museum The sewers are dark, damp, and quiet, and a great place to visit for those who are interested in the history of engineering or who just want to enjoy the bizarre, slightly spooky atmosphere of the place. The sewer tunnels are a lot wider and more spacious than you'd probably imagine; it's not at all claustrophobic in there, as the tunnels were constructed to accommodate some really big machinery.

Several museum-like attractions have been added throughout the tunnels you'll explore, explaining the history and construction of the sewer system. One of the most espectacular things you get to see is a gigantic ball that was used to clean out sewer lines underneath the Seine.