The village of sin! (Montmartre (Paris))

Member Name: mizzy

Product:	Montmartre (Paris)
Date:	04/10/08 (102 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great atmosphere in the evenings

Disadvantages: Quite noisy, few dodgy characters hanging around

Montmartre is literally like a mountain village in Paris.
There are steep stairs leading up the hill, or you can take the windy road instead.

The main feature of Montmatre is Sacre Coeur, a large church on the very top of the hill. It is huge, and very striking. Its surround by winding streets and a public garden. It can be reached by walking, or by the funicular railway that runs parralel to the garden. You can use a metro day ticket on this.


It is the second highest point in paris after the eiffel tower, so there are great views around Paris.

The central square at the very top of the hill is great for atmosphere. There are loads of artists selling their work, and lots of lovely resturants and bakerys. I had moules and chips for 10 euros. The only expensive thing is the drinks so just stick to wine or tap water. Things like coca cola are the worst! 6euros for one bottle!

Theres also a nice museum of dali up here, and its only about 5 euro for a student to get in.

In the day and night this area is so noisy and happening. All the outdoor terraces are heated and have canopies, so you can enjoy alfresco eating all year round!

The area is full of artists, and is well known for being the home of the Moulin Rouge and other dance halls. In the old days all the prostitutes used to live here, and now the red light district has moved down the hill to Pigale. It isnt a really scary area at all, its full of tourists and the Moulin Rouge is all lit up at night.

Montmartre has such a good atmosphere, everywhere there are small cafes with heated outdoor areas, packed with French people having a gossip after work.

I loved spending a few hours in the evening in a bar with a bottle of wine people watching. The waiters come to your table, serve you quickly and bring the bill out to you, you dont even have to move. No annoying queueing for ages at the bar like in the UK. The bars also serve small meals, and you can get a lovely salad for about 8euros.

In the day there are loads of nice bakerys, grocers and butchers open. You can get a great breakfast for about 3 euros. The coffee is amazing and so are the pastries.

At night the area really comes alive, mainly with French people. Around the metro there are lots of dodgy looking people hanging around but they dont bother you. The only people who come asking for money, just talk in english to them and they leave you alone. Another great thing about this area is the musicians who come and play outside the bars. No one gives them any money, but its nice to have some live music.

You can easily reach the area by metro, and the hotel we stayed in was lovely, even for a 2 star hotel. It was also quiet which is a luxury in Montmartre!

I really recommend staying in this area, as it has a good evening atmosphere, cheap hotels, and good metro links for all the main tourist areas. Around Sacre Coeur there are a lot of people hanging around, so be careful at night wondering around there. The best bit of my stay was just soaking up the atmosphere in the bars, and speaking french to the people sitting next to us and the waiters. Everyone there is so friendly.

Summary: The best place to stay in Paris