We’ve been to Paris (with kids and without) a few times and shared our favorite things to see and do in this post. But the charming and artsy hill-top district of Montmartre deserves its own post for how much it differs from the rest of Paris.
The peaceful and stunning district is everything it appears in its dreamy, watercolor photos. It has a completely different vibe than downtown Paris. It served as a haven for artists in the late 1800s-early 1900s (and was originally a separate village from Paris). The winding and steep cobblestone streets are much more quaint; you honestly forget the bustling Paris streets are just a few metro stops away.
We arrived in Paris at Gare du Nord, and it’s only about a 20-minute walk northwest to Montmartre. A great first stop in the city if you’re traveling via train. Give yourself a day in Montmartre (or more if you can!). This will give you have time to stroll through the streets and relax at the cafes without being rushed.
As we approached Montmartre on our way to the Sacre Coeur Basilica, we passed the Elysees Montmartre Theatre. Originally opened in 1807, it is known for being the start of the French can-can dance. In 2011, it was damaged by a fire and had to be rebuilt, reopening in 2016. Today, you can buy tickets to a variety of shows at the theater.
Our first stop in Montmartre was the famous hill-top domed white church, the Sacre Coeur Basilica. To get up to the church, you can either take the stairs through the green square in front of the church, Square Louise-Michel, or take Rue Foyatier along the west side of the square. We chose to walk through the square, but both are beautiful walks, as Rue Foyatier is one of the picturesque sets of lamp-lined steps you see throughout Montmartre. But no matter which way you go, there are a lot of steps! If you need assistance, you can access a funicular on the west side of the square, which will take you up to the church. There is a beautiful carousel at the entrance to Square Louise-Michel, thought it wasn’t running the day we were there.
The closer you get to the church, the more beautiful the views of Paris. It took us about 25 minutes to walk to the top, but that was with plenty of stops to soak in the scenery. And if you’re not tired enough from the walk, you can climb 300 more steps to the top of the Sacre Coeur Basilica dome for even better views. We chose to skip this with the kids, but it’s only 5 EUR if you’re up for it. Instead, we just walked around the interior of the church, admiring the colorful mosaics and art and beautiful architecture.
After the Sacre Coeur Basilica, we walked to the nearby to Place du Tertre. It is a beautiful square surrounded by cobblestone streets and small cafes and filled with artists. You’ll need to maneuver around the artists trying to convince tourists to get portraits done. But if that’s something you are interested in, this is probably a good place to do it – artists have to apply for spots to work on Place du Tertre. There are also artists painting Parisian landscapes, and our kids were fascinated by watching them work.
A short walk from Place du Tertre is Le Consulat, where we stopped for lunch. It’s one of the oldest cafes in Montmartre still in operation today and was once visited by artists such as Picasso and Monet. It’s a charming building sitting on an island between cobblestone streets, so plenty of sidewalk space for dining. The inside is also classic and adorned with paintings of Paris. They have a selection of typical French cuisine; with the kids we went for classic croque monsieur.
After lunch we spent some time wandering the calm and charming streets of Montmartre and visiting the typical tourist spots. La Maison Rose is an adorable pink house next to vine-covered buildings on the corner of two winding cobblestone streets. It must be one of the most photographed places in Montmartre. But since it’s a restaurant, you can also stop in for lunch or dinner. Down the street is another restaurant housed in a unique building, Le Refuge. With its lights and red awnings, it has a very cool look and makes for a great coffee stop.
We also passed by the Montmartre landmark Lapin Agile Cabaret, a famous cabaret housed in an unmissable pastel orange building. Picasso painted ‘Au Lapin Agile’ in 1905 depicting the inside of the club. The Lapin Agile Cabaret is directly across the street from Montmartre Vineyards (who knew there was a vineyard in Paris!).
Our final stop in Montmartre was Le Moulin de la Galette, or Moulin Blute-Fin. Built in the 1700s, it is one of only two remaining windmills on the Montmartre hills. Today it sits above a restaurant by the same name. It’s also the subject of a painting, ‘Bal du moulin de la Galette,’ by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Stop by the Musee d’Orsay to see it in person! Otherwise it’s just a really cute windmill to see in the midst of the cobblestone streets.
Because Montmartre is very hilly with lots of steps, depending on the age of your kids, it might be a tiring walk. There is a cute little train that will take you on a 40-minute guided tour through the village. It departs near the Moulin Rouge and ends at Place du Tertre, and may be the extra help you need to enjoy the day.