MONTMARTRE

A visit to the famous Montmartre hill is a must in Paris. Undeniable place of effervescence and Parisian celebration from the XIXth century, we forget its quieter, more rural history. Before world famous cabarets took place, the Montmartre hill lived on a mainly agricultural economy, with a multitude of vines and mills.

The tour will start by telling you about the origins of Montmartre at a time, when around twenty mills were located on the hill. Your guide will then explain the different factors that in a few years have made this predominantly agricultural and rural mound a place of celebration and excitement but also a place of world painting.

After learning about the Montmartre of the past in front of the Galette mill, (internationally known thanks to the canvas produced by Auguste Renoir), you will discover one of the last two vines in Paris. This vine called Clos Montmartre gives rise to the very famous harvest festival. Beside it, it’s impossible not to notice the small pink house with a picturesque appearance and covered with a magnificent ivy painted by Maurice Utrillo in his time.

The visit continues by visiting Place du tertre, the highest point of the hill and the nerve center of Montmartre. You will discover the oldest restaurant in Paris open continuously since 1793 and which is at the origin of the typically French word “bistro”! Right next to this square, you will visit the very old Saint Pierre de Montmartre church, one of the last examples of Romanesque architecture in Paris.

Finally, it is impossible to visit the hill without visiting the Sacré Coeur, the international emblem of Montmartre. Your guide will share with you his many anecdotes and crisp informations about this building. You will discover why it is self-cleaning and in a way on “stilts”!

Lovers of Paris’s history, eager to discover the hidden side of the Montmartre hill, this visit is for you.