You can see its scenic landscapes and quarters on the canvases of Van Gogh and Camille Pissarro, in the famous French films with Edith Piaf and the most elegant Frenchwoman of our time, Audrey Tautou. The great Hungarian composer Emmerich Kalman dedicated his operetta to Montmartre, which attracts thousands of keen spectators worldwide, even in our time. The highest point in Paris, at whose top soars the largest basilica of the city, the Sacre-Coeur, Montmartre is one of the main attractions of the capital of France. Here, you can climb the stone steps of a multilevel staircase or opt for a cable car to enjoy the beautiful views of Paris from a bird’s eye view.
The history of the famous Parisian hill began in the first centuries of our era, with two ancient sanctuaries dedicated to Mars and Mercury towering on its top. This gave the hill the name “Montmartre,” translated from Latin as the “hill of Mars.” On its slopes, the villas of nobles were located in ancient times, and the hill itself was considered one of the wealthiest districts in the area. In the Middle Ages, the Church of Saint-Pierre de Montmartre was built in place of the ancient temple of Mars. Now, you can see its simple interior decoration, including four marble columns of the ancient temple. Later, at the end of the 19th century, the white-stone Basilica of Sacre-Coeur was built in Montmartre. Parisian bohemia settled around it: artists and poets, as well as legendary cabaret dancers. Simultaneously, the notorious bars Lapin Agile and Le Chat Noir and, of course, the world-famous cabaret Moulin Rouge, attracting now tourists from all over the world wishing to see the hallmark of Paris, the lively can-can dance, appeared there. There was a time when Renoir, Van Gogh, and Picasso created their artworks here, and today street portrait artists will happily paint yours against the background of a hotel stylized as an old brothel or at a table of a cozy cafe with a glass of rare Montmartre wine.