Long before it became one of Paris’s most visited neighborhoods, Montmartre was a semi-rural hilltop village on the city’s edge, known for its windmills, cheap rent, and the bohemian crowd of painters and writers it attracted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Picasso, Renoir, and Toulouse-Lautrec all worked here, and though the crowds and souvenir shops have grown considerably since then, the steep cobbled streets and hilltop views still carry real atmosphere once you get off the main tourist drag.
Related: Sacre-Coeur Basilica: What to Know Before Visiting Paris’s Hilltop Church
Best Things to Do in Montmartre
Visit the Sacré-Cœur Basilica
The white-domed basilica crowns the top of the hill and offers one of the best panoramic views over Paris from its front steps, free of charge, with an additional dome climb available for an even higher vantage point over the city rooftops.
Watch Artists at Place du Tertre
This small square just behind Sacré-Cœur has hosted working artists for over a century, with portrait painters and caricaturists still setting up easels daily, though it’s worth knowing prices are geared toward tourists rather than gallery rates.
See the Moulin Rouge
The red windmill marking this famous cabaret at the base of the hill has been a symbol of Montmartre nightlife since 1889, and while a show ticket is a splurge, even walking past the illuminated facade at night captures some of the district’s old cabaret energy.
Wander the Quiet Backstreets Near Rue Lepic
Away from the crowded square, streets like Rue Lepic wind past one of Montmartre’s two surviving windmills and the small vineyard the district still maintains, giving a much quieter sense of the neighborhood’s semi-rural past.
Visit the Dalí Paris Museum
This compact gallery near Place du Tertre houses a large collection of Salvador Dalí’s sculptures and lesser-known works, offering a surrealist detour that pairs well with a wander through the artist-heavy streets outside.
Top-Rated Montmartre Tours & Experiences
Best Time to Visit
Early morning is by far the best time to see Sacré-Cœur and Place du Tertre before tour groups arrive in force later in the day. Evenings bring a different, more romantic atmosphere, with the basilica lit up and city lights spreading out below the steps.
How to Get There
Several metro stations serve the base of the hill, and the Montmartre funicular offers a quick, ticket-included alternative to climbing the steep stairs up to the basilica. The district’s steep, cobbled streets mean comfortable footwear matters more here than in most other Paris neighborhoods.
Good to Know
The area around Place du Tertre draws its share of overly persistent street vendors and unofficial “friendship bracelet” scams, so a polite but firm decline goes a long way. Much of Montmartre’s charm is in wandering without a fixed plan, so leaving extra unstructured time pays off more here than a tightly scheduled sight list.
Climb past the crowds gathered on the main steps and Montmartre still delivers what drew painters here in the first place — narrow lanes, hilltop light, and a village feel that somehow survives in the middle of a major capital.
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