Many tips for visiting the most authentic place and the artistic essence of Paris: Montmartre, the district perched on the sides of the hill.
Visit Paris without dedicating half a day to Montmartre means losing contact with theartistic essence of the city.
Walking without haste in the Montmartre district is in fact a very special experience.
In this neighborhood, literally perched on the sides of the hill which culminates with the Sacred Heart Basilica, you breathe a rarefied air, I dare say magical, certainly original!
Time passes slowly, at times it seems to have stopped; the houses, the streets, the shops, the squares ... everything belongs to another era.
Even people seem distant from the stereotype of the slightly off-putting Parisian: smiling faces and original encounters with affable guys are the norm here!
Stay in Montmartre
My dispassionate advice to fully enjoy this unique atmosphere is rent an apartment in the area, go shopping in one of the many shops and linger for an aperitif at any of the many cafes. And if you follow my advice, be prepared to go up, down and down continuously… We are on a hill, let's not forget that!
1. Let's start from Place Du Tertre
The hub of the neighborhood's artistic life is undoubtedly Place du tertre.
Always lively during the day and in the evening, certainly frequented by tourists but never excessively crowded, the center hosts a number of artists who put their talent at the disposal of creating beautiful and original portraits.
Posing for a Parisian artist, observe the magic with which a stroke of a pencil manages to photograph your gaze and capture the essence of the soul that lives in the eyes, and then bring home a small work of art that will always remind you of that moment ... well exciting is an understatement!
Around the square there are several shops and artisan shops, some more commercial and others truly original. The beauty is just having fun exploring them and discovering that artist who strikes you with his creations.
But the art in Montmartre does not end there. There are many places where the inspiration of the artists of the present and the past is the protagonist: let's see some of them!
2. From Place Des Abesses to Rue Sain Vincent
From the Abesses Metro station a splendid spiral staircase in the Art Nouveau style takes you to Place des Abesses: another hub of the lively life of the neighborhood.
Unmissable a photo at wall of love, almost hidden in a small garden, where "I love you" is written in all the languages ​​of the world!
Along Rue des Abesses you will find clubs and shops of all kinds; a boulangerie for breakfast or a coffee for one oyster plateau with champagne flutes in my opinion they are inevitable stops to fully enjoy the joys that the neighborhood can generously offer.
Another symbol of art is Place Emile Goudeau. Here is the Boat wash-house, the home workshop where Picasso painted his famous painting Les Demoiselles d'Avignon.
Not far away is the famous cabaret Au Lapin Agile, whose facade was painted by Andre Gill.
In Rue Lepic you will find the Mulin de la Galette, clearly visible from afar for its long wooden blades; this place used to be a ballroom and was painted “en plein air” by Renoir, immortalized by Utrillo and frequented by great painters like Van Gogh! Today it is an excellent restaurant.
Modern and original the sculpture Le Passe Muraille by Marcel Aymé, on Rue Norvin. Man really seems to walk through the wall! Will you be able to resist the temptation to be photographed while you try to help him?
A visit to thespace Montmartre, a museum dedicated to the eclectic Salvador Dali: most of his sculptures are kept here, as well as illustrations and lithographs. A wonderful experience to better appreciate the genius of this artist.
Finally Rue Saint-Vincent is an open-air nature museum. Not very popular with tourists, it is a quiet street that takes you by surprise for its peculiarity: in fact it hosts splendid vineyards that amaze the traveler and create the magic of a green space in the heart of a metropolis like Paris.
Here is also a tiny garden called Jardin Sauvage where the vegetation is allowed to grow free, without the hand of man being able to interfere. The result is a splendid green corner where nature reigns supreme.
3. The Sacred Heart
Our Montmartre tour can only end at the Sacré-Coeur Basilica.
On a sunny day from here you have one marvellous view and for the bravest there is the possibility to climb all the steps that lead on top of the dome. From here you will have all of Paris literally at your feet.
If you have followed my advice to stay overnight in the area, take a walk to the Basilica in the evening after dinner (maybe taking a look at the timetables on the official website): you can't imagine the suggestiveness of a tour inside the Sacred Heart illuminated by the lights with the chants of the choir and the organ music that fill the air with magic the evening mass.
Surreal atmosphere and unforgettable experience, one of the most beautiful I have had in Paris!
I love Montmartre, and I think it is easy to understand why: the inspiration, creativity, hospitality and magic of this neighborhood still on a human scale, in my opinion, represent the essence of the most authentic and sincere Paris, far away from the noise and the stereotypes of the modern Ville Lumiere.
