The former
artists' quarter of
Paris, Montmartre is situated to the north of the city-centre. The first thing one notices about Montmartre is its steepness. This is no place for reluctant walkers.
Montmartre is a place full of pavement cafes, where one can sit, sipping a café noir, and pretending to be French. The only problem is that this is exactly what all the other customers will be doing. Yes, Montmartre is not the place it used to be - it has been colonized by tourists. In fact, climbing the steep cobbled streets, you would be very unlikely to encounter more than one Parisian.
However, this does not mean that Montmartre has been ruined. It is still home to the famous market of starving artists ready to paint your portrait for 20 Euros or so. It is in Montmartre that the only vineyard in Paris is to be found, still run by a convent. The cafes are still there, and it is still home to the famous and beautiful Sacre-Coeur.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet's latest picture, Le Fabuleux Destin D'Amelie Poulain (Amelie) was filmed here, although the quarter was tarted up especially for the filming. Contrary to popular belief, the Moulin Rouge is not in Montmartre at all, but in neighbouring seedy Pigalle. However, this can only be in Montmartre's favour.