Hotels near Montmartre

Montmartre was where Picasso, Modigliani, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Van Gogh lived and worked in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, drawn by cheap rents and creative freedom. The neighbourhood retains a village character that stands apart from the rest of Paris - cobblestone lanes climb the hill at odd angles, ivy covers stone walls, and small squares host open-air painters selling portraits and landscapes. The Bateau-Lavoir at 13 Rue Ravignan was Picasso's studio where he painted Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. The Moulin Rouge cabaret at 82 Boulevard de Clichy has operated since 1889, its red windmill still turning at the foot of the hill.

Walking Montmartre costs nothing and takes two to three hours at a comfortable pace. Start at the Abbesses Metro station (note the original Art Nouveau entrance canopy, one of only two surviving Guimard designs), climb to Place du Tertre, visit Sacre-Coeur, then wind down through the Rue Lepic past the windmills. The Musee de Montmartre at 12 Rue Cortot (EUR 14) occupies Renoir's former studio and covers the neighbourhood's artistic history with paintings, posters, and photographs.

Pro Tip: Walk down the back side of the hill via Rue Caulaincourt and through the Saint-Vincent cemetery to find the last working vineyard in Paris - the Clos Montmartre. The harvest festival in October draws thousands, but on any ordinary afternoon the vineyard is nearly deserted and makes for an unexpected photo.