Among the most beautiful and famous districts of Paris, Montmartre is without doubt the most characteristic. This corner of the French capital is known all over the world for many reasons, but the most famous one is surely the countless artists who lived here, from the Belle Époque to the present day.
Among the most celebrated, you will have seen at least one work by Modigliani, Picasso, Renoir, Cézanne, Van Gogh or Soutine, just to name a few.
But this district’s hunger certainly didn’t stop in the 20th century!
Just like a hundred years ago, the hill of Montmartre in Paris is still buzzing with life. By day you will meet many street artists, musicians and painters who choose these romantic lanes to perform among the tourists. By night, instead, you’ll find every kind of entertainment in the nearby Pigalle area.
In short, this district is without a shadow of a doubt one of the things to see in Paris!
But what to see in Montmartre, how to get there and where to eat?
Below you’ll find the answer to all these questions, along with my personal tips.
Fancy knowing a little more?
Let’s go!
The history of Montmartre and the origin of its name
Maybe you didn’t know, but the district of Montmartre wasn’t always part of Paris. It was once a small village separate from the capital, and in the 19th century it became the centre of Parisian entertainment and nightlife for a reason far less romantic than you might imagine.
Sure, the setting is wonderful and artists found endless stimulation and inspiration here. But if the hill of Montmartre became so “fashionable”, it was above all because the cost of living was much lower than in the centre of Paris. This drove generations of penniless artists, at the start of their careers, to settle here, making the “bohemian” life of bistros, cabarets, art and madness famous around the world.
And then?
Well, the city’s expansion ended up swallowing the little village too, which today makes up the 18th arrondissement. Montmartre was annexed to Paris in 1860, but as you stroll through its narrow streets you’ll still notice surprising details.
Here there are still some of the vineyards that were cultivated more than a hundred years ago, and even the venues that once hosted cabaret shows, like the Moulin Rouge, the Moulin de la Galette or Le Chat Noir.
A fun fact: Montmartre is the highest point in Paris. The city’s natural summit is right up here, at around 130 metres above sea level, and that’s also why the forecourt of the Sacré-Cœur offers one of the widest panoramas over the capital.
As for the origin of the name Montmartre, two theories prevail: according to some, the name comes from “Mons Martis”, the mount of Mars, the Roman god of war. It is thought that an ancient pagan temple once stood on the hill, though every trace of it is now lost.
For others, the name comes from “Mont des Martyrs”, the mount of the martyrdom of Saint Denis (San Dionigi), who according to tradition was beheaded here around 250 AD and to whom the first Gothic basilica in France was dedicated.
What to see in Montmartre
Strolling through Montmartre will let you breathe a little of that bohemian atmosphere that just doesn’t seem to want to leave this hill.
There’s only one big BUT…
In summer and in the busiest periods, the streets are so crowded that it’s almost impossible to walk. This, sadly, makes the magic of the place a little less enjoyable, though you’ll still meet plenty of street artists at work on shows, portraits or beautiful landscapes.
But where to start?
The starting point to visit Montmartre is Place du Tertre. This is where you’ll find the greatest number of street artists in all of Paris, a bit like our Piazza Navona in Rome, surrounded by characterful cafés and restaurants.
Fancy having your portrait drawn or buying a hand-painted view of Paris?
In this square you’ll surely find something to your taste.
But it doesn’t end here.
The Sacré-Cœur basilica
The first thing to see in Montmartre is without doubt the Sacré-Cœur.
This building certainly doesn’t go unnoticed: it’s perfectly recognisable from many of the panoramic spots in Paris. You’ll have spotted it for sure if you climbed to the top of the Eiffel Tower or the Montparnasse skyscraper.
But what’s so special about this church?
The Sacré-Cœur is a majestic basilica, entirely clad in Château-Landon stone which, like that of the Vittoriano in Rome, releases a chalky substance on contact with rain that keeps it a brilliant white. Construction began in 1875 to a design by the architect Paul Abadie (chosen from among seventy-seven proposals) in a Romano-Byzantine style unusual for Paris; the building was completed in 1914 and consecrated in 1919, right after the First World War.
Inside, look up towards the apse: the great mosaic of Christ in Majesty is one of the largest in the world (nearly 500 square metres) and floods the whole building with a golden light.
Would you like to climb to the highest point?
If you want to enjoy one of the most beautiful panoramas in Paris, I recommend climbing up to the dome of the Sacré-Cœur. You go up on foot along a narrow staircase of about 300 steps and the ticket costs 7 euros, but from up here the view over the city is magnificent.
Look out too for the two bronze equestrian statues of Saint Louis and Joan of Arc on either side of the portico: they really are beautiful.
Visiting the Espace Dalí in Montmartre
Not far from the Sacré-Cœur stands the small but beautiful museum dedicated to Salvador Dalí, an exceptional and extremely eccentric artist. This magical place will take you straight into the world of the father of Surrealism: you can admire many works, among sculptures, engravings and lesser-known watercolours.
Dalí’s originality will lead you to discover very interesting and amusing things.
One of the works that struck me most is the “Retrospective Bust of a Woman”. The story goes that the artist displayed it with a real baguette on its head as a hat, and that the baguette was stolen and eaten by Dalí’s own dog, so he replaced it with a bronze one.
If instead you love his famous melting clocks, in some of them you can even glimpse the profile of their creator.
In short, the astonishing universe of this eclectic character and the layout of the exhibition will carry you into another reality, so much so that when you leave it will feel strange to plunge back into the chaos and bustle of Montmartre.
If you love Dalí, I warmly recommend a visit; some of his works are also on sale in the art gallery attached to the museum. I’m still dreaming of a “Mae West lips” sofa for my living room.
What would you buy?
The Wall of Love and the other things to see
If you want to delve deeper into the history of this very special district, you must stop at the Musée de Montmartre and its Jardins Renoir, the garden where the artist had his studio. It’s the oldest museum on the hill and it tells the story of the Montmartre of artists beautifully.
A little further down, in a quiet corner of Place des Abbesses (the Square Jehan-Rictus), you’ll notice a cluster of people taking photos in front of a blue wall. It’s the Wall of Love (Le mur des je t’aime), one of the most romantic works in Paris: the phrase “I love you” is written 311 times in around 250 languages and dialects, handwritten and reproduced on 612 blue enamelled lava tiles, for a total of around 40 square metres. The work was conceived by Frédéric Baron and the calligrapher Claire Kito and inaugurated in 2000.
A detail you may not know: the red splashes scattered across the wall are the fragments of a broken heart. The message of the work is that love, by uniting all those different languages, can piece it back together.
And then, of course, it’s impossible to forget the Moulin Rouge, the famous cabaret at the foot of the hill, and the Clos Montmartre, the small city vineyard still cultivated today: every October its grape harvest is celebrated with the Fête des Vendanges, a festival dear to the neighbourhood.
Practical information for visiting Montmartre
How to get there. As in all Paris districts, the metro takes you almost everywhere. To reach Montmartre by metro you can take line 2 and get off at Anvers, or line 12, Abbesses stop. From there you’ll have a short uphill walk to the Sacré-Cœur, or you can take the funicular, which costs the same as a metro ride (and is free if you have a travel pass or a multi-day card).
I still recommend walking up: you’ll notice plenty of things you’d otherwise miss.
Hours and prices. Entry to the Sacré-Cœur basilica is free (open every day, usually from 6:30 am to 10:30 pm); climbing the dome costs 7 euros (open roughly 8:30 am-8:00 pm from May to September, 9:00 am-5:00 pm from October to April). The Espace Dalí is open every day from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, with a full ticket of around 16 euros (reduced for under-25s).
When to go. There isn’t really a best time to go to Montmartre: as in the Marais, you’ll always find lots of tourists. My advice is to avoid weekends, or at least not to go up on Sundays: you risk queuing to enter the Sacré-Cœur and finding no seats in the cafés. If your time in Paris is limited and your only chance is the weekend, the best hours are from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm and in the evening from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
One more tip. The streets of Montmartre are free to explore and the basilica is free to enter, but between alleys, stairways and artists’ stories it’s easy to miss the details. If you want to really understand the district, a guided walking tour of Montmartre takes you around Place du Tertre, the Wall of Love and the Sacré-Cœur while telling you the right anecdotes.
My final tips on Montmartre
Are you still wondering what to see in Montmartre?
Montmartre isn’t my favourite district in Paris, because it’s always too crowded, but I could stay enchanted on the steps watching the panorama from the top of the hill for hours and hours.
And if you still have time to explore the city, don’t miss the Sainte-Chapelle with its stained glass, the Petit Palais (free) and the reborn cathedral of Notre-Dame.
