The '''18th arrondissement''' [http://www.mairie18.paris.fr/] 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-Lautrec, 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''.

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 Metro''

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

Stations of note

  • '''Abbesses''' 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 stops at stations from west to east: '''Place de Clichy''', '''Blanche''', '''Pigalle''', '''Anvers''', and '''Barbes-Rochechouart'''.

    Line 4 has stops at stations from south to north: '''Barbes-Rochechouart''' and '''Chateau Rouge'''.

    Line 12 has stop at stations from south to north: '''Pigalle''', '''Abbesses'''

    See

    Landmarks

  • Sacre-C?ur. a Basilique du Sacre Coeur de Montmartre. lace de Parvis du Sacre Coeur / rue du Chevalier-de-la-Barrre, ''Metro: Abbesses / Anvers'',. ttp://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com/. pen daily 6AM - 11PM. dmission 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 ''funicular'' which runs every few minutes during the daytime from ''place St-Pierre''. Follow the signs that say "Funiculaire De Montmartre" (more info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montmartre_funicular). 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. Also, on the stairs, watch out for men who offer to tie a "friendship" bracelet on your hand or finger--they will demand money afterwards. A firm "No, thank you" should suffice to keep them away.

  • Cimetiere de Montmartre. ontmartre Cemetery. ue de la Barriere Blanch. etro: 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.

  • Le Moulin Rouge. l. Blanche. etro: Blanche. ttp://www.moulinrouge.fr. t's not cheap: the 9PM show costs 95 Euro and the 11PM show costs 89.. 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 ''liberation'' for the sake of the large number of Americans in the audience. If you want to spend more you can have dinner there.

  • Place Pigalle. On the border with the 9th, The sleaze of Blvd. de Clichy between ''Pl. Pigalle'' and ''Pl. Blanche'' 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' Square. lace du Tertre. Numerous artists paint portraits of tourists and also sell their paintings.

    Museums and Galleries

  • Espace Dali. 1 rue Poulbot (place du Tertre). etro: Anvers, Abbesses, Bus 54, 80, Montmartrobus, Funiculaire - depart from metro Anvers. 33 1 42 64 40 10. ttp://www.daliparis.com/. pen daily 10AM - 6:00PM (July and August 10AM 9.30PM). Guided tours 3PM. dmission ?8, discounts available. 33 1 42 64 93 17. A fantastic and undeservedly little-known collection of the great Surrealist artist's often overlooked sculptural works. To find it, head up to Sacre-C?ur and stand facing it and take a left. Keep your eye out for small Dali signs. Open on Sundays.

    Do

  • Cooking with Class. 3. 1 rue custine. ww.cooknwithclass.com. Cooking Class. Hands on French Cooking Classes in a relaxed atmosphere with an experienced French chef. 4 hours of fun, including; Market visit, cheese and wine tasting, 5 minutes from the sacre-coeur in the heart of Montmartre. www.cooknwithclass.com

  • Mom'artre. 4 rue Joseph de Maistre. +33 1 42 28 82 27. ttp://www.momartre.com/. An arts center intended primarily for kids (''Mome'' means kid) the Mom'artre features workshops for kids and adults, hosted by neighborhood artists.

    Buy

  • Marche aux Puces de St-Ouen" alt="Clignancourt Flea Market. orte de Clignancourt. etro: Porte de Clignancourt. ttp://www.les-puces.com/. pen 7AM - 7PM, Sa, Su, Mo. Widely-acclaimed as the largest flea market in all of

    Mid-Range

  • La Petaudiere" alt=". ue Poulbot. Piano bar on ''rue Poulbot'' - tasty food, nice ambience and excellent good piano music (prepare some coins for the pianist).

  • Au Grain de Folie. 4 Rue de la Vieuville. 33 1 42 58 15 57. npredictable. A one-woman operation with some mixed reviews, but apparently when she gets it right it's just about the best dining experience you'll ever have. Booking ahead by 24 hours is suggested.

  • La Taverne de Montmartre. 5 rue Gabrielle, 75018. 33 1 46 06 88 48. Small restaurant with a nice rustic decoration, just bellow the artist's square, place du Tertre. Relaxing place, not overloaded with tourists. Excellent foundue offered by 17 euro per person (as of October '08), including a salami salad for starters.

  • Le Refuge des Fondues. 7 rue des Trois Freres, 75018. 33 1 42 55 22 65. Fondue restaurant for the young people: menu for 17 euro, including wine served in a baby bottle, appetizers, the foundue itself (cheese or meat), and dessert.

  • Cafe des Deux Moulins. 5 rue Lepic, 75018. A popular destination for those who love the film ''Le fabuleaux destin d'Amelie Poulain'', yet some locals still come here. Interior preserves the movie set. Great for lunch.

    Splurge

  • Le Basilic. 3 Rue Lepic, 75018 Paris. 33 01 46 06 78 43. 33 01 46 06 39 26. ttp:www.lebasilic.fr. Very nice atmosphere and service. Great food, and good selection of wines. Starters 7?-11?, main courses 15?-26?.

    Drink

  • Truc Cafe. 8, rue de Poteau. 01 42 52 64 09. A classic French wine bistro filled with young trendy singles.

  • Just BE. 6 rue Caulaincourt. etro: Abesses. 33 1 42 55 92 42. ttp://www.justbe-paris.com/. A trendy little bistro with a nice enclosed terrace, the Just BE (named for owners Brigette and Elsa) is a nice place to settle in for a couple of hours to watch people pass by on the lovely tree-lined rue Caulaincourt.

  • Olympic Cafe. 0 rue Leon. etro: Chateau Rouge. 33 1 42 52 42 63. ttp://www.rueleon.net/. Run as part of the ''Laboratoire Multi-culturel populaire'' the Olympic Cafe is one of the few places in Paris where you can reliably find avant-guard jazz, making it at least spiritually a descendant of the club where the Art Ensemble of Chicago were resident for 5 years or so in the early '70s. In addition to jazz they book music from around the world especially Africa and the Caribbean.

  • Le Divan du Monde. 5 rue des Martyrs. etro: Pigalle. 33 1 42 52 02 46. ttp://www.divandumonde.com. A fairly major venue for indi-rock, hip-hop, and other concerts. The prices are usually pretty good and the size of the venue and decor are great.
  • La Boule Noire. 20 Boulevard Rochechouart. etro: Pigaille. 33 1 49 25 81 75?. ttp://www.laboule-noire.fr/en/. A small venue which is decorated to resemble a 20s speakeasy but which none-the-less has hosted a range of musicians from local singers to major arena acts.

    Sleep

    Budget

  • Hotel Bonsejour. 1, rue Burq. etro: Blanche. 33 1 42 54 22 53. ingles with no shower start at 22 Euro, or 38 Euro with a shower. The shower downstairs cost 2 Euro, with no breakfast.. The hands-down winner in value for price at the low end, the Bonsejour offers 34 spartan but immaculately cleaned rooms on 5 floors.

  • Hotel Sofia. 1 rue de Sofia. etro: Anvers. 33 1 42 64 55 37. ingles 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.. 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.

    Mid-Range

  • Ibis Montmartre. rue Caulaincourt. etro: Place de Clichy. 33 1 55 30 18 18. ttp://hotel-ibis-paris-montmartre-st-lazare.accorhotels.net. bis 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.. 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.

  • Adagio Paris Montmartre. lace du Theatre de l_fAtelier. 33 1 58 21 55 84. ttp://www.adagio-city.com/. This "Aparthotel" opens out onto a peaceful interior garden.

  • Hotel des Arts. , rue Tholoze. etro: Blanche. 33 1 46 06 30 52. ingles start at 75 Euro.. 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.

  • Hotel Eden Montmartre. 0, rue Ordener. etro: Jules Joffrin. 33 1 42 64 61 63. ingles start at 85 Euro.. 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.

  • Timhotel Montmartre. 1, rue Ravignan. etro: Abesses. 33 1 42 55 74 79. ttp://www.timhotel.com/hotels/us/montmartre.html. ingles start at 130 Euro.. 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.

    Splurge

  • Terrass'hotel. 2 rue Joseph-de-Maistre. etro: Place de Clichy. ttp://www.ila-chateau.com/terrass/. ooms start at 225 Euro, but there are sometimes specials.. 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. Very good service, but the food is just OK.

  • Kube Hotel. -5 Passage Ruelle Paris. One of the most stylish and atmospheric hotels in all of hotels, the Kube hotel exudes a high tech and luxurious decor. All the rooms come equipped with individual air-conditioning, digital door opening, multifunction computer (DVD, CD, TV screen), cable TV, ADSL Internet connection, deposit box, mini bar, and fully equipped bathroom. As its name might suggest, the rooms feature some sort of cubism design and even the bedside tables look like ice cubes. Go out at night in your very own hotel, with a DJ spinning in the bar nightly, as well as being Paris's first ever ice bar.

    Contact