Montmartre. The neighborhood on the hill, and by far our favorite part of Paris. So many famous artists lived and worked there: Picasso, van Gogh, Matisse, Renoir, Degas, and it’s easy to see the allure, the absolute charm. We started bright and early on our last full day in Paris (see day one & day two), heading first to Sacré Coeur for the breathtaking views from beneath the basilica. We lingered there a bit before heading to breakfast at the nearby Hardware Societé. It was definitely a more trendy spot with a young crowd but we loved it (especially the coffee!).
Day 3 Itenerary: Montmartre to Le Marais (mostly 18th Arr., 8th Arr., 3rd & 4th Arr.)
Perhaps the best part about Montmartre is how good the wandering around can be. Everyone told us to forego an itinerary when we visited that area so we spent the day getting lost down the narrow cobblestone streets, passing romantic cafes, ivy-covered facades, and weathered pastel buildings like the popular La Maison Rose before arriving at Place du Tertre, the main square in heart of Montmartre where artists have gathered to paint and sell their creations for decades.
I had heard about the swarms of artists who gather at Place du Tertre, often times painting and sketching the many iconic views of Montmartre and Paris as you observe, and I knew that I wanted to purchase a few pieces to take home — what better souvenir than a one-of-a kind piece of art? Troy and I carefully wandered the rows of talented portraitists and painters and were impressed by how many different styles were represented. My absolute favorites were the simple pen and ink sketches (very unique among the colorful oil paintings there), Cézanne-esque pieces by a man named Remi, and the Indian ink water colors like the one shown below — doesn’t it remind you of the dry photocopying style of 101 Dalmatians??!! This particular ink/watercolor artist wasn’t within our budget, so we happily went with pieces from the other two artists we liked and brought back some truly magnificent art that we already cherish so!
We reached the south end of Montmartre and found ourselves in quite a different area now being in Pigalle! Our plan was to go over to Le Marais next since we hadn’t been yet, and the metro would’ve been a wonderful idea at this point but we opted to walk, regretting it as soon as we ventured through the 9th Arr. It just wasn’t our jam, and still quite far from Marais. Thanks to Uber, we were out of there fast and booked it to Le Marais for more of that Paris charm we adore. That area still embodies the quaint, cozy feel of medieval Paris, with labyrinths of narrow cobblestone streets, small shops, and ancient buildings. Marais was bustling when we arrived since it was Sunday and the area has a large Jewish population (the most famous Jewish quarter in Paris). We followed the crowds through the streets, window shopping the many boutiques, galleries, and bakeries and stopping for a quick bite at the famous L’As du Falafel. I honestly didn’t see what the fuss was about after we waited in line for over an hour to try the highly regarded falafel there. Good? Yes. Worth that wait? Not really. I much prefer a crêpe… I do wish we could’ve spent more time seeing Le Marais though (they apparently have amazing flea markets!) and will definitely allot more time on our next visit.
Since it was sunny all day, we knew sunset would be gorgeous and a rooftop spot sounded like the perfect way to take in one more lovely view of the city. I had read about the Primtemps Haussmann building’s wonderful outdoor terrace on the 8th floor (which is free for everybody and open until 8 p.m.; very rare for expereiencing views like this one). We ubered there from Le Marais and were lucky to snag a table to enjoy a charcuterie and glass of wine as the sun faded behind the skyline and cast its signature haze on the city.
It was a chilly walk across the Seine afterward, but you just have to see the Eiffel Tower at night so we took our time getting back to the hotel, stopping for a few photo ops before heading to dinner at Les Cocottes (with the best asparagus soup EVER).
I hope it’s not overkill 🙂 But I plan to share one more post about our Paris experience before officially wrapping up this trip here on the blog, and the final post will focus solely on our favorite and most worthwhile keepsakes from the trip. I did the most research on this area in preparation for the trip and am very happy about what we brought home from the most romantic city in the world.
