Montmartre walking tour

This scavenger hunt has a difficulty level of HARD.

Buy either an individual or a group ticket. Montmartre is hilly, so most streets slope uphill. The ideal group size is 3 to 6 people, but it isn’t limited to that. Children are welcome and will enjoy most of the challenges.

After purchase, to begin your Montmartre walking tour, you will need to head to Place d’Anvers. This is the start location.

Once there, log in to this website and begin your hunt, or go to My Account for full instructions.

Ancient History

Montmartre means Mount of Mars in Latin. The name dates to Merovingian times. People have settled here since Gallo-Roman times. Excavations at the Church of Saint-Pierre uncovered 3rd-century coins. Another excavation at the Fontaine-du-But found the remains of a 2nd-century Roman bath.

The Butte owes its religious importance to Saint-Denis, a legendary 3^rd-century Christian martyr who was bishop of Paris. You will learn more about him on the Scavenger Hunt.

In 1134, King Louis VI bought a chapel here and built the Church of Saint-Pierre de Montmartre, which still stands next to the Sacré-Coeur. The French Revolution of 1790 saw the destruction of many historic abbeys and convents built around this time.

By the 15^th century, there were many vineyards on the slopes of Montmartre. In the 16^th century, windmills arose here to grind wheat, barley, and rye. Up to 13 mills stood, but by the late 1800s only two remained, one of which is the Moulin Rouge.

Recent History

During the French Revolution, Montmartre lay just outside Paris city limits. People mined gypsum on Montmartre from the Gallo-Roman period until 1860.

In 1814, Russian soldiers occupied Montmartre and used the hill for artillery. In 1870, under the Third Republic, Montmartre merged with Paris’ 18^th arrondissement (neighbourhood).

The construction of the Basilica du Sacré-Coeur (1876-1919) required special foundations that went 40 meters down, which forced the end of mining. Around this time, Montmartre took on its more artistic and bohemian flavour (la Belle Époque 1872-1914). The Butte was now covered with cafés, bistros, cabarets, and guinguettes (a cross between a beer garden, but for wine, a restaurant, and a dance venue).

This Montmartre tourist scavenger hunt will point out many places where well-known artists have lived and worked.