Photo of Montmarte by DeepakG on Flickr
After more than two decades of exploring Paris and its diverse arrondissements, we concluded that nowhere in Paris is more enthralling, and quintessentially Parisian, than La Butte de Montmartre.
Guests at our apartment, Le Tresor de Montmartre, agree: whimsical, beautiful Montmartre feels almost untouched by modern influence. It’s as if the world stopped turning during France’s Belle Époque. In fact, some of our guests are so drawn to Montmartre’s time-capsule qualities, they end up spending their whole trip in just this one arrondissement.
Movie Set Scenery
Picture cobblestone streets, flowering Bougainvillea vines, window shutters painted vibrant colors, and the white domes of the Sacré Coeur presiding over it all.
Climb the steps to the Sacré Coeur, take a few more steps into the belly of the dome, and be presented with an unbeatable panorama of Paris:
Twin views of the Sacré Coeur and the Eiffel Tower in the distance. Photo by Florian Plag on Flickr.
Fun Fact: in part because of these views, the Sacré Coeur Basilica draws more yearly visitors than even the iconic Eiffel Tower.
Where Art Lives
A creative, bohemian heart beats here, and has for centuries. Montmartre is where Picasso, Monet, Dali, van Gogh and other modernists created the masterpieces that changed art forever, and where the Moulin Rouge introduced its raucous cabaret in 1889.
Today, artists gather at the many cafés and boulangeries that perfume the air with delicate pastries and loaves of crusty bread. At the square, Place du Tertre, artists set up their easels and paint portraiture for tourists in the open air.
Meanwhile, at the base of the hill, Moulin Rouge’s dancers still Cancan dance underneath an iconic neon-lit windmill.
It’s the perfect place to end a perfect day in Montmartre.
Photo of the Moulin Rouge by Juanedc on Flickr
