Abi Summers

Exploring Montmartre

This neighbourhood has a lot of things to offer! It’s one of the areas that most tourists will want to visit on their trip to Paris, but it’s not just tourists who spend their time here. There are certain streets and areas that everyone will visit, but there’s also a lot of smaller streets that are also worth exploring.

a small street going up a hill with a view of the sacre cœur in the background

I really like this neighbourhood of Paris because of how different it feels to the rest of the city. It has the history, it had the culture and it has things to do. On top of all of that, it’s beautiful! I love the cobbled stone streets and houses that make you feel like you’re in a village, rather than in a big city.

I used to live close to here, and would often come and sit on the stairs in front of the Sacre Cœur. From here, you get a great view of the city, and there are often street performers! You’ll get your usual buskers, but on occasion you’ll get something extra special, from fire performers to a guy who’s got some incredible football skills. The arts are very much alive.

Starting from the Moulin Rouge, you can use this article as a self guided tour! I’d recommend wearing comfy shoes because we’re going to be walking on cobbles stones and stairs. In total the route is ~3.5km (2.2 miles) which takes roughly 1h30 depending on your walking speed and how long you stop at each destination for.

If you are wanting a more personalised tour, you can book a tour with me.

Book a tour

Brief history of Montmartre

Montmartre is now known for its artistic heritage, artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Auguste Renoir, Suzanne Valadon and Edgar Degas who all worked in this area. But there was a lot of history in this area prior to the artists that moved there in the late 19th and early 20th century. Archaeological excavations show that the area has been occupied since least Gallo-Roman times.

There are two theories behind the name Montmartre. The theory I’ve heard most is that it stems from mons Martyrum meaning mont des Martyrs. Saint Denis is believe to have been beheaded here (and then walked with his head in his hands all the way to where the Basilica de Saint Denis is now).

The other theory is based on mons Martis, meaning mount of Mars because in the Gallo-Roman era there was a temple dedicated to Mars, the god of war, joined with a temple dedicated to Mercery, the god of commerce (where the current day Saint-Pierre de Montmartre church sits).

In the 12th century, the Abbaye de Montmartre was founded by King Louis VI. The abbey was suppressed in 1790, sold in 1794 and demolished during the French Revolution, but its church, Saint-Pierre de Montmartre, survived as the parish church of Montmartre. The last abbess, Marie-Louise de Laval-Montmorency, was guillotined during the Reign of Terror. Places des Abbesses is named after the abbey that was once here.

By the 15th century, there was a village on the north and northeast slopes that was surrounded by vineyards, gardens and orchards. The first mills were built in 1529 which were responsible for grinding wheat, barley and rye. Now, there is only one vineyard in Montmartre, and each year it’s celebrated in the Vendanges Montmartre, the harvest festival.

a mill above the restaurant of 'le moulin de la galette'

This area was used until 1860 as an area for mining gypsum which has been done since the Gallo-Roman period. The gypsum was used to make plaster which is where plaster of Paris gets it’s name from. Both open air and underground mines were used. In the more modern times, the mining was done with explosives leaving the area with tunnels underground. Because of the tunnels underground, the area wasn’t easy to build on - it delayed the construction of the sacre Cœur. In 1860 Montmartre officially joined Paris.

In 1871, Montmartre was the site of the beginning of the revolutionary uprising of the Paris Commune. The Commune governed Paris for a two month period promoting their own policies such as the separation of church and state and the abolition of child labour. This ended in what’s known as the Semaine Sanglante or the bloody week, where over 40,000 Communards were taken as prisoners.

The life of the artists

There are traces of artists who lives here throughout the years, from artwork they’ve painted or the homes that they lived in. Sometimes, there will be a plaque outside an apartment, like where Vincent and Théo van Gogh lived. You’re not able to see much from the outside in most cases, but I enjoy reflecting on the lives of the people who have lived there. If you do want to see Vincent van Gogh’s apartment and see some of his other inspirations, you can visit Auvers-sur-Oise on a day trip from Paris.

There are also museums dedicated to artists of Montmartre. Where the musée de Montmartre is now, many artists lived there. There is also the Dalì museum which has a permanent exhibition of Salvador Dali’s Surrealist art, with a focus on sculptures and engravings.

It’s not all about painting and physical art, but performers also lived here. Dalida, a celebrated singer in France lived here. She lived in an apartment here on Rue d’Orchampt. You’ll find the Buste de Dalida here, and superstition says touching the bust will bring prosperity. She’s buried in Cimetière de Montmartre (Montmartre cemetery)

In Cimetière de Montmartre, you’ll also find a lot of other artists including Edgar Degas and La Goulue (a can-can dancer in the Moulin Rouge).

Moulin Rouge

The Moulin Rouge is the starting point of this self guided tour. The Moulin Rouge or the red mill is one of the most known and iconic cabarets around the world! It opened in 1889 (the same year that the Eiffel Tower opened) originally under the name of Jardin de Paris (garden of Paris). It’s known as the birthplace of the can-can, which is one of the things that lead to the success! Over the years, many famous people have performed here including Josephine Baker and Dalida.

From the Moulin Rouge, it’s a 10 minute walk to our next destination.

Le mur des je t’aime

Our next destination, the Le mur des je t’aime or the Wall of I Love You is just outside the metro Abbesses (known for being the deepest metro station in Paris). Here, you’ll find I love you inscribed 311 times, in different languages and dialects. It was created in 2000 by artists Fédéric Baron and Claire Kito. Walls are often associated with division and separation but this wall is here to show the unity and connection across diversity.

The wall is located inside the Square Jehan Rictus. Like with more parks in Paris, there is an opening and a closing time which changes depending on the season. Generally, google maps will have the right opening hours, otherwise you can check on the website of Paris.

Our next stop is a 5 minute walk.

Le Bateau-Lavoir

Le Bateau-Lavoir or the washhouse boat is famous in art history as the residence and meeting places of 20th century artists including Pablo Picasso as well as men of letters, theatre people and art dealers. The front that we see today, isn’t the original. There was a fire in 1970 which destroyed the building leaving only the facade which was rebuilt in 1978.

The building was originally a ballroom and piano factory, that was squatted in. One theory behind the name Le Bateau-Lavoir, is the building was dark and dirty, and on stormy days it swayed and creaked. The swaying reminded people of the washing boats that were along the seine. Yes, in the 18th and 19th century, the seine had almost 80 washing boats.

Our next location, is a 10 minute walk. You’ll pass by one of the old mills of the area.

Vigne du Clos Montmartre

Montmartre Vineyard is not accessible to the public, however it’s still worth seeing from the outside because of the reference to the historic area. Seeing a vineyard in a city isn’t super common.

The first vineyards were planted in this area in the 12th century as part of the Abbey de Montmartre, but by 1928 all the vineyards were destroyed.

in 1932, a vineyard was replanted to prevent a real estate project. The following year, 1933, Vendanges Montmartre, the harvest festival was celebrated and it’s still going strong!

looking over the vineyard

The festival which happens every October isn’t just about the wine, it’s also a multi day cultural event. There are different events organised throughout the 5 day period including visits to the vineyard, music and a different shows.

A short walk from here will take us to Place du Tertre. You’ll pass the street where the musée de Montmartre is which is an optional stop on the self guided tour.

Musée de Montmartre

There’s an entire museum dedicated to the history of Montmartre and the artists that lived here! It’s right in the heart of Montmartre.

Here, you’ll see some of the inspirations behind famous paintings, and get to see the studio of Valadon. There is a video that talks about her life, and how she got started in painting.

If you have the choice (I know, when travelling you can’t be picky about the weather), I’d recommend going on a day when it’s not raining so you can really appreciate the garden. You get a beautiful view over the existing vineyard.

Entrance to this museum costs 15€ (full price, adult). I would recommend giving yourself at least 1 hour 30 to enjoy the museum, there’s a lot of really interesting history to read about. Almost everything in the permanent collection has English translations. The main text of the temporary exhibition is translated, but some of the quotes on the walls were only in French. I spent 2 hours here between the permanent collection & the temporary exhibit, Jacques Prévert, le rêveur d’images.

Place du Tertre

At Place du Tertre you get to see the artist’s work. But it’s so much more than just that!

Place du Tertre is where the heart of the abbey de Montmartre once lay. It opened to the public in 1635 as Montmartre village central square. This square was the centre of the Commune de Montmartre from 1790 until 1860 when it became part of Paris. The main businesses of the commune were wine making, stone quarries and gypsum mines.

From the end of the 18th century, this is where a lot of the artists would come. The artists today, remind us of the hotspot that it was for artists at the end of the 19th and beginning of 20th century.

As with a lot of Paris, I think looking up is important. There’s often plaques about the people that lived there, and the events that happened. In 1898, an oil car driven by Louis Renault reached Place du Tertre, marking the departure of the French car industry. Renault are one of the best known car brands now.

Personally, I wouldn’t recommend and of the restaurants directly on this square because I think you can get better value for your money. There’s one restaurant that claims to be where the word bistro comes from, they have a plaque up - however it’s not 100% certain that this is the origin.

It’s a 5 minute to out next stop.

Parc de la Turlure

This is a quick stop on the self guided tour, and a photo opportunity!

Parc de la Turlure otherwise known as Parc Marcel Bleustein Blanchet dit Parc de la Turlure, is is a park just behind the sacre Cœur. You’d think everyone would come here to enjoy the views of the Sacre cœur, but surprisingly few people know about it!

a view of the sacre cœur from this park

Until 2004 it was just called Parc de la Turlure, with the name being in reference to the old Turlure mill that was previously here. In 2004 the name was changed to Parc Marcel Bleustein Blanchet dit Parc de la Turlure to pays tribute to Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet, a french resistance fighter and founder of a advertising group.

And now, we’re heading towards the end of the self guided tour.

Sacre Cœur

The final stop on the self guided tour! Take a moment to appreciate both the view of Paris and the Sacre Cœur.

the sacre cœur at sunset, it has a orange glow. There are people sitting on the grass bank infront of it

Sacre Cœur or sacred heart is a Catholic church dedicated to the sacred heart of Jesus. It’s located at the top of Butte Montmartre (butte here meaning that it’s an isolated hill with steep sides and a relatively flat top). It’s one of the more notable landmarks in Paris because of it’s height and because of the white church.

The contstruction of the Sacre Cœur took longer than expected because of the mining that happened in the area. They had to dig wells to make subterranean pillars to support the church. The construction started in 1875 but it was only completed in 1914.

You can learn more about the history of the Sacre Cœur here and some of the recent controversies.

Food and drinks

No day in Paris is complete without food! Here are some of my favourite restaurants in the area (and I’m sure there’s many more!).

I have a custom google map with pinned places all across Paris that you can access here

Book a tour

There’s so much more to Montmartre than what I could possible write here! If you’re interested in a private tour, you can contact me via email at contact@abisummers.com

Map

Here you can find the pins of different places that I’ve mentioned as well as the restaurants (lighter pins).