New Orleans

With the modern age of vampire tales, it seems only natural that the vampire lairs would move on to the new world. And so it is with New Orleans, home of The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice. Although the series takes you all over the world, it is this place which seems to mean the most. Site of the first book, Interview With The Vampire, New Orleans was a perfect hiding place for vampires during the years when the United States was young. Immigrants were arriving by the thousands, and disease was rampant. A few more dead bodies here or there wouldn't make any difference...

New Orleans has some of the most fascinating cemeteries in the world, yet another reason why it is beloved by vampires and vampire fans alike. Because of the swampy nature of the New Orleans area, nearly all graves are above ground, in crypts. But it wasn't always so. In the early days of the city, the coffins were still buried underground (or underwater, to be more accurate); however, the water would cause the coffins to float on the surface. In order to get the coffins to sink without delay, large holes were made in the bottom of the coffins so that water could get in quickly and force the coffin to sink.

By the 18th century, this practice had been abandoned in favour of above ground crypts. Today, there are 42 cemeteries in the metropolitan area. Lafayette Cemetery is by far one of the most beautiful.

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