Today i decided to explore the butte of Montmartre, one of the most touristy areas of Paris. I followed the Plnnr itinerary to give me the best guide to the area. The area is always packed with sightseers but this didn’t put me off: Montmartre is a unique area of Paris with a villagey feel, perched high above the city. I found it similar to Hampstead or Highgate in London, yet far more iconic with a rich artistic history; Renoir once lived here. I started my journey outside Blanche metro and was immediately confronted by the famous Moulin rouge. A little past it, it is now more of a place for cheesy photos than a genuine cabaret experience. A dinner and dance will set you back about 150 euros. I continued up the steep rue lepic, a trendy road where designer boutiques and tourist shops are jumbled together. Don’t miss le cafe des deux moulins, where the cult film Amelia was filmed. I enjoyed an excellent crème brulee there.

Further up the rue lepic i passed the other windmills of Montmartre, le Moulin de radet, originally located in the palais royal, and the Moulin de la galette, once a popular dancehall but now an upmarket restaurant. I attempted to ignore the aggressive souvenir sellers who dominate place du tertre and headed up on the funicular to the sacre coeur- all you need is a normal metro ticket. I think that the best time to visit is at sunset when you can see the lights of the boulevard de clichy sparkling beneath you. It’s free to visit the church, a great mock Romano-Byzantine building that was only completed in 1919 by a panoply of architects. It’s also worth paying 5 euros to visit the crypt and dome, the latter of which boasts spectacular views out over northern Paris. I’d been to the main church before but visiting the dome gives a greater sense of the scale of the church, which is one of the main landmarks of Paris.

I felt like i wanted to get to know the quartier better so i ambled down the steps and walked for about 5 minutes (the walk is shown on trip planner) to the musee de Montmartre to learn more about the history of the hilltop. The Cimitiere de Montmartre, 10 minutes away near Blanche metro, is also worth a visit to see the graves of Truffaut, Heine and Degas.