Montmartre, Paris

About Montmartre

Montmartre is a large hill in the 18th arrondissement in the north of Paris, 130 metres high, and the district around it. For centuries it was a village outside the city with vineyards and windmills, where wine and life were cheaper than in Paris. On the summit stands one of the city's oldest churches, Saint-Pierre de Montmartre from 1147, next to the white Sacré-Cœur.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Belle Époque, Picasso, Van Gogh, Renoir, Monet, Degas, Modigliani, Toulouse-Lautrec, Suzanne Valadon and her son Maurice Utrillo all lived and worked here. New art movements were born on the hill, and the cabarets at its foot made it world-famous.

What to see in Montmartre

• Place du Tertre — street painters and portraitists.
• The Sacré-Cœur — the summit and the city view.
• The Montmartre vineyard — the last within Paris.
• The Moulin de la Galette — the windmill in Renoir's painting.
• The Musée de Montmartre — a house with gardens and studios.
• The Wall of Love — 'I love you' in hundreds of languages.

Place du Tertre and the painters

The heart of the hill is Place du Tertre, just steps from the Sacré-Cœur. Street painters set up easels under the trees, some painting Paris views, others offering a portrait in minutes. Old houses with cafés and restaurants ring the square, where famous artists once sat.

Nearby is Saint-Pierre de Montmartre, one of the oldest churches in Paris. Heading down the lanes you'll find the Bateau-Lavoir, where Picasso lived and worked in the early 20th century, and little Place Dalida with the singer's bust.

The vineyard, windmills and lanes

On the north slope survives the Montmartre vineyard, the last working vineyard within Paris, celebrated every autumn with a harvest festival, parades and a fair. Old windmills stand nearby, including the Moulin de la Galette, which Renoir painted in his famous Bal du moulin de la Galette.

At the Musée de Montmartre, in an old house with gardens, Renoir, Suzanne Valadon and Utrillo lived and worked; you can see their studio and the view over the vineyard. In the square by Abbesses station is the famous Wall of Love, with 'I love you' written in hundreds of languages.

Montmartre in the evening

At the foot of the hill, on Boulevard de Clichy, begins Pigalle, with its cabarets, including the famous Moulin Rouge and its red windmill. Montmartre has long been known for its nightlife, with bars, small concert venues and restaurants with live music.

Evenings on the hill are atmospheric: café lights glow on Place du Tertre, guitarists play on the Sacré-Cœur steps and Paris shines below. Late at night in Pigalle, though, stick to busy streets.

Tips for your walk

Comfortable shoes are a must: Montmartre's lanes are steep and cobbled, with countless steps. The quarter is quiet and almost empty in the morning, the best time for photos; by day Place du Tertre and the Sacré-Cœur are packed.

Café prices on Place du Tertre are high, so eat on nearby streets such as Rue Lepic, lined with bakeries, cheese shops and small restaurants. If you want a portrait from a street artist, agree the price first.

Children enjoy the funicular, the carousel at the foot of the Sacré-Cœur steps, watching the painters and finding the Wall of Love. The stairways are hard with a buggy, so use the funicular.

Places in Paris: compare and choose

Places in Paris rated by YesGo. Click a column header to sort.

Nearby and on the way

62

Sacré-Cœur Basilica

Paris, France

1 h · Basilica free · 3 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Sacré-Cœur Basilica

53

Moulin Rouge

Paris, France

2 h 30 min · Show ticket, with or without dinner · 12 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Moulin Rouge

50

Galeries Lafayette

Paris, France

1 h · Free, rooftop terrace too · 28 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Galeries Lafayette

54

Palais Garnier

Paris, France

1 h 15 min · Visit ticket for the building · 31 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Palais Garnier

How to do it right

• Take the funicular up.
• Quietest in the morning.
• Lunch on Rue Lepic.
• Comfortable shoes.

Questions