Montmartre

On a steep hill at the northern edge of the city, narrow lanes wind up past old houses, small squares, and gardens to a white domed church at the summit. This is Montmartre, the hilltop village that became the home of artists and remains one of the most charming and romantic corners of Paris.

For most of its history Montmartre was a village outside the city, with windmills, vineyards, and quarries, only swallowed by the growing capital relatively recently. That village past still shows in its winding lanes, its small scale, and the surviving scraps of green among the houses.

Around the turn of the twentieth century, cheap rents and a free-spirited mood drew artists to the hill in numbers. Painters who became some of the most famous of the age lived, worked, and drank here, and the quarter became a byword for bohemian creative life.

At the summit stands the white basilica of the Sacré-Cœur, its domes visible across the city and its terrace giving one of the widest views over Paris. The church and the hill are tied together in most visitors' minds, and the two are best seen in one trip.

Just behind the church lies a small square long filled with painters at their easels, sketching portraits and selling scenes of the quarter. It is touristy now, but it keeps alive the memory of Montmartre as a place where art was made in the open air.

The hill keeps surprising green corners and quiet lanes away from the busiest spots. A small vineyard still grows on its slopes, a reminder of the rural past, and stepping a few streets off the main route quickly leaves the crowds behind.

At the foot of the hill lies a different, racier history: the cabarets and dance halls of the late nineteenth century, including a famous one with a red windmill, that drew a fast crowd and inspired many artists. That nightlife district still trades on its past.

Montmartre is steep, and getting around means climbing stairs and slopes, though a small funicular railway helps with the climb to the church. Comfortable shoes and a slow pace make the wandering far more pleasant.

The quarter is at its best early or late, outside the busiest hours, when the lanes are quieter and the light is kind. Around the main square and the church it can be very crowded in the middle of the day.

As in any crowded tourist spot, keep an eye on your belongings and be wary of friendly strangers offering to tie a bracelet on your wrist or play a quick game for money near the church steps.

A few practical notes. Reach the hill by the transit system and the funicular; allow time to wander beyond the main square, where the real charm lies, and combine it with the basilica and its views at the top.

Climb a quiet lane away from the crowds, with a glimpse of the white domes above and the city falling away below, and you understand why artists loved this hill. Montmartre still feels like a village that happens to sit on top of a great city. When you head down, the lanes deliver you back into the ordinary streets.