The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre is a Catholic church and a national historic monument since 2022. The imposing structure sits atop the Montmartre summit – the highest point in Paris (some 200 meters above the Seine). It offers a breathtaking panorama of the city from its dome, which makes it the second most-visited tourist site in the capital after the Eiffel Tower.

The idea to build the basilica came in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871 (resulting in a humiliating defeat for France), followed by the brief and bloody Paris Commune period. Many in France, particularly conservative Catholics, viewed these events as moral failures of the nation. They believed it was a divine punishment for what they saw as the growing secularization and moral decay of French society in the decades following the French Revolution.

The new church was thus to symbolize national repentance. Its location at the highest point in Paris, however, made it a subject of controversy among left-wing politicians, as it overlooks the area where the Paris Commune erupted and was seen by some as a monument to conservative reactionism.

The construction spanned from 1875 to 1914 under the supervision of various architects. The basilica's consecration was delayed until the end of World War I, in 1919.

The building showcases a blend of Neo-Byzantine and Romanesque styles with a central rotunda, a nave, and transepts. The main dome rises 83 meters, flanked by four smaller cupolas and a bell tower that houses France’s largest bell, the Savoyarde. The rectangular base beneath the high dome is supported by massive columns as if bridging the celestial and terrestrial realms. The design incorporates a Greek cross layout centralizing the altar, surrounded by a Latin-influenced choir and ambulatory.

Artistic elements within the basilica include the grand 475-square-meter mosaic of The Triumph of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and various chapels adorned by specific professional groups, enhancing the spiritual ambiance with their thematic decorations. The crypt, unlike typical underground crypts, features stained glass windows that allow light to filter in, enriching the spiritual atmosphere. Also noteworthy is the basilica’s historic organ, recognized as a national landmark.

As a pilgrimage site, the basilica requires visitors to observe modest dress and silence out of respect for its sacredness and historical significance.

Tip:
You will need a level of fitness to climb the stairs from the base of Montmartre to the Sacred Heart Basilica. Alternatively, you can hop on the free mini-train which starts from opposite the Windmill Theater and stops behind the basilica.

Tertre Square is more than just a square but a living museum of Montmartre's artistic soul. Perched at an altitude of 130 meters, close to the iconic Sacred Heart Basilica and the ancient Church of Saint-Pierre de Montmartre, it marks the historic center of Paris.

Famed worldwide, the square is a hub for artists who, much like their illustrious predecessors – Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh, Modigliani, and Picasso, drawn by the affordable rent and tax-free wine in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, – set up their easels here daily to capture the essence of Montmartre for the throngs of tourists. Today, the artistic spirit continues to thrive, and visitors flock to the square to purchase local art and have their portraits painted.

The square itself houses significant sites such as the original town hall of Montmartre, established in 1790, and the restaurant À la Mère Catherine, dating back to 1793, adding layers to its rich historical narrative.

Its French name 'du Tertre,' sometimes translated as "Grave Hill", or more accurately as "square on a mound", is derived either from its high geographical position or ties to the Dutertre family, dating back to 1503. The area's history is marked by significant events, such as a conflict over cannons stored in the square during the Paris Commune in 1871. Another landmark event associated with the square is when Louis Renault's petroleum-powered car reached it on December 24, 1898, thus heralding the birth of the French automobile industry.

Competition for space in Tertre Square is intense, with artists enduring a ten-year wait for a tiny shared spot. Restrictions limit creations to specific forms of art, namely: paintings, portraits, silhouettes, and caricatures only. Since the 1990s, Tertre Square has also been a battleground for artists' rights amid escalated conflicts with restaurant terraces encroaching on their space.

As a cornerstone of Montmartre's cultural and historical identity, the square features notable buildings and commemorations, including the former town hall, the pioneering restaurant À la Mère Catherine, and commemorative plaques. A popular legend claims that the term "bistro" was coined in this square in 1814, courtesy of the Russian troops stationed here. Soldiers would shout "bystro," which means "quickly" in Russian, urging their comrades to finish their drinks and return to their duties.

Saint-Pierre de Montmartre is the second oldest surviving church in Paris, tracing its origins back to the 3rd century AD with foundations attributed to Saint Denis. The site, historically believed to have been a Temple of Mars, became a pilgrimage destination by the 9th century.

Officially established in 1133, the church formed the nucleus of the prestigious Montmartre Abbey, a site deeply intertwined with Parisian and religious history. After being reconsecrated in 1147, the church thrived under the patronage of French nobility up until the end of the 17th century. However, the French Revolution marked a period of decline, with the abbey's destruction and the church's desecration, temporarily transforming into a "Temple of Reason."

Post-Revolution, the church saw various uses, including a stint as a visual telegraph station and as barracks for Russian soldiers in 1814. Avoiding demolition, Saint-Pierre de Montmartre was eventually restored between 1899 and 1905 and formally returned to the religious service in 1908.

The church's hidden entry opens to a tree-filled courtyard, leading to a façade renovated in 1775 and adorned with modern bronze doorways added in 1980. These doors depict scenes from the lives of the Virgin Mary, Saint Peter, and Saint Denis of Paris. The interior showcases a Romanesque design with Gothic influences, featuring a nave with vaulted ceilings supported by intricately decorated pillars, a choir and apse with ancient elements, and unique Merovingian carvings.

Key artifacts within include the venerated statue of Our Lady of Montmartre, a Renaissance-style oval baptismal font from 1537, and a replica of the Vatican’s Saint Peter statue. The church also houses a historic organ, originally from Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, rebuilt in the 19th century.

The Montmartre Museum occupies several historic buildings including the Hôtel Demarne, Maison du Bel Air, and the studio apartment once a residence for painters, writers, and cabaret artists at the turn of the 20th century.

This time-honored structure dates back three centuries. The Maison du Bel Air, constructed in 1660, is among Montmartre's oldest surviving buildings and hosts the museum's permanent exhibits. The Hôtel Demarne, a private neoclassical mansion from 1680, accommodates temporary exhibits.

This address has been historically a hub for artists. One of its most illustrious occupants was Auguste Renoir. During his 1876 residency, Renoir created here several masterpieces, including the iconic "Dance at the Galette Windmill" painting immortalizing the scene of sun-soaked merrymakers.

Established in 1960 and redeveloped in 2011, the museum showcases a comprehensive collection of over 6,000 art pieces including paintings, sculptures, and prints, along with 100,000 archival items, which together chronicle Montmartre’s cultural, artistic, and social evolution. Exhibits capture the essence of Montmartre’s bohemian spirit, its cabarets like Agile Rabbit and Moulin Rouge, and the broader historical context of its integration into Paris.

The museum's permanent collection features historical maps, documents, photographs, Toulouse-Lautrec posters, and original musical scores of Erik Satie (a French composer who used to work as a pianist in café-cabaret in Montmartre). It also showcases sections dedicated to pivotal events in the neighborhood's history like the French Revolution, the Russian invasion of 1814, the Paris Commune, and the construction of the Sacred Heart Basilica in 1875.

Complementing the museum's exhibits are the enchanting Renoir gardens that have been revitalized and meticulously recreated according to the artist's paintings. From here, visitors can gaze at the vineyard flourishing since the Middle Ages.

Recent additions to the place include the Café Renoir, offering a seasonal dining experience within the gardens, opened in 2014. That same year, in a bold move the museum underwent an ambitious renovation expanding its exhibition space twofold. This was done by incorporating Suzanne Valadon's studio-apartment which was reconstructed to reflect its original state, based on extensive archival research and historical analysis. The French painter lived here together with her son, Maurice Utrillo, and partner, André Utter, both of whom were also painters and formed the so-called "Infernal Trio," significantly contributing to the Montmartre art scene.

This strange-looking but lovely little house on the northern slope of Montmartre has been in place for over one and a half centuries. Its pub-like setting exudes genuine French cabaret vibes, though, unlike regular cabarets, it does not feature topless dancers. Instead, patrons here are treated to songs, poetry, and humor (all in French, though).

The Agile Rabbit Cabaret has a storied past stretching back to around 1860 when it was known as "Where the Thieves Meet". Evolving in name and reputation, the venue was re-titled “The Cabaret of Assassins” after an incident involving gangsters killing the owner's son and its decoration with portraits of famous murderers. The cabaret’s current name is derived from a pun on a painting by French caricaturist Andre Gill depicting a rabbit leaping from a saucepan, known originally as "Gill's Rabbit" and eventually morphing into "Agile Rabbit". A replica of that painting now adorns the premises. Sadly, the original was stolen in 1893.

Purchased in the early 20th century by cabaret singer and nightclub owner Aristide Bruant, the Agile Rabbit was preserved from demolition and became a regular haunt for artists and writers, such as Picasso, Modigliani, Utrillo, and Apollinaire, who congregated here to debate the essence of art. Situated near the Sacred Heart Basilica, the epicenter of Paris's artistic movement at the time, this cabaret also attracted a diverse crowd including local eccentrics, students, and members of the bourgeoisie.

In 1905, Picasso paid for a meal here with one of his paintings, following which he quickly exited and painted another one, which he named "At Agile Rabbit". In the 1980s, this painting sold for millions of pounds at an auction, largely elevating the cabaret's global recognition. Today, it is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Other Montmartre artists like Roman Greco and Maurice Utrillo have also depicted Agile Rabbit in their works.

The cabaret's legacy further extended into modern pop culture when American comedian Steve Martin wrote the play “Picasso at the Agile Rabbit” in 1993, which fictionalizes a meeting between Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein here.

Today, the Agile Rabbit remains largely unchanged, continuing its legacy as an informal cabaret venue that showcases poets and singers performing traditional French songs, some dating back to the 15th century. Sometimes, shows last as long as four hours, creating an incredibly warm atmosphere and making the time spent here well worth remembering.

Tip:
This place is usually rather busy, so advance reservations are highly recommended.

A legendary spot in Montmartre, the historic Galette Windmill is known for more than its original milling purposes. First built in 1622, the place evolved to include a famous tavern, eventually becoming a prominent leisure spot to which it owes its current fame.

Beneath the surface of the festive atmosphere, the site bears marks of historical strife. The Debray family, who acquired the windmill in 1809, expanded its operations from flour production to pressing harvest and grinding materials for manufacturing. During the siege of Paris by Russian Cossacks at the end of the Napoleonic Wars, in 1814, and then during the Franco-Prussian War, in 1870, four Debray men lost their lives defending the property and were nailed to the wings of the windmill.

The surviving Debray son transformed the mill into a tavern, capitalizing on the popularity of its galette, a type of brown bread they produced. Adding alcohol to its menu, the windmill became a cabaret and attracted Parisians with its simple country pleasures - a glass of wine, fresh bread made from the mill's flour, and panoramic views of Paris and the Seine down below. The idea was an instant success and the introduction of a dance hall in 1833, dedicated to the Greek muse Terpsichore, further solidified its status as a social and cultural hub.

Artists like Renoir, van Gogh, and Picasso immortalized the vibrant atmosphere of the place in their paintings. The most famous of them is Renoir's depiction called "Dance at the Galette Windmill."

Despite destruction threats and changes over time, including shifts from an open-air café to a music hall, television studio, and restaurant, the property was preserved and declared a monument in 1958.

The Radet windmill marks the entrance to The Galette Windmill bistro, preserving its legacy as a historical and cultural landmark. In fair weather, the place is still a great spot to savor locally made wine and enjoy live music in the garden, much like the Parisians did centuries ago in Renoir's famous painting.