Top 3 Metro Stations to Visit Montmartre

Top 3 Metro Stations to Visit Montmartre

Set high on a hillside in the North of Paris, Montmartre offers stunning vistas of the city and a taste of Bohemian charm in the city.  Montmartre was once an artist’s village on the outskirts of Paris. But since being integrated into Paris proper in 1860, Montmartre has always been one of the city’s most charming neighborhoods. And not to mention home to an important part of the Parisian art scene.

In this article, I’ve outlined the top 3 metro stations for visiting Montmartre. These stations are the most central, and close to the area’s many attractions. So grab your metro pass and let’s start exploring Montmartre!

1. Abbesses: Metro Line 12

By Tom King on Unsplash

First up on my list of the top 3 metro stations to visit Montmartre is Abbesses. Maybe you recognize this classic glass-covered metro entrance from the film Amelie, it’s one of the most famous stations in all of Paris. And I think you’ll agree that the location is perfect for visiting Montmartre.

Part of metro line 12, Abbesses is located on the Western side of the Butte Montmartre, or the Montmartre hill. And at 36 meters below ground, this is actually the deepest metro station in Paris! You can climb up the decorated staircase, or take an elevator up all 15 flights.

Le Mur des “Je t’aime”  / The Wall of Love

By Montmartreguide.com

Abbesses is surrounded by Montmartre’s many highlights. And one of the first places you can visit in Montmartre is the famed wall of love. Located in a calm, charming garden just steps from Abbesses station, this 40 square meter tiled mural has “I love you” written in every language in the world!

How long did it take you to find your language?

the wall of love – Square Jehan Rictus, Place des Abbesses, 75018 Paris

Place du Tertre

Sourced from Wikimedia Commons

Abbesses is one of the top metro stations for visiting Montmartre, and certainly the best for visiting the Place du Tertre. Make your way up the hill from Abbesses, towards the Sacré-Coeur. If you’re not into climbing all those stairs, you can take the funiculaire to the top of the hill. This will land you just a quick hop to Place du Tertre.

Though it can be pretty touristy, this bustling square is quintessential Montmartre. Wander in at any hour and the café-lined square will be teeming with beret-clad portrait artists and eager muses.

Dalí Museum

By the Dali Museum – Sourced from their website

The Dalí museum is located just behind the Place du Tertre, on one of the most unusual streets in Montmartre. Perhaps most famous for his surrealist paintings and statues like Persistence of Memory, which features the well-known melting clocks, Dalí was regarded as cutting-edge across artistic mediums.

The film A Clockwork Orange drew inspiration from his work, notably the melting clocks. Paying homage to Spanish artist Salvador Dalí, the museum showcases over 300 of his eccentric works.

Espace dali – 11 Rue Poulbot, 75018 Paris

2. Lamarck-Caulaincourt: Metro Line 12

By John Towner on Unsplash

Clear across the butte Montmartre from Abbesses, lies Lamarck-Caulaincourt, which creates the neighborhood’s Northern border. In my opinion, Lamarck-Caulaincourt is definitely one of the top 3 metro stations to visit Montmartre. Another iconic and pretty famous station, the typical Montmartrois double staircase above this metro station was featured in Amelie as well!

Since the film was such a hit, the Lamarck-Caulaincourt staircase has become a popular photo spot, as has the café just across the street. While the area directly surrounding this station is mostly residential, it’s still just a few blocks from the center of Montmartre, and monuments like the Sacré-Coeur.

Sacre-Coeur

By David Tapia San Martin on Unsplash

From Lamarck-Caulaincourt, you can head up the winding Rue Lamarck, and you’ll arrive right behind the impressive Sacré-Coeur cathedral. This walk is a little bit of a workout, and there are some steep hills involved, but the view from the top is worth it. Marvel at Paris’ most modern cathedral, and catch unbeatable city vistas from the towers.

(Check out the best times to climb to the top of Montmartre here)

35 Rue du Chevalier de la Barre, 75018 Paris

Montmartre Museum

Sourced from the Montmartre Museum website

The Montmartre Museum is set atop the butte Montmartre overlooking an ancient vineyard. Part museum and part garden, it’s a very peaceful hideout within one of the busiest areas of Paris.

This was also the former home and studio of several famous artists including Renoir and Maurice Utrillo. And you can see that the neighborhood surroundings inspired many of their works. In addition to the garden area, you can visit Renoir’s former atelier . And the museum portion showcases the history of Montmartre with local artwork, scale models of the neighborhood and other memorabilia.

12 rue cortot, 75018

Dalida Statue

The French singer Dalida was one of the most well-known Montmartre icons of her era. Famous for hits like Parole Parole and Laissez Moi Danser Dalida was quite the celebrity. During her golden years, she called Montmartre home. She was a regular at the local cafés, and some restaurants still remember her table to this day.Today, there’s a statue of Dalida just a few minute’s walk from metro Lamarck Caualaincourt. The statue was erected in 1997 to pay homage to Dalida’s career, and is still visited today as she left quite an impact on the French arts scene.

place dalida, 75018

3. Blanche: Metro Line 2

By David Sebastien on Unsplash

Blanche is easily one of the top 3 metro stations to visit Montmartre. The station is located on  the southwestern side of Montmartre right where the butte Montmartre meets the lively Pigalle neighborhood.

Famous cabarets like the Moulin Rouge are just steps away from the metro exit. Plus, some of the city’s hottest nightclubs and trendy bars can be found to the South, and the charms of Montmartre just minutes away on foot. You’ll have to climb some hills (or some stairs!) to reach the Sacré-Coeur but the route is a scenic one!

If you don’t feel like walking, you can also catch the Montmartrobus from just in front of Blanche station. This electric bus takes you on a scenic route of Montmartre and stops in front of all the major monuments. A regular bus or metro ticket works for the Montmartrobus.

Moulin Rouge

By Lola Delabays on Unsplash

Of course, no visit to Montmartre is complete without catching a glimpse (or even a show) of the Moulin Rouge. A classic emblem of Paris’ former Red Light District, this cabaret is without a doubt the city’s most famous.

Renowned worldwide for incredible dancing, magic shows, and acrobatic performances, the Moulin Rouge continues to draw crowds by the thousands. Each show required 80 full-time performers, and the Moulin Rouge is actually the world’s largest consumer of Champagne! Even taking all that bubbly into consideration, a night at the Moulin Rouge is hard to forget.

It’s nearly always full, so if you want to catch one of their unforgettable performances, I recommend booking in advance.

82 boulevard de clichy, 75018

Van Gogh’s Apartment

By Руслан Гамзалиев on Unsplash

Everyone has heard of Van Gogh, but very few know that he was actually a Montmartre local! And his former apartment is located just a couple minutes from Blanche metro station. You can still see the apartment where he lived and worked from the outside, though it’s not possible to enter.

To reach Van Gogh’s former flat, head up the Rue Lepic until you reach number 54. Once outside, you can read about Van Gogh’s life, as well as marvel at the building’s beautiful architecture. On the way to the apartment, you’ll pass by the Café des Deux Moulins, which you probably recognize from the movie Amelie (this is the café where Amelie worked in the film).

54 rue lepic 75018

Au Lapin Agile

Now that you’ve seen where Van Gogh lived and worked, how about seeing where he (and many other local artists) spent his free time? Continue uphill past Van Gogh’s apartment, and wind your way through Montmartre on Rue Lepic. Then finally,  turn onto the Rue des Saules. Number 24 is where you’ll find one of Paris’ most legendary cabarets.

Au Lapin Agile is one of the oldest artistic cabarets in Paris. It’s glory days included poetry readings, concerts, dancing and a very artistic audience. Besides Van Gogh, artists like Picasso and international celebrities like Charlie Chaplin could be often found in the crowd. Perhaps most surprisingly, Au Lapin Agile is still open to this day, and puts on a variety of concerts and performances.

Note: this can also be reached more directly from Lamarck-Caulaincourt metro. It was placed in this section for relevance.

22 rue des saules, 75018

So, now you know all about the top 3 metro stations to visit Montmartre. Once you’re there, why not join one of our free guided tours of Montmartre? You’ll get to learn all about the area’s history with a local guide.

See you soon in Paris!