Montmartre

The Montmartre district in the 18th arrondissement is one of Paris's main tourist destinations.

 

The Montmartre hill, covered in orchards, vineyards, and windmills at the beginning of the 19th century (only two windmills remain today: the Radet Mill and the Galette Mill), is the emblematic site of the Paris Commune of 1871.

At the end of the 19th century, the district still retained a village-like atmosphere and attracted a large number of artists. On the hill, the Bateau-Lavoir and the Cortot Studio (now the Montmartre Museum) housed artists such as Max Jacob, Matisse, Braque, Picasso, Modigliani, Van Gogh, Renoir, Manet, and Toulouse-Lautrec, to name just a few.

Below, the Moulin Rouge, the temple of the French Cancan, welcomed Parisians for festive nights, immortalized by the painter Toulouse-Lautrec.

 

Today, Montmartre retains a certain charm with its ivy-covered houses, cobbled streets, bistros, artists, and its striking basilica.

The film that best captures the charm of life in Montmartre is Amélie, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. The little café where Amélie works is still open!

 

During your stay at the Hotel Jardin Le Brea, stroll through Montmartre, and around a bend in the path, you might stumble upon the last remaining vineyards on the Butte. The Clos Montmartre wine is enjoyed every autumn during the Fête des Vendanges (Harvest Festival)!

Take a ride on the Little Train of Montmartre for a unique and relaxing way to explore the hill. Starting from Place Blanche, it offers a 40-minute narrated tour of the must-see sights. An original and unmissable experience!

 

 

The Sacré-Cœur Basilica

The second most visited religious monument in Paris, after Notre-Dame Cathedral, welcoming 11 million visitors and pilgrims each year, the Sacré-Cœur Basilica of Montmartre, also known as the National Vow Basilica, is located at the top of the Montmartre hill.

 

The construction of the basilica, a monument of both political and cultural significance, followed the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. The desire to build this basilica was rooted, at the time, in a renewed sense of sacred importance, and its construction took place within the framework of what was later presented as a "moral order," though unrelated to the events of the Paris Commune, which occurred on the very site of its construction.

Construction began in 1875, the basilica was consecrated in 1919, but the project was not officially completed until 1923.

 

In Romano-Byzantine style, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart is built in stone from Château-Landon, which has the particularity of turning white when rain and sun mix, and rises to an altitude of 130m.

 

 

The Montmartre Museum

The Montmartre Museum was created in 1960 in one of the oldest buildings on the Butte, built in the 17th century: the Maison du Bel Air.

 

Surrounded by gardens, it was the creative hub for numerous artists, including Auguste Renoir, Émile Bernard, Raoul Dufy, Charles Camoin, Suzanne Valadon, and Maurice Utrillo.

Here you will discover the permanent collections, featuring a unique collection of paintings, posters, and drawings that recount the history of Montmartre, the vibrant atmosphere of its studios, from the Bateau-Lavoir to the Cortot studio, and the ambiance of its famous cabarets, from the Lapin Agile to the Moulin Rouge. One room is dedicated to the iconic artists of Montmartre, while another showcases shadow puppetry, the dreamlike setting that made the Chat Noir cabaret so renowned.

You can also visit the reconstruction of the studio-apartment of Suzanne Valadon, Maurice Utrillo, and André Utter, who settled there in 1912 at 12 rue Cortot.

 

 

 

How to get to Montmartre and to the Sacré-Coeur Basilica from the Hôtel Jardin Le Bréa?

Sacré-Coeur Basilica - 35 Rue du Chevalier de la Barre, 75018 Paris

Montmartre Museum - 12 Rue Cortot, 75018 Paris

- From the Hôtel Jardin Le Bréa, take metro line 12 from Notre-Dame-des-Champs (5-minute walk), towards Mairie d'Aubervilliers, and get off at Abbesses station, in the heart of Montmartre.

The total travel time from our hotel is 27 minutes.

 

 

Practical Information

The Montmartre district : https://parisjetaime.com/eng/article/montmartre-village-in-paris-a728

The Sacré-Coeur Basilica : https://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com/en/

The Montmartre Museum : https://museedemontmartre.fr/en/