Your Paris Guide to Montmartre

On my recent trip to Paris, I discovered the coolest neighborhood, Montmartre.  I have no idea why I’ve never visited this little gem on the 18th arrondissement of Paris before, but I’m glad that I did.  This neighborhood is full of cobbled streets and quirky architecture and has acted as a muse to artists and musicians for centuries.  In this blog, I will include some sites I saw on my self-guided walk around Montmartre.

The best way to get to this neighborhood is to take the 12 train and get off at the Abbesses Station.  Tip #1- Wait for the elevator! We made the mistake of using the stairs instead of waiting.  I was not prepared for the 90 steps to exit the station.  It’s not that bad if you take a few breaks, just move over to the side so people can pass you.

As soon as we made it out of the Abbesses station, there is a hidden gem in the park across the street, Square Jehan Rictus.  In this park I found Le Mur Des Je T’Aime, I Love You Mural.  This mural is painted on a wall in the park and features the words ‘I Love You’ in multiple languages.  My son is taking Turkish as his language in school this year, so he thought it was cool that the wall featured a Turkish I love you.

After the park, we headed towards the most famous stairs in Paris that lead to the Sacre’-Couer.  The colorful stairway is located on Rue Chappe.  There are 222 stairs, so be prepared.  We took a few breaks in between and stopped to enjoy some of the street art and murals in the area.  There was one mural that caught my eye.  There is a mural that looks like Mama Coco from the Disney movie Coco on the corner of Rue Chappe and Rue Gabrielle.

As soon as we climbed to the top of the steps, we made a right and saw the majestic sight of the Sacre’-Couer.  Before we climbed to the top where the Basilica was, we enjoyed a few sites in the area.  There is a lot to look at from this point of view of Paris.  All the way to the right, you will see the optical illusion of the “sinking house.”  If you look straight at it, the house looks like a normal house behind a hill.  If you point your phone to it, and tilt the phone off-centered, the picture you take will make the house look like it’s sinking.  I would categorize this photo as one of the most Instagrammable places in Paris.

While you’re on this hill, there is a place to put your love lock on.  There are gates by the Sacre’-Couer with thousands of locks attached.  The city of Paris removed the locks on Pont des Arts Bridge, so locals and tourists came up with the next best destination.  You can bring your own lock, but if you forget, the souvenir stores in the area sells them.

After resting for a bit and enjoying the views, we finished the climb up to the Sacre’-Couer.  The Basilica of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  The hours are from 6am to 10:30pm.  The Sacre’-Couer is free to enter, but if you want to go inside the dome, it costs around 6 Euros.

After visiting the Sacre’-Couer, we stopped by for a gelato and macrons at Amorino-Sacre Couer on Rue de Steinerque.  This is a nice area to have a coffee in a café, visit vintage shops and shop for souvenirs.

I hope this blog has inspired you to visit the wonderful neighborhood of Montmartre.  While I was there, I imagined Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gough, and Henri Matisse walking around the same streets in the past.  This part of Paris is so rich in artistic history.  Next time you’re in Paris, make your way to Montmartre.