Montmartre

Montmartre continues to attract us, enchant us and make us dream. This is the setting for the film Amelie (Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain).

Is it due to the effect of the miracle and sacrifice of Saint Denis (whose soul might still be haunting the heights of Montmartre)? Or to the hustle and bustle around the fun-loving Moulin Rouge? Or to the pious Basilica of Sacré Cœur, the shadowy, poetic, picturesque serpentine streets, the eclectic architecture and the secret mystery which attracted generations of artists?

Picasso, Renoir, Van Dongen, Van Gogh, Toulouse Lautrec, Utrillo, Poulbot, Modigliani, Cézanne, Sisley, Erik Satie, Berlioz, Debussy - they all heard the call of Montmartre. The Butte is where they lived, loved and gave birth to some of their most celebrated works. They were young & penniless. The conditions of life were hard - no electricity, no gas, no running water. Nevertheless, it is here that they were fulfilled.

The modest cottages, the maquis, the vineyards, orchards, farms and windmills have been replaced by beautiful villas, studios and Haussmannian buildings. The penniless artists of the 1900’s have given way to successful young managers, film directors, actors and pop singers, alongside some religious communities and, of course, lots of visitors. And still, in spite of all these, the soul of Montmartre has remained intact.

Join the tour and…parole de Virginia (Virginia gives you her word)… you’ll feel it.