Visiting Montmartre: what to know before you climb
Montmartre only became part of Paris in 1860. Before that it was a town of its own, a village of winegrowers and millers sitting on the highest hill in Paris, at around 130 metres. It has kept a country feel that still surprises: low houses, gardens behind walls, stairways instead of streets.
Parisians simply call this hill "la Butte". You have to earn it. From the boulevard de Clichy everything goes up, and some streets are nothing but steps. Wear good shoes, and keep in mind that you can also explore it without tiring yourself out: more on that below.
To visit Montmartre without rushing, allow half a day for the walking route, and a full day if you want to go into the Musée de Montmartre, climb the Sacré-Cœur dome and linger on a café terrace.
The walking route, from Anvers to Blanche
Our route starts at the bottom of the Butte, by Anvers metro station, and comes back down the other side towards place Blanche. You do the climb only once, at the start, then stroll downhill. It is about 3 kilometres long, not counting detours.
1. Square Louise-Michel and the funicular
Leaving Anvers station, walk up rue de Steinkerque, lined with souvenir shops, to the square Louise-Michel. In front of you, terraced lawns rise all the way to the basilica. Two options: the steps, or the funicular on the left, which takes an ordinary metro ticket and drops you at the foot of the Sacré-Cœur in a minute and a half.
At the bottom of the square, the Marché Saint-Pierre and its fabrics sold by the metre, then the Halle Saint-Pierre, devoted to outsider art, are worth a look before or after the climb.
2. The Sacré-Cœur basilica
This is the monument everyone comes to see, and it lives up to its reputation. Begun in 1875 and consecrated in 1919, the white basilica towers over the whole of Paris. Its forecourt offers one of the finest panoramas of the city, and entry to the basilica is free. Inside, look up at the huge mosaic above the choir, one of the largest in France.
For the highest view, the dome can be visited by climbing some 300 steps, with a separate ticket. We have gathered everything you need to visit the Sacré-Cœur: opening hours, dome, crypt and the best times to avoid the crowds.
3. Saint-Pierre de Montmartre and place du Tertre
Right next to the basilica, many walk past without noticing it: the church of Saint-Pierre de Montmartre, consecrated in 1147, is one of the oldest in Paris. It is all that remains of the abbey of nuns that long owned the Butte, and that gave its name to the place des Abbesses.
A few steps further on, the place du Tertre was the village square. Today it is covered in easels: painters show their work and portrait artists offer to sketch you in a few minutes. It is the tourist heart of Montmartre, packed in the middle of the day. Come early in the morning to see it wake up.
4. The Musée de Montmartre and the Renoir gardens
At 12 rue Cortot, the Musée de Montmartre occupies the oldest house on the Butte. Renoir had his studio here, and Suzanne Valadon and her son Maurice Utrillo lived here. It tells the story of the district, from its cabarets to its artists' studios, and its gardens, recreated from Renoir's paintings, are one of the most peaceful spots in Montmartre.
5. The Clos Montmartre vineyard and the Lapin Agile
Walking down rue des Saules, a vineyard appears at the corner of rue Saint-Vincent: the Clos Montmartre, planted in 1933 in memory of the vineyards that once covered the hill. It is open to visitors only on rare occasions, but you can see it perfectly well from the street. Every October, the Montmartre Grape Harvest Festival livens up the whole district.
Just opposite, the little pink house with green shutters is the Lapin Agile, a cabaret where Picasso, Apollinaire and many others came to sing and drink. French chanson is still sung there in the evening.
6. Rue de l'Abreuvoir, the Maison Rose and allée des Brouillards
Walk back up a little to reach rue de l'Abreuvoir, one of the prettiest streets in Paris. On the corner of rue des Saules, the Maison Rose, painted by Utrillo, has become one of the most photographed façades in the city. The street then runs down to place Dalida, where the singer's bust watches the passers-by, and to the allée des Brouillards, a quiet passage lined with gardens.
7. Avenue Junot, villa Léandre and the Passe-muraille
Close by, place Marcel-Aymé hides a funny, strange sculpture: a man walking out of a wall, a tribute to the short story Le Passe-muraille. Further down, avenue Junot is lined with fine artists' houses from the 1920s. Push open the gate of the villa Léandre, a cul-de-sac of ivy-covered brick houses: you could be in London.
8. The Moulin de la Galette and rue Lepic
Montmartre once had dozens of windmills; two remain. The Moulin Radet, on the corner of rue Lepic, is the most visible. The Moulin de la Galette inspired Renoir's famous Bal du moulin de la Galette, now in the Musée d'Orsay.
Rue Lepic starts here and winds its way down to the bottom of the Butte. Vincent van Gogh lived at number 54 with his brother Theo, from 1886 to 1888.
9. Place des Abbesses and the Wall of Love
Take rue des Abbesses to the square of the same name and its Art Nouveau metro entrance by Guimard, one of the few still covered by its original glass canopy. The station is the deepest in Paris, 36 metres underground.
In the neighbouring square Jehan-Rictus, the Wall of Love (le mur des je t'aime) spells out "I love you" in more than 250 languages. An almost compulsory photo stop.
10. Down to the Moulin Rouge
From Abbesses, make your way to the bottom of rue Lepic. At number 15, the Café des Deux Moulins draws fans of the film Amélie. A few metres further down, on place Blanche, the red sails of the Moulin Rouge, opened in 1889, mark the end of the walk and the start of Pigalle, the Montmartre of cabarets.
In the footsteps of the painters
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Montmartre was the artists' quarter. Rents were low, the light was beautiful and the cabarets never closed. Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec and Van Gogh, then Picasso and Modigliani lived and worked here. At the Bateau-Lavoir, on place Émile-Goudeau, Picasso painted Les Demoiselles d'Avignon in 1907.
The route above crosses several of their traces, but this Montmartre deserves a walk of its own: we have retraced it address by address in our walk through the Montmartre of the painters.
Hidden Montmartre, away from the crowds
Five minutes from place du Tertre, Montmartre turns back into a village. The Jardin Sauvage Saint-Vincent, left to nature, can only be visited in the warmer months. Rue du Chevalier-de-la-Barre and the square de la Turlure offer views of the basilica that few visitors know, and the rue Foyatier steps are far more beautiful in the morning, when they are empty.
We have gathered these hidden places in our guide to hidden Montmartre, with the best order to discover them in.
Montmartre with kids
Children love Montmartre more than you might think: the funicular, the carousel at the foot of the Sacré-Cœur, the portrait artists on place du Tertre, the little tourist train climbing the steepest streets. The square Louise-Michel is perfect for a break.
The hardest part is still the stairs, for little legs and pushchairs. Our ideas for a successful visit to Montmartre with kids, without tears or grazed knees, are gathered in a dedicated guide.
Visiting Montmartre without climbing the stairs
The 222 steps of rue Foyatier are part of the legend, but they are not for everyone. The funicular spares you the climb up to the Sacré-Cœur, and bus 40 serves the top of the Butte. For the rest, the cobbles and slopes are still there.
Yet there are ways to explore the whole Butte while staying seated, and to enjoy the lanes as well as the viewpoints. We have compared them to help you visit Montmartre without walking.
When evening falls on the Butte
It is our favourite time. When the tour coaches leave, place du Tertre empties, the cabarets light up, and from the forecourt of the Sacré-Cœur all of Paris starts to sparkle at your feet. The Butte changes face.
This evening Montmartre, between sunset, cabarets and lamp-lit lanes, is what we describe in our guide to Montmartre at night.
Practical information
- Metro: Anvers (line 2) to go up on the Sacré-Cœur side, Abbesses or Lamarck-Caulaincourt (line 12) to arrive on the village side, Blanche (line 2) to leave on the Moulin Rouge side.
- Funicular: at square Louise-Michel, with a metro ticket or a Navigo pass.
- How long: half a day for the walking route, a full day with the museum and the dome.
- Best time: early on a weekday morning to avoid the crowds, or late in the day for the light and the view.
- Bring: comfortable shoes; the cobbles and stairs are unforgiving.
- Watch out: around the Sacré-Cœur and place du Tertre, keep an eye on your belongings and politely decline pushy approaches.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to visit Montmartre?
Allow three hours for the walking route at a relaxed pace, half a day with breaks, and a full day if you go into the Musée de Montmartre and climb the Sacré-Cœur dome.
How do you get up to the Sacré-Cœur without taking the stairs?
Take the funicular at square Louise-Michel: it runs on a metro ticket and drops you at the foot of the basilica.
Where should you start a visit to Montmartre?
At Anvers metro station: you head straight up to the Sacré-Cœur, and the rest of the visit is all downhill, to the place des Abbesses and the Moulin Rouge.
Where is the Wall of Love?
In the square Jehan-Rictus, on place des Abbesses, right next to the Abbesses metro exit.
When is the best time to visit Montmartre?
On a weekday morning, before 10 am, to enjoy the lanes without the crowds. Late in the day, to watch the sun set over Paris from the Butte.