Le Musée des Égouts de Paris

For anyone interested in learning more about the complex maze of sewers winding its way beneath the Parisian streets, a visit to Le Musée des Égouts de Paris (the Paris Sewer Museum) is a must. The museum is located beneath the Quai d’Orsay near the famous Pont de l’Alma in the city’s 7th arrondissement and chronicles the need for sewers and their construction. Exhibits include replica and equipment used in the upkeep of the system, such as a giant ball used to clear clogs. An actual sewer line, complete with raw sewage, running below reminds museum-goers’ that while the museum and the city’s underground may be out of sight, it’s not always out of smell. A visit to the museum can take an hour or so, less for anyone who might be unable to keep their olfactory senses in check.