Famous Cemeteries around the World

Visiting a city’s cemetery might not be one’s main priority while traveling. However, there are numerous cemeteries in this world that are considered to be priceless monuments: some are praised for their artistic value (like for their statues and mausoleums), some are priced for their historical relevance (being centuries, maybe even millennia old), and some are best known for the famous people who were buried there.

As long as you approach these quiet and sacred places with respect for those resting there and follow some simple, common sense principles, you won’t have any problem visiting them, even when the cemetery is not officially considered a touristic attraction.

Overall, cemeteries are an important aspect of a country’s culture, as well as a good opportunity to show your gratitude to some writer, artist, hero or scientist you admire. We hereby present you five of the most intriguing and famous cemeteries in the world:

Pere Lachaise

Pere Lachiase is very probably the most visited and famous cemetery in the world. It’s Part of Paris’s unique charm to go and visit this cemetery during a trip, just silently walk among the mossy gravestones, marble angles and old trees.

This cemetery is so huge, that most visitors find it difficult, if not impossible, to navigate without a map, especially when you really care about visiting the grave of someone you admire. As for all the famous people resting in Pere Lachaise, here are few names: Amadeo Modigliani, Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, Marcel Proust.

Sulina Maritime Cemetery

Few people ever heard about the little town of Sulina, located in Eastern Romania, right where the  middle branch of the Danube (also called Sulina) flows into the Black Sea.  Right here in the middle of the Danube’s Delta one can find one of the oldest and multicultural cemeteries in the world.

The Maritime Cemetery actually consists of three smaller cemeteries: a Christian cemetery, a Muslim cemetery and a Jewish cemetery. Should I add that a famous engineer, numerous officers from the Romanian Royal Navy and even a Romanian Princess are buried here?

La Recoleta

Here in the bohemian Buenos Aires you can visit, apart from the famous cafes, the Recolata Cemetery. With its beautifully carved mausoleums and snowy white grave stones, the cemetery is now a resting place for some of Argentina most prestigious writers, statesman and scientists. Here you can bring a homage to Admiral William Brown, writer Adolfo Bioy Casares or the famous Evita Peron.

Arlington National Cemetery

More than a military cemetery, Arlington is a symbol of sacrifice and glory, one of the numerous monuments representing the American patriotism concentrated around Washington DC. Among the 360000 soldiers and officers resting here, you can find the grave of President John. K. Kennedy, one of the most remarkable presidents in the history of the Unites States.

San Michele

I’ve been telling you about the strange island of San Michele in a previous post, related to Venice and its surrounding islands. This small island has been transformed into a cemetery at the beginning of the 19th century. The funeral gondolas taking the rich merchants and aristocrats of Venice towards the island must have offered quite a sight. Now it is just a quiet and serene place, far from the buzzing canals of Venice.

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