The Montmartre Guide

1:30 PM Imke 34 Comments

Welcome to Montmartre, my favourite neighbourhood in the entire city of Paris. From the first time I saw the Sacré Coeur, I was in love – the small Parisian streets, the artsy vibes, the cute houses, amazing restaurants, and the most beautiful view ever over the French capital. I swear you, Montmartre is the best part of Paris, and there’s more to it than the big famous church up on the hill. 

Sacré Cœur

Of course, the first thing that comes to your mind when speaking of Montmartre, is the gorgeous Sacré Cœur. Put on the highest point of the city, the Sacré Coeur was finished in 1914 (so quite a young building), and after more than a 100 years it's still one of Paris' most popular tourist attractions. Not only that, as the church not only offers great works of art, but also the most amazing view over Paris from the dome (it does feel like a revelation reaching the top after 300 steps on the stairs).

Feniculaire

For those taking metro stop Abbesses and taking the stairs all the way up – there’s another way which doesn’t leave you breathless and sweaty for the first fifteen minutes up the hill. There’s a feniculaire that takes you up and down the Sacré Coeur hill, and the best part is that it’s accessible with a metro ticket! I personally always take the stairs, because it sneaks in a few more minutes of cardio in a day, but for example when my family and Granddad visited me in Paris, the feniculaire was the best invention ever for my poor Grandad that couldn’t take all of these stairs. Thank you, city of Paris, for this great solution!

A great little shop in Montmartre is Make My D, a clothing shop for women, that offers a great collection of clothing, in true Parisian style. The shop caught my eye when I spotted a shirt that said Tu sais rain Jean Neige ("You know nothing, Jon Snow) and as a Game of Thrones fan, I immediately loved this shop. The shirt itself is from the brand My Boobs Buddy, a clothing brand that makes strides against breast cancer - basically you're shopping and still supporting a good cause, which makes it a double win!

Le Relais Gascon

A cute little restaurant I discovered when wandering the streets of Paris at night is Le Relais Gascon. It offers specialities of the South West of France, and I assure you, it’s simply delicious – and so is the price. We went there twice already, and both times I left the restaurant completely satisfied. The last time we went there I had the salad of the chef, and in case you think “salads are for those who’re not very hungry”, I assure you this salad will satisfy your every need – I couldn’t even finish this salad, as it was so big, and I generally refuse to leave a single thing on my plate. We were seated right next to the kitchen, and 70% of the time people order a salad, just because they’re so big and delicious. Definitely a must-go when in Montmartre!

One of the most famous streets of Montmartre is without a doubt Rue Lepic. This street is by the greater public know as "the street of Amélie Poulain", as quite a few scenes from this epic French movie were filmed in the bistro called Le Café des Deux Moulins. This street is a typical Montmartre street: small, ancient, and oh so cute with its cobbles. Also a very cool fact about this street (and in my opinion the coolest) is that artist and fellow Dutch Vincent Van Gogh used to live on Rue Lepic. And I can see why, as in my opinion Montmartre is by far the most picturesque area of all Paris.


What do you think of Montmartre? Have you ever been there, and if so, what about it did you like best? If not, please go there when in Paris, it's defenitely worth it! I'm curious to know your opinions, so scroll scroll and comment!