12 Fun Things To Do In Montmartre, Paris

We visited Paris over the summer for a few days and stayed in the beautiful neighborhood of Montmartre. This artistic region of Paris kept us busy! We were pleasantly surprised by how much there was to do here. We actually enjoyed exploring Montmartre so much, it was our favorite part of our visit to France! In this post, we’re sharing 12 fun things to do in Montmartre for your next visit to the city of love.

Overview of Montmartre

Montmartre is located in the 18th arrondissement, in the most northern part of Paris. Its high elevation has proved to be an attractive advantage over the years in sieges and battles, as it gave a good vantage point to the rest of Paris below. Thankfully, Montmartre did not sustain too much damage during these battles, allowing it to retain a lot of its charm.

Montmartre was outside of the city limits of Paris until 1860, when it was incorporated as part of the 18th arrondissement. Perhaps this is why the area has a sense of “otherness” about it. It certainly gets its fair share of tourists, but it lacks the metropolitan feel that the rest of Paris has. As you wander along the winding cobblestone streets lined with vine covered buildings and quaint cafes, you feel like you are in an old French village instead of the bustling city of Paris.

You’ll want to wear your favorite walking shoes when you visit, because it is a hilly town. There are flights of stairs connecting a lot of the streets for foot traffic or you can zigzag along on the sidewalks. We had to stop more than once while out sightseeing to “window shop” AKA catch our breaths because we are about as physically fit as a couple of potatoes.

Things to do in Montmartre

Basilique du Sacré-Cœur / “The Basilica of the Sacred Heart”

We’re kicking off this list with the most obvious thing to do in the area. Montmartre is technically a giant hill (so be prepared to get a good workout during your visit). Perched at the tippity top of the hill, is The Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

This gorgeous church was built in 1875 and took 55 years to build. The site was chosen for the church to be built for a few reasons:

• Being on top of a hill, the church is pretty much impossible for visitors to the city to miss.
• Legend has it, that it is the site that the patron saint of France was beheaded by the Romans.
• Montmartre is where the Society of Jesus was founded, one of the most influential and largest religious groups in the Catholic church.

Today, the Basilica is the second most visited attraction in Paris (the first of course being the Eiffel Tower). Visitors to Montmartre flock to the church to marvel at the massive white church that stands in contrast to the lush green hill it rests on. Atop the church is an enormous dome with four matching cupolas at each corner.

It is completely free to go inside the church. You can wander among the enormous arches that frame the church and see the largest mosaic in France on the ceiling.

Don’t be deterred if there is a long line out front. It moves relatively fast and the inside did not seem too crowded when we were there. The inside also has a great gift shop!

Outside the church is an overlook with unparalleled views of the French capital. We spent a ton of time admiring the view and taking photos. It’s supposed to be a great vantage point for the sunset, but since the sun doesn’t set until almost 10pm in June and we’re a couple of old grannies at heart, we missed out on this experience!

Ride the Funicular

There are 270 steps from the bottom of the hill that the Basilica sits on to the top. If you are not feeling up to this workout (we’ll be honest, we weren’t), you can ride the funicular! The quick journey lasts just under 2 minutes and costs the same as a one way metro ticket. There are ticket machines located just outside the boarding zone for the funicular. It was 100% worth the cost in our opinion – your legs will thank you!

Eat at The Hardware Société

While we’re talking about this side of town, we should tell you about one of our favorite places we ate at in Montmartre – The Hardware Société.

This Australian eatery is located on the street that winds beside the Basilica. It has hipstery Instagrammable vibes with neon signs, a cozy and attractive interior, and ample outdoor seating.

Amanda had the Baked Eggs Deux, a cozy meal that had a mild heat and consisted of chorizo, eggs, peppers, and potatoes. Kayla had the Fried Brioche, and it was the best french toast she’s ever had (and probably ever will have). It was absolutely bursting with flavor.

Play Peekaboo With The Eiffel Tower

Because Montmarte is on a hill, it offers fabulous views of the rest of the city. While you’re wandering around, keep your eyes open for a peek of the Eiffel Tower!

We made the semi-horrible decision to walk from the train station to our Airbnb in Montmartre with a full size suitcase, our favorite travel backpack, a 1 year old, and a stroller. It looks completely doable on a map (and technically it is – we made it in the end!), but it’s another story when it physically feels like you’re a pack mule climbing a mountain made of cobblestone. Just when we thought our legs would give out and we’d roll back down the hill, we were rewarded with our first views of the Eiffel Tower through an iron fence!

We saw the Eiffel Tower several more times when we were in Montmartre, and it was always such a lovely surprise!

Pro Tip: Don’t walk from the train station to your accommodation in Montmartre after a long day of traveling, especially if you have rolling luggage, a heavy carry-on, and/or a child. Take a taxi. Take an Uber. Don’t be dumb like us.

Look for fun street art

While you’re trying to catch a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower, you’re bound to see some fun street art. We didn’t see any enormous murals or anything of that nature, but some street corners were dotted with several smaller doodles, random objects, and street art that was entertaining to stop and look at.

Take a pic with La Maison Rose / “The Little Pink House”

Artist Ramon Pichot purchased La Maison Rose in 1905. His friends, Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso, were known to visit him here. Pichot’s wife visited Spain in 1908 and came back with a mission: To paint their home pink and turn it into a restaurant.

La Maison Rose gained popularity after it was featured in Maurice Utrillo’s paintings. Famous singers, actors, artists, and writers frequented the bustling spot in the ’60s and ’70s increasing the notoriety of The Little Pink House. In 2017, the granddaughter of one of the previous owners reopened the La Maison Rose restaurant with the goal to keep its Italian and French roots shining brightly.

Tourists flock to the picturesque pink house to have the chance to eat from the carefully curated farm to table menu and to just take pictures outside. If you go before or after their hours of operation, you have a better chance of getting a picture without tourists.

On the street corner across from the pink house is a house covered in vines. Kayla is convinced that Madeline lives here. It is a beautiful stately mansion that perfectly fits the opening lines of every Madeline book: In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines, lived 12 little girls in two straight lines. So you’ve heard it here first – Madeline lives in Montmartre. Right by the pink house. Case closed.

The bust of Dalida

Dalida was an international phenomenon who earned 70 gold records and sold almost 200 million records over her 31 year career. She called Montmartre home and is one of the area’s most famous residents. The city of Paris named a square after her in 1966, and a bust of the singer now marks The Place Dalida.

The bust is very… busty, and visitors have a tradition of touching the singers bronzed boobs for good luck. This has caused her bustier top to appear more gold than bronze. We’re too embarrassed to show our pic of us “greeting” Dalida’s statue, so here’s a less scandalous photo we’ve borrowed from Paris for Visitors:

Shake hands with Le Passe-Muraille / “The Passer Through Walls” statue

Le Passe-Muraille is a short story by Marcel Aymé about a man who learns in his 40s that he has the ability to pass through walls. He resists the urge to use his superpower at first, but over time gives way to the urges as a means of annoying his boss at work. It causes his boss to have a mental breakdown and be sent to an asylum.

The protagonist continues to use his ability to walk through walls for bad things. He commits several crimes and meets an unfortunate fate of getting stuck in the wall of his lover’s house as he tries to leave it one night.

A bronze sculpture that depicts the man’s fate was erected in Montmartre in 1989 in the square named after the author, Place Marcel Aymé. This is a quieter area of Montmartre and actually right next to where we stayed during our visit. We loved seeing the unusual larger than life sculpture as we came and went from our Airbnb. If you take a walking tour of Montmartre, it will likely stop in this square.

It’s hard to find an English translation of the story in print, but you can read it online HERE.

Moulin de la Galette

One street over from Le Passe-Muraille is another iconic landmark of Montmartre – the Moulin de la Galette. This wooden windmill sits atop a business on the street corner. The windmill was built in 1622 and has an illustrious history.

In the 1800s, the Debray family owned the windmill and used it to grind flour for the galettes (brown bread similar to a crêpe) they served from the storefront below. During the Napoleonic Wars, the miller was forced to heroically defend the windmill and lost his life. He was nailed to the windmill. Pierre-Charles Debray met the same fate just less than 60 years later during the Franco-Prussian War.

Less macabre, the windmills gained popularity as the area was depicted by artists such as Renoir, Van Gogh, and Picasso. Perhaps most famous, is the painting titled Bal du moulin de la Galette by Renoir, which shows Parisians having a good time dancing, dining, and socializing at the business beneath the windmill. You can see the original painting while you’re in Paris at the Musée d’Orsay.

The windmill has stood the testament of time and has served as everything from a cabaret to a TV Studio. Today it is privately owned, but you’ll see many people stopping to take photos.

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Eat at Le Coq & Fils / “The Poultry House”

We could not pass up the chance to eat at Le Coq & Fils after finding out many people consider the restaurant to have the best roasted chicken in the world. Reservations are recommended, since word has gotten out that this restaurant is a must try while in Montmartre. Ask for a seat by the window and you’ll have a view of the Moulin de la Galette!

We had the giblet empanadas, poultry cream soup, 1/4 roasted chicken, sautéed mushrooms, mac & cheese, and little pieces of their complimentary homemade fudge to top it all off. It was a feast! The giblet empanadas were a bit too adventurous for our taste buds, but we absolutely loved the soup and the chicken just melted in your mouth.

The staff were so incredibly warm and welcoming, and they went above and beyond to make the meal a fun experience for Kayla’s daughter. This is definitely a restaurant worth visiting while in Montmartre!

The Poultry House offers takeaway which we also did one night since we enjoyed our first meal there so much, but it’s a meal best eaten fresh at the restaurant in our opinions.

Look for the man with the accordion and his accomplice – A cat

While wandering down Rue de la Paix, we heard accordion music playing. When we looked for the source of the music, we saw a man sitting in a doorway playing the accordion with a cat laying on top of the instrument he was playing!

We watched for several minutes as he played, at first thinking the cat was fake. But turns out, it was just taking a cat nap! The cat woke up and nuzzled around, clearly enjoying every second of being the musician’s apprentice.

The busker had some nods to Le Chat Noir near where he was accepting tips, which was fitting since the cat looks like the one from the painting. The man and his cat brought a smile to everyone’s face who was passing.

Wander around and get lost

It may sound cliché, but the best thing to do in Montmartre is wander around aimlessly and get lost in the winding streets that make up the neighborhood. It is a part of the city with beautiful things to see everywhere you look. Some of our favorite moments from our time in Montmartre were when we wandered down side streets or broke away from the touristy areas to explore. Montmartre has so many little gems ready to be discovered by those who take the time to look for them.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our post on things to do in Montmartre! Tell us what you love most about this charming part of Paris in the comments below!

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