Montmartre, the last village to amalgamate with Paris, is a must for visitors young or old. According to legend, its name comes from Mont des Martyrs, site of the martyrdom of St-Denis who picked up his severed head, washed it off and carried it all the way to the present site of the Cathedral of St-Denis, to the north of the city. From the 1880s, when the newly modernized central Paris became an expensive place to live, and up to the end of World War I, it was the chosen place of residence for writers like Heine, Baudelaire and Apollinaire, musicians such as Offenbach, Berlioz and Satie, and for many of the great artists of the time, including Toulouse-Lautrec, van Gogh, Cézanne, Renoir, Degas, Utrillo and Picasso. Here they could lead the bohemian life in Montmartre's quaint little streets surrounded by fields, vineyards and windmills. They also enjoyed the many cafés, dance halls and cabarets that attracted people from far and near.
Our walk will begin with the site of St-Denis' death at the hands of the Romans. We will then continue by funicular to the beautiful basilica of the Sacré-Coeur for a spectacular view of the city. We will admire the artists of the Place du Tertre, then explore the narrow streets and their landmarks including the cabaret Le Lapin Agile once frequented by Toulouse-Lautrec, and see the only remaining vineyard and one of the remaining windmills. Walking down the hill, we will pass the birthplace of cubism: the Bateau Lavoir where Picasso had his studio, and we'll end at the Moulin Rouge, the great cabaret renowned for its cancan. The walk will be annotated with stories and anecdotes about the places and people that made Montmartre famous. To bring history alive for the kids, there is a booklet of specially designed activities for completion as we walk and an introduction to the work of some of the best known of Montmartre's artists. We are sure that this will be a most enjoyable visit for all the family.