The 18th arrondissement [1] of Paris is probably best known for the hill of Montmartre which was the center of the Communard uprising of the late nineteenth century, but is also perhaps better known as the center of the flourishing artist community of the period from around 1907 to 1914. Picasso, Dali, Duchamp, Toulouse-Latrec, and others from the vibrant early modern period lived and worked here until driven out either by political considerations during the First World War or rising property values thereafter. The 18th is also the home of a thriving ethnic community in the east and a sort of a red-light district along Boulevard de Clichy near Place Pigalle.

Sacre Coeur

Get in

Many of the hotels of the 18th are within walking distance of Gare du Nord, so if you are arriving from Britain, Belgium, or the Netherlands consider walking or taking a cab should you arrive at night or with baggage.

By Métro

From other parts of Paris your best bet is to arrive by Métro. The 18th is primarily served by the Métro 4 and 12 lines from the center of town, or the 2 from the east and west.

Stations of note

• Abesses The station is fairly high up the slope of the hill, and the line is fairly deep underground, so getting up and down is part of the fun either in a seven-story spiral staircase decorated from top to bottom with murals by local amateur painters, or in one of two high-capacity modern elevator. If you have time and good knees the choice is clear.

Lines

• Line 2: Stations from west to east: Place de Clichy, Pigalle, Blanche, Barbès-Rochechouart
• Line 4: Stations from south to north: Barbès-Rochechouart, Chateau Rouge
• Line 12: Stations from south to north: Pigalle, Abbesses

See

Landmarks

• Sacré Coeur (La Basilique du Sacré Coeur de Montmartre) [2], place de Parvis du Sacré Coeur / rue du Chevalier-de-la-Barrre, Métro: Abbesses / Anvers, open daily 6 am - 11 pm, admission charge - located at the summit of the hill of Montmartre, this wedding cake-white church rises visibly above the northern parts of Paris. The striking building with its towers and white onion dome (83 m high) were built in the years between 1875 and 1914 on the birthplace of La Commune, officially as an act of penitence for the sins committed during the civil war in which thousands of Communards were executed, as well as for the bloodshed of the 1870-1871 Franco-Prussian war which followed. A number of prominent businessmen put up the money and a dizzying combination of architects worked to put together the mock Romano-Byzantine extravaganza. Consecration followed in 1919. The view over Paris from the dome and from the square before it (200 m above sea level) is unsurpassed apart from that enjoyed at the Eiffel Tower (50 km on a clear day). For the athletic traveller there are stairs from several directions to the top of the hill, otherwise there is also a funiculare which runs every few minutes during the daytime from place St-Pierre. Beware that the guards don't like it if they catch you taking pictures inside and will even yell "No photo!" and chase you down if they see you with a camera.
• Montmartre Cemetery, rue de la Barrière Blanch, Métro: Place de Clichy. There are a number of famous occupants, but the real reason to visit this cemetery is to see the ornate tombstones, sculptures, and other sometimes macabre, sometimes touching memorials Parisians have left here for their dead.
• the Moulin Rouge, Pl. Blanch, Métro: Blanch. With two shows a night this turn-of-the-20th century burlesque palace offers a big production choreographed dance show interspersed with comedians, jugglers, and magicians. The show is more than bilingual, actually playing up the U.S. 4th infantry's involvement in the libération for the sake of the large number of Americans in the audience. It's not cheap: the 9pm show costs 95 Euro and the 11pm show costs 85. If you want to spend more you can have dinner there. http://www.moulinrouge.fr
• Place Pigalle, on the border with the 9th, The sleaze of Blvd. de Clichy between Pl. Pigalle and Pl. Blanch can provide a moment of distraction. Be warned if you are male it is better to do this in the company of a female fellow traveller, as the clubs often send the girls outside to attempt to physically drag passing men off of the street.

Artists and tourists at place du Tertre

• Artists’ Square – formally known as place du Tertre - numerous artists paint portraits of tourists and also sell their paintings.

Museums and Galleries

• Espace Dali [3], 11 rue Poulbot (place du Tertre), Métro: Anvers, Abbesses, Bus 54, 80, Montmartrobus, Funiculaire - depart from métro Anvers, tel +33 1 42 64 40 10, fax +33 1 42 64 93 17 open daily 10am - 6:00pm (July and August 10am 9.30pm), admission €8, concessions available, guided tours 3pm We - a fantastic and undeservedly little-known collection of the great Surrealist artist's often overlooked sculptural works

Do

Be ready for some climbing in the 18th

Buy

• Marché aux Puces de St-Ouen (Porte de Clignancourt) (Clignancourt Flea Market) [4], Métro: Porte de Clignancourt, open 7am - 7pm, Sa, Su, Mo - widely-acclaimed as the largest flea market in all of Europe, in existence since 1885, this sprawling bazaar is made up of both permanent stalls and temporary stands (over 2,000 of them!), arranged in winding, sometimes chaotic arcades, over 10 miles of walkways, and over 10 differently-themed sub-markets. Everything from fine antiques through to collectable kitsch and bric-a-brac. Big on retro fashion also. Very popular with tourists, making it more difficult here to find a real bargain - but it's always worth looking! Convenient, competitive shipping is available at the market to send your precious finds back home all over the world. Be prepared to bargain!

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Budget

• Bonséjour, 11, rue Burq, Metro: Blanche. +33 1 42 54 22 53. The hands-down winner in value for price at the low end, the Beauséjour offers 34 spartan but immaculately cleaned rooms on 5 floors. Singles with no shower start at 22 Euro, or 38 Euro with a shower. The shower downstairs cost 2 Euro, with no breakfast.
• Hotel Sofia, 21 rue de Sofia, Metro: Anvers. + 33 1 42 64 55 37. The rooms are simple, but look comfortable enough, and the street seems to be a quite one for Montmartre. As a little bonus all of the rooms have a shower. Singles start at 36 Euro, plus 3 Euro if you want to watch TV, but you're in Paris, so why would you do that? Breakfast is 3.50 Euro.

Mid-Range

• Ibis Montmartre, 1 rue Caulaincourt. Métro: Clichy +33 1 55 30 18 18. [5] The rooms are a little small, but this offering of the Ibis chain is up to the usual high standard of cleanliness and service. Of course if you need a tooth brush you can find it in the vending machine downstairs. Reception is staffed around the clock for late arrivals. Ibis always prices their offering a few Euro cheaper than the cheapest independent two-star in the area, in this case 72 Euro for a single.
• Hotel des Arts, 5, rue Tholozé, Métro: Blanche. +33 1 46 06 30 52. Consistently getting the highest possible reviews in it's price-range, this well-located hotel was entirely renovated since 2000. The rooms upstairs are said to have fantastic views, but at least one reviewer online warns of being bumped because of over-booking. Singles start at 75 Euro.
• Hotel Eden Montmartre, 90, rue Ordener, Métro: Jules Jeffrin. +33 1 42 64 61 63. A basic, but nice two-star, the Eden is on the far side of the hill of Montmartre from the city, and that can be a good thing if you are looking for a more authentic view of Parisiene life. Singles start at 85 Euro.
• Timhotel Montmartre, 11, rue Ravignan, (Pl. Émile Goudeau) Metro: Pigalle. +33 1 42 55 74 79. [6] This cute, very well kept two-star is closer to a three-star in quality and price, it's just that the rooms are on the small side. Some of the rooms in the upper floors have fantastic views of the city. Singles start at 130 Euro.
• Paris Hotel, 23, Rue Henri Monnier Metro: Pigalle or Saint Georges (both 400m away) +33 1 42 85 43 43. This is a nice 3 star, situated near Pigalle. The rooms are of decent quality and the views of the street are charming and typically Parisien (lots of Balcony's and Shutters at the front, and a pleasant garden view at the back.) There's free WiFi in the rooms and a nice breakfast room (I didn't make it to breakfast myself.) The street can get a little noisy at night, but that's typical of the area, not enough to keep me awake, but I mention it incase you happen to be a light sleeper. My double room (with en'suite) was €85 per night. There is a Renault parking garage round the corner which charged €52 for 72 hours. I'd definitely consider staying there again and I'd recommend it if you're after a reasonably quiet clean hotel at a modest rate.

Splurge

• Terrass Hotel, 12, rue Joseph-de-Maistre, Metro: La Fourche. An expertly decorated boutique hotel with magnificent views of Paris from the upper floors, The Terrass is a fantastic four-star splurge if you are looking for one. Rooms start at 225 Euro, but there are sometimes specials. http://www.ila-chateau.com/terrass/

Contact