Things to do in Montmartre

The climb up Montmartre butte to the district’s many attractions is not for the faint of heart – it’s a glute-bothering 222 steps from the bottom of Rue Foyatier, up past The Square Louise-Michel to Sacré-Coeur Basilica at the top. But fear not: there are several ways to save your legs, while also enjoying all those splendid Paris views on the ascent. Ride the funicular from bottom to top for less than a couple of Euros, or hop aboard the super-cute Petit Train de Montmartre. This old-school train trundles up and down the butte as well as taking a sightseeing spin around the historic streets up top.

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The creamy, Byzantine-style confection that perches atop Montmartre butte is, perhaps understandably, one of the most visited (and photographed) landmarks in Paris. Its meringue-peak domes and cascading stone steps provide the perfect setting for a hot, buttery galette, pistachio ice-cream or – why not – a spontaneous proposal of marriage. This is the City of Love, after all.

Step inside to admire magnificent mosaics and to climb the dome’s interior for wonderful widescreen views to the Eiffel Tower and beyond. And it doesn’t get much more magical than simply sitting on the steps outside at golden hour and watching as the old-school Square Louise-Michel carousel wheels into life, and lights begin to twinkle across the city.

Montmartre’s boho village vibe is writ large on the atmospheric Place du Tertre, where street artists and performers ply their trades on the cobbles and locals lunch at brasseries once frequented by the likes of Picasso, Renoir and Cézanne. And, if you’re in the market for a unique souvenir of your time in Montmartre, well, you’ve come to the right place. There are some 300 artists operating on the square daily, all eager to paint you in your very best light or, should you prefer, to capture your least-flattering facial features in wildly exaggerated caricatures. The choice is yours.

Read our guide to all the best Paris souvenirs here.

In truth, if you’re visiting Montmartre for the first time, a guided walking tour is quite possibly the best – and certainly the fastest – way to get under this historic neighborhood's skin. There are plenty available, with most including highlights like the Sacré-Coeur, Place du Tertre, the Vignes du Clos Montmartre vineyard, the Moulin Rouge, and the colorful, ivy-clad houses on Rue de l'Abreuvoir, considered by many to be the most beautiful street in Paris. But the true benefit of a guided walking tour lies in the expert commentary, as well as the opportunity to ask your guide for tips on all the best brasseries, wine stores and fromageries in the neighborhood.

Check out our favorite guided walking tours in Paris here.

Musée de Montmartre stands testament to the neighborhood’s rich artistic heritage, with works including Toulouse-Lautrec’s Moulin Rouge series, plus landmark pieces from Modigliani, Picasso, van Gogh, Miró, and many others. This grand 17th-century mansion once contained artists’ studios used by the likes of Suzanne Valadon, Charles Camoin, and even the mighty Renoir himself. Indeed, Renoir painted many of his best-loved works while living here in the 1870s, including the Bal du moulin de la Galette and Jardin de la rue Cortot, which depicts the house’s peaceful gardens. Visitors can take time out for a moment of quiet reflection here after perusing the treasures inside.

Paris isn’t short of a location or two in which to recreate scenes from quirky French rom-com Amélie. There’s the scenic Canal Saint-Martin, where our heroine skipped stones playfully across the water, and the majestic Piscine de Amiraux, the Art Deco gem at the base of the butte where Amélie’s dad enjoys a swim.

But it’s the Café des 2 Moulins on the corner of Rue Lepic and Rue Cauchois that will have most fans in rapture. The cute little Parisian diner where Amelie works (and dreams) is largely unchanged since its starring role turned it into a bona fide Montmartre tourist attraction, but for the addition of dozens of Amelie posters and other assorted memorabilia. Stop by for a coffee after shopping the atmospheric Rue Lepic’s lovely boutiques and boulangeries.

Purr its name – le mur des je t’aime – convincingly enough, and you might already have your amour going weak at the knees. But to really ramp up the rizz, you need to get yourself down to the Wall of Love itself. This permanent love-themed art installation in Montmartre’s tiny Jehan-Rictus garden square is made from enameled lava tiles and features the phrase ‘I love you’ in some 250 languages. So you’ll have no excuse for failing to whisper those three little words in Italian, Indonesian, or even Inuit.

Of course, no list of things to do in Montmartre would be complete without a stop at the neon-red windmill that is the magnificent Moulin Rouge! Here, in the spiritual home of the can-can, is very much where it’s at for classic high-kicks and bawdy burlesque. But, as Paris’s most famous cabaret it does of course get busy. Don’t fancy waiting in line? Try other Montmartre stalwarts like Le Cabaret de La Bohème or sultry Cabaret Au Lapin Agile.

Looking for more things to do in the Marais district and around Paris? The Paris Pass has you covered, with nearly 100 top Paris attractions, tours and activities you can choose from, and potential savings of up to 50% on regular ticket prices. Hit the buttons below to find out more and choose your pass.