Things to do near the Moulin Rouge

When you go to Montmartre by Blanche metro station in Paris, you cannot miss the Moulin Rouge cabaret. You may have heard of it with the Can-Can dance, you may have seen the movie starring Nicole Kidman. Anyway, you know it. So it is natural that when you get to Paris, one of the first things you will want to see is the Moulin Rouge. So here are a few ideas of things to do near the Moulin Rouge.

Going around to see other shows

It might sound weird for you to read that, but the Moulin Rouge is not a place where locals go. If you want to see a great show, the Moulin Rouge will give you a good night for sure. But it has become very expensive (around €90 for a simple ticket), so you may want to find cheaper places.

If you climb the hill by the Rue Lepic, you will see the Lapin Agile, another, much cheaper, cabaret. Otherwise, if you want to go to French theatres, there are two of them on the bottom of the hill, on the Place de Clichy. They are named “L’Européen” and “Le Méry” and usually offer good quality plays. But if you absolutely want to get a bit of the magic of the Moulin Rouge, you can visit its gift show on the Rue Lepic to buy and bring back some iconic souvenirs.

Climb up to the Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart)

The Rue Lepic, just next to the Moulin Rouge, is absolutely the best way to climb up to the Sacred Heart basilica. It is not the fastest one though. If you want, you can get to the monument in less than five minutes by Anvers metro station (Line 2) and by using the stairs. But you will miss all the fun. That is the reason why you should go through the Rue Lepic and climb by the sidewalk. You will meet up with History, passing by the “Café des 2 Moulins”, where the Amélie Poulain movie was shot, in front of the “Bateau-Lavoir” artist studio, where Picasso used to live and next to the Moulin de la Galette, where Renoir painted one of his masterpieces.

Visit the famous Montmartre Cemetery

Much more original than movie stars’ estates tour in Beverly Hills, the Montmartre cemetery is usually considered as a second Père Lachaise graveyard. Its atmosphere is so peculiar that you will enjoy going away from regular touristic sightseeing. In this place, where time seems to have stopped, you will get all the atmosphere of Montmartre, between joy and despair, between light and shadow. Do not miss gravestones of singers Dalida and Michel Berger, or writer Emile Zola.

Get your portrait done at the Place du Tertre

The Place du Tertre must be the most iconic of Montmartre. This is what you think of when you try to picture the artistic atmosphere of Montmartre. Portraitists everywhere, asking you if you want a drawing of yourself. But my personal advice would be not to get one from portraitists who ask you, because usually they are illegal and expensive. So try to spot those who have a stand, because they pay a rent to be here, and their prices are more honest. What do you like to do around Moulin Rouge?