The hill of Montmartre with the Sacre-Coeur, Place du Tertre and the painters' lanes has remained one of the most charming places in Paris despite mass tourism.
Montmartre: between bohemian myth and tourist reality
Montmartre is the most photographed district in Paris, and perhaps the most mythologised. Picasso, Renoir, Van Gogh, Utrillo: all lived and painted on this hill in the bohemian period between 1880 and 1920.
The Sacre-Coeur and Place du Tertre
The Sacre-Coeur basilica (1914) dominates the hill with its white Romano-Byzantine dome. Access is free but the queue can be long. The dome (paid) offers a spectacular panoramic view.
Place du Tertre, the square of the artists, is now entirely touristy: the painters who work there mainly produce commissioned portraits for visitors. But the surrounding lanes - Rue Lepic, Rue des Abbesses - preserve the atmosphere of the original village.
The Moulin Rouge and Pigalle
At the foot of the hill, the Pigalle district preserves the famous Moulin Rouge (1889) where Toulouse-Lautrec drew his posters. The evening show (90-195 euro) includes champagne and a revue of can-can and cabaret.