Paris is well known for its use of the guillotine, seen as one of the most humane methods of punishing criminals during the French Revolution. In the 12 months from 1973 the Parisian authorities lopped off 1,225 heads. Today this grim fascination with the macabre has not changed, with some very sinister exhibitions offered by the affordable accommodation in Paris over the next few months.

Marie Stuart exhibition at Musee National de la Renaissance

Although these heads have not been severed, the carved wooden roundels have been sent from a time when the Scottish also were known for torture and bloodshed for a special exhibition dedicated to Mary Queen of Scots, known in her birthplace of France as Marie Stuart.

It allegedly took two attempts to behead Mary Queen of Scots after she was sentenced to death on suspicion of attempting to supplant Queen of England Elizabeth I. Objects from Mary's reign and early life in France go on display at the Renaissance Museum in Paris from October 15th to February 2nd, including portraits, jewels, personal objects and art work.

Curator of the exhibition Thierry Crepin-Leblond said: "The exhibition Mary Stuart is an occasion to show … unknown and impressive pieces that the Queen of Scots used to admire in the Inner Hall of her father."

Musee d'Orsay looks behind masks

Masks from Carpeaux to Picasso follows the history of covered faces, focusing on the late 19th century when the art form saw a disconcerting revival drawing from its background in Japan and ancient Greece.

The Orsay Museum explores their popularity among European artists such as Klinger, Gauguin and Picasso with a display of paintings and artefacts. The exhibition runs from October 21st to February 1st. Orsay Museum also hosts concerts and lectures as well as expos.

Discover what makes a man at the Musee de l'Homme

The brain of philosopher Rene Descartes, an assassin's skull and crystal head are among the macabre exhibits at the Musee de l'Homme in Paris. Unusual items are reported to include an Incan mummy in the fetal position, which is rumoured to have inspired Munch's painting, The Scream.

Alongside cabinets of curiosity Musee de l'Homme takes a deeper look into the evolution of humans and our development into different ethnic groups. Dummies which are part of the Ethnographic Exhibition represent people from different French colonies.

Where heads fell

A visit to Paris would not be complete without a grim trip to the Place de la Revolution, renamed Place de la Concorde around the corner from some of the best hotels in Paris. During the revolution, a statue of King Louis was torn down and replaced by a guillotine which saw more than a thousand people beheaded in a year during the "Reign of Terror", including Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. The square was said to have run with so much blood, cattle refused to cross it.

In the centre is an obelisk given to the French government by the Egyptians in the 19th century. At each corner of the octagon are statues that represent the larger of the French cities at the end of the Champs Elysees.

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