Montmartre, the way it looks today…
What is so special about the way Montmartre looks today?
Yesterday I strolled around one of my favorite areas in the north of Paris, - the charming Montmartre.
That place had never stopped surprising me. It was no exception this time. Surprisingly, I was captivated by its quiet, peaceful and so charmingly beautiful atmosphere. I caught myself on a thought that I never have known Montmartre from this side. As a tour guide, I bring my guests often here. With great pleasure share with them a life story, anecdotes, and secrets of the area. We enjoy walking in the footsteps of Amelie Poulain and George Sand, strolling through the streets, cafes, studios where Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh, Degas, Renoir, Cezanne used to walked and met up. Together we admire its smoothie village atmosphere, so rare in one of the most visited cities in the world.
But to be honest, during the last years it was quite hard to capture this countryside charm and atmosphere here, making with some effort our way through local noises and crowds.
No secret that Montmartre is the second most visited district in Paris. It has joined Paris only in January 1860. Today it makes part of the 18th arrondissement.
In the year 2018 more than 10 million visitors came to see the area from all over the world. And no wonder. Who would refuse walking through those charming cobbled streets, trying one of those typical local bistros, admiring vineyards and mills (only two left today by the way) The cherry on the cake could be the breathtaking view from the Sacre Coeur Basilica roof.
However I have nothing against the crowds, tourism is the domain I work in, it is just that it does good sometimes to every busy, overcharged city to have some rest, to get a pause. To breathe in and out, to hear the birds singing just before the new stream of curious guests and explorers would appear on the horizon. And to meet them with the arms wide open afterall.
Me personally, I'm waiting for them with impatience)
See you soon in Paris !
