photo: August 2020

PARIS - 1st day

18th arrondissement Butte - Montmartre

Thursday, 19.05.2022 - taxi from airport Orly to a hotel in Montmartre

via Charles de Gaulle Square, around the Arc de Triomphe

highlight Arc de Triomphe: At the western end of the Champs-Elysées, in the middle of Charles-de-Gaulle, stands the Arc de Triomphe, built in 1806 by Napoleon Bonaparte to commemorate his victories in battle. The fifty-one-foot-tall facility was completed in 1836, many years after his death. But his heroic battles in the reliefs of the monument live on: the Battle of Austerlitz, the signing of the Treaty of Vienna in 1810, Napoleon's victory over the Turks in 1799 and more. Inside the monument is a small museum showing the history of the Arc de Triomphe. From the top of the Arc de Triomphe there is a beautiful view of the 12 avenues that meet at Charles de Gaulle Square below it and of course the Eiffel Tower. The view from the top of the Arc de Triomphe also reveals his role in the bond between old and new Paris. On one side are the Champs Elysees, followed by the Place de la Concorde and the Louvre Museum, on the other La Defense.

after checking-in to our hotel

A walk through Montmartre in one of the most charming, romantic parts of the city, although its name means quite the opposite, the Mountain of the Martyrs. Montmartre is located in the 18th arrondissement and is traditionally an artists' area. The hill of Montmartre is the highest point in Paris at 129 meters above sea level (the Eiffel Tower was built by a man). Its name means "mountain of martyrs" (le mont des martyrs), as it is the place of martyrdom of the first bishop of Paris and his companions. The famous church - La Basilique du Sacré Cœur de Montmartre, which is most beautiful when it rains a little, its facade turns then purple, began to be built after the Prussian offensive in 1870. Two men, Alexandre Legentil and Hubert Rohault de Fleury, vowed to build a church, if Paris will survive the offensive. And this is what happened, they chose a hill above the town as the site of the new church. The view from Montmartre is really beautiful, the most beautiful is early in the morning, when there is almost no tourists or in the evening, when the city is dressed in a cloak of light. In front of the basilica, the whole Paris can be seen as far as 50 km in all directions.

Montmartre did not become part of Paris until 1870. Prior to that, it was a semi-rural independent village with a working class whose population was mostly gypsum miners and vendors. They were revolutionary in spirit and famous for their socialist ideas. At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, many artists (l’artiste) lived or had studios there. Among them were Amedeo Modigliani, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Suzanne Valadon, Piet Mondrian, Pablo Picasso, Camille Pissarro and Vincent van Gogh. Today, Montmartre is one of the most expensive areas of Paris.

The inhabitants of Montmartre were most of the time in some sort of dispute with the rest of Paris. Montmartrois, as the people of Montmartre are called, are different from the rest of Parisians, which they also proudly say. In 1871, the people of Montmartre even revolted and were independent for just under three months. There are fewer and fewer people with actual roots in Montmartre. Many of today's inhabitants of Montmartre are known as boboi - bourgeois bohemians (le bohème). These are people who earn a lot, but pretend (faire semblant) to live the lives of philosophers and bohemians, so the "real" people of Montmartre often criticise the lies of their new neighbours. In many places we can also see graffiti (les graffitis) with the words "Bobos, cassez-vous", which means: "Boboji, disappear!"

As you step out of the Abesses Metro, a small garden awaits you behind you, with a wall of love inside (Mur de je t'aime). It says I love you in more than 300 languages, of course also in Slovenian. The Place des Abbesses is a lively square showing the most beautiful Metro station in Paris - the decorative entrance to the Art Nouveau was designed by Victor Guimard. Opposite the square is the Eglise Saint-Jean-l’Evangéliste (Anatole de Baudot, 1904), a simple brick church that serves the local community. Close to Rue Yvonne le Tac and Rue des Trois Frères, there are trendy cafés, elegant tea lounges and interesting boutiques. Many restaurants in the area host live entertainment, sometimes classical accordion or jazz performance. For the movie lovers - fans of Amélie, take a walk from the promenade from Place des Abbesses to Sacré-Coeur. After exiting the metro, when facing the church, turn right and come to the Passage des Abbesses footpath, continue through the potholed entrance and then up steep steps, ascend towards the Rue Berthe hill, which sinks down the hill and then back again. Along the way, side streets and staircases lead to quiet, traffic-free areas that reveal the old village of Montmartre. Here, locals spend time in outdoor cafes, and children play football in small squares. From Rue Berthe you can continue along the cobbled streets to Place du Tertre.

The village of Montmartre was once surrounded by many wind farms as it is on a hill, but almost all have been removed, only 2 remain: the Moulin Blute-Fin and the Moulin Radet dating back to 1717. Together, these two remaining wind farms are known as the Moulin de la Galette, a nostalgic reminder of Montmartre’s old windmills. The Moulin de la Gallette has inspired many painters, including Renoir and Van Gogh. Renoir’s famous painting Le Bal du Moulin de la Galette depicts a festive venue at a traditional ball, and the Moulin de la Galette is seen in the background of the painting. This famous Renoir masterpiece can be found at the Musée d’Orsay. A visit to these wind farms is best combined with a good meal at the Moulin de la Galette Restaurant. This historic restaurant with traditional French cuisine is just below the windmills. The restaurant’s pleasant terrace has a cheerful setting overlooking the Moulin de la Galette. Also nearby is the top confectionery, Pâtissierie du Moulin de la Galette (48 Rue Caulaincourt), which offers classic French pastries such as eclairs, fruit and millefeuille (layers of confectionery and cream).

The oldest restaurant in Montmartre, called Lapin Agile, is still extremely popular even today. It dates back to the times of Impressionism and Cubism, when the famous Picasso often visited. Due to lack of money, he often paid with his paintings. When the restaurant owner once asked him why he didn't sign the picture, Picasso joked, "I'd like to buy lunch, not the whole restaurant!"

Moulin Rouge is still the # 1 rated cabaret show in Europe, and it's been that way since 1889. It's a spectacular show and a great way to spend an evening in Paris. Many others have thought so, too. Over the decades, Moulin Rouge has had its fair share of scandal and celebrity sitings, including Queen Elizabeth (For the siting, not the scandal!) When the Moulin Rouge opened on October 6, 1889, it was the first Parisian establishment to be lit by electricity. The Moulin Rouge never closes: There are two shows per night, 365 days a year. The Moulin Rouge has only closed once in its 129-year history to perform for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in London and during covid lockdown 2020-2022. The Moulin Rouge has 600,000 spectators per year. It takes 450 employees working in Moulin Rouge day and night to make the magic of the cabaret happen. There’s always someone there. The 80 dancers (60 Doriss Girls and 20 Doriss Dancers) of the Moulin Rouge come from 14 different countries. New Dancers train six days a week for four weeks to learn choreography and master the French cancan before their first performance on stage.

4km walk highlights:

Carrousel de Saint-Pierre, Pl. Saint-Pierre (photo with berets and ice cream)
Funiculaire de Montmartre - Gare Haute (in case you would like to skip the stairs)
Sacré-Cœur, 35 Rue du Chevalier de la Barre
Le Consulat, 18 Rue Norvins (IG photo)
Rue de l'Abreuvoir (the most beautiful street in Paris) and La Maison Rose in Montmartre - the best onion soup in Paris and the most photographed house in Paris
Le Moulin de la Galette, 83 Rue Lepic
Wall of Love, Jehan Rictus Square, Pl. des Abbesses
Moulin Rouge, 82 Bd de Clichy
Pink Mamma, 20bis Rue de Douai