Montmartre & Place du Tertre

Montmartre kept a genuinely rural, village-like character well into the 19th century — its name likely derives from 'Mons Martyrum' or 'Mons Mercurii,' and windmills once dotted the hill, of which two survive, including the Moulin de la Galette that gave Renoir's famous painting its name. Its steep streets, cheap rents and hilltop light drew a concentration of artists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries almost unmatched anywhere: Picasso, Modigliani, Utrillo, Toulouse-Lautrec and Van Gogh all lived or worked in the neighbourhood at various points, cementing its reputation as the birthplace of much of modern art.

Place du Tertre, a small square just steps from Sacré-Cœur, has served as a gathering point for artists since the 19th century and today functions as an open-air portrait studio, with dozens of artists offering caricatures and portraits — a genuinely touristy but still atmospheric holdover of the neighbourhood's original character, best enjoyed with modest expectations about pricing and quality variance among the artists.