Montmartre is a beautifully historic neighbourhood in Paris where you can wander the cobble stone streets, and unlike many other neighbourhoods in Paris, you can’t get lost here. Whenever feeling a little doubtful about the direction you are going, as long as you are heading uphill you are going the correct way. At the top of the hill is the Basilica of Sacre-Coeur that pokes through all the buildings and is even visible from the apartment we are staying at.
Walking tours are great in this area. We started our tour at Moulin Rouge where friends reserved tickets for a show the following night. From there we started to walk uphill and along Rue des Abbesses. Rue Tholoze intersects with this street and from here you can see the top of a windmill and Studio 28, the first proper art-house cinema in Paris. The windmill is actually a restaurant and names Le Moulin de la Galette after a dance hall that was once there. Many artists will swarm you as you get closer to the top, and although they are talented, be sure to keep walking unless you really want a self-portrait done.
At the top was Sacre-Coeur, the area’s most recognizable landmark. From here you get a fabulous view of the city and realize just how high up you really are. The tip of the church is at a higher point than the top of the Eiffel Tower. The stone is frost-resistant and actually bleaches with age to white. It definitely stands out among other older buildings in Paris.