When you close your eyes and imagine a quaint Parisian scene, surely it looks like one of the many streets which wind their way though the neighborhood of Montmartre. A village in its own right, Montmartre can be glimpsed from a distance as the highest point in the city, and if you take the time to venture up its many staircases and inclines, you will be met with the inimitable charm for which Paris is so famous. 

Your local expert will meet you in the heart of Montmartre, at the Place des Abbesses. Climbing the butte to the Moulin de la Galette, you’ll learn about how Paris' rapid urban growth in the 19th century pushed the city's boundaries until it pressed into the sleepy villages on its outskirts. The feeling of wandering through a village although you are within city bounds will suddenly make complete sense. 

As you wander through the area, you will recognize certain buildings and monuments. Perhaps the Moulin de la Galette will look familiar thanks to the famous Renoir painting, or the café terraces may remind you of a work of Van Gogh. Montmartre was favored by early 20th century painters, and their influence and representations can be felt everywhere. Your expert will show you where some of these artists lived and explain to you why so many of them flocked to this area of Paris. 

Continuing to the top of the hill, you’ll stop at Sacré Coeur, the basilica that has since become the symbol of the north of the city.  With its Romano-Byzantine features, Sacré Cœur stands in sharp contrast to the Gothic architecture explored on our Notre Dame Tour or at Saint Eustache, both visible from its belvedere. 

You will finish in front of the basilica on a staircase which boasts the most spectacular and sweeping views of the entire city. A suitable end to the exploration of an unmissable area of Paris.