The World's Most Famous Cemeteries

Every major city has some kind of grandiose graveyard. We often stumble upon these “cities of the dead” in our travels—usually a centuries-old swath of walled greenery and limestone on the outskirts of the city, thick leafy trees droop over mismatched rickety headstones and larger-than-life sculptures of angels beckon us in. In the 19th century, before the age of the public park, cemeteries doubled as leisurely places for families to spend the day relaxing and eating in the tranquil landscape.

And while the park has become the de rigueur destination for outdoor leisure, the unlikely allure of the cemetery persists. But graveyard-goers have a different motivation: to dive in to an atmosphere that’s both woebegone and placid, a place that offers a harmonious blend of nature and art, history and horticulture all wrapped up in a contained space. And if that’s not enough, a visit to our experts’ favorite cemeteries ensures a celebrity sighting—in the form of a gravestone, of course—just about every time.


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