Montmartre is a hill , 130 meters high and the highest spot in Paris. On top of Montmartre is Basilica Sacre Coeur. You can climb to the top by funicular or stairs.
Archaeologists claim that the first settlement in this area dates back to the Neolithic era. In Gallo-Roman times, gypsum began to be mined on the mountain, which made the region the richest in the area. At this time, construction and trade were actively carried out. Two temples were towered in honor of Mars and Mercury, during Gallo-Roman period. Unfortunately, those temples not survived to this days.
In the Middle Ages, the Benedictine monks built here the church of Saint-Pierre-de-Montmartre, which is still standing. At the same time, the first windmills constructed and vineyards were planted around the hill.
In June 1859 Mount Montmartre entered the Paris agglomeration. After that, from the end of the 19th century, representatives of creative professions, especially artists, began actively settle in the Montmartre region. Here you could meet Renoir, Van Gogh, Picasso, Modigliani and others. As a rule, they stayed in Bateau Lavoir hostel, which could not boast of good living conditions. The evenings, masters spent away in the cabarets like, “Black Cat”, “Moulin Rouge” or “Nimble Rabbit”.
Nowadays Montmartre is one of the famous locations visited by tourists and known for its special village atmosphere, tiny streets, nightlife and Sacre Coeur. Montmartre is a unique place, and I highly recommend visiting it.
How to get to Montmartre?
You can reach Montmartre by metro: Line 12(Abbesses) and Line 2 (Anvers and Blanche) are the closest metro stations.
Highlight spots for sketches on Montmartre:
Sacre Coeur
Catholic Basilica of Saint Heart, built in 1875-1914 in Neo-Byzantine-Romanesque style. Located on top of Montmartre (130 meters). Great spot for sketching! Metro station: Anvers.
Moulin Rouge
Translates as Red Mill, cabaret on Boulevard Clichy. The Cabaret was opened in 1889. Closest metro station: Blanche. One of the famous spots in Paris, you can sketch its facade and go to the show. Order your ticket here.
Cafes
There are many amazing cafes in Montmartre with a cozy atmosphere inside and outside. I highly recommend choosing the one you like the most and sketch the facade, or to sit in and make some food sketch or the view that opens to you.
Also you can visit Museums on Montmartre:
Halle Saint-Pierre
Art museum for contemporary and experimental paintings, graphical art.
Address: 2 Rue Ronsard, 75018 Paris, France. Plan your visit here.
Dali Paris
Permanent Dali exhibition with focus on sculpture, engravings.
Address: 11 Rue Poulbot, 75018 Paris, France.
Plan your visit here.
Have fun and make great sketches! More posts related to France you can find in feed below!
