Paris in One Day — a walking route through Montmartre for those who have only one day in Paris.
Paris is enormous, and there are so many sights here that, unfortunately, a few days are nowhere near enough. Budget travelers often come here for a few days when Paris is included in a bus tour itinerary. I consider this a pointless trip, after which only one thought remains: “we didn’t manage to see anything!”
You should explore Paris on foot, not run between the sights. And the best place for a stroll is Montmartre. It’s the one of the most vibrant and colorful districts, which deserves an entire day.
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Montmartre
Montmartre is a hill and former suburb of Paris. It’s the once an inexpensive neighborhood where the Parisian bohemia – creative people, who settled here at the end of the 19th century. This atmosphere is still palpable in Montmartre today, though not everywhere, only in the right places.
Rue Caulaincourt
Begin your walk by taking the metro to Rue Caulaincourt (Lamarck—Caulaincourt station, line 12). Refuel at a little restaurant Le Refuge a cup of coffee and chocolate crepes — sweet crepes. And then off you go! — conquering the narrow streets and stairways that climb up to Montmartre.
Whichever side of Paris you approach this neighborhood from, you cannot avoid the steps that rise steeply upward. Even the entrance to the metro is located right on a flight of stairs.
Rue des Saules
Continue your walk from the street Rue des Saules. At the intersection with Rue de l’Abreuvoir you will come across a charming restaurant La Maison Rose – a little paradise painted pink. According to legend, aspiring artist Maurice Utrillo painted a study of this house in pink in the rays of dawn — at that time, the house was white. People laughed at the study, and Utrillo, furious, painted it pink during the night.
Around the corner from the Pink House are Paris’s only vineyards Clos Montmartre. It have existed here since 1933 and still produce wine. In October, don’t miss the extremely popular Montmartre Harvest Festival (Fête des vendanges de Montmartre) (from October 6 to 10).
Not far from here—at the intersection with Rue Lepic an old mill has stood for 400 years Moulin de la Galette (83 Rue Lepic, 75018 Paris), built in 1612. Back then, crispy waffles and bread were baked here from flour ground at the mill and sold with a glass of milk.
Later, wine replaced the milk, and a cabaret was opened in place of the mill. Today, entry to the mill is closed, but the doors of the restaurant bearing the same name are open—a wonderful place to enjoy a glass of Rosé and savor the crunch of waffles in the quiet amid vast Paris.
Place Émile-Goudeau
We then dive down a secret street Rue d’Orchampt, and then wind our way along Rue Ravignan we arrive at a cozy square Place Émile-Goudeau by the café Le Relais de la Butte. From there, a postcard-perfect view of Montmartre unfolds: couples sit at the tables, a waiter serves wine and carafes of water, and street musicians play.
Then, descending to a street lined with cafés and bakeries Rue des Abbesses we find a small square Square Jehan Rictus (Place des Abesses, 75018 Paris), which conceals a 42-square-meter wonder—the Wall of Love, or Le Mur des Je t’aime. On dark-blue tiles made of fired lava, a phrase that every person has uttered at least once in their life is written in white letters in all the languages of the world—“I love you».
Basilica of the Sacred Heart
After midday, you no longer feel like climbing up again through the winding streets, so now there is no shame in taking the funicular – at the intersection of Rue Tardieu and the square Place Saint-Pierre. Using a regular metro ticket, go upstairs, to the Basilica Sacré-Cœur – Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, which is among the TOP sights of Paris.
Its white walls and domes create the feeling that it is hovering above the city. Admission to the basilica is free; it is open from 6:00 to 22:30, and you can climb 300 steps on foot to the viewing platform, from where you can see the evening lights of the Eiffel Tower.
And if you wait until evening, Montmartre Hill offers a wonderful view of pink Paris. Hundreds of people gather for this spectacle, while vendors selling beer and other things bustle around them, and street performers entertain the crowd. But Paris looks coolest from there!
It is impossible to see Paris in one short day. But Montmartre is still worth visiting.
A great idea for a long layover is not to sit around at the Paris airport, but to spend that time strolling through this wonderful neighborhood.
Useful links for travelers:
Car rental — we found an affordable option through DiscoverCars
Hotels – I traditionally book through Booking.com
Travel insurance can be purchased on the website Hotline.Finance
Read also:
- Christmas markets in France: where to go for an authentic Christmas atmosphere
- A holiday on the French Riviera
- The most beautiful villages in France – a route through Burgundy
- Where to see lavender fields in Europe – the best locations for photos
