Just outside of Paris city limits, the steep Montmartre hill rises out of the northern part of the Right Bank, drawing artists and visitors since the end of the 19th Century. Still an active epicenter for artists, artistic culture and a bohemian life-style, the area has retained its deliciously sordid atmosphere and revelry. Many of the great artists of our past, including Dalí, Monet and Picasso, used Montmartre at one point or another for a working and living retreat from the confines of other more rigid societies of the time.

In the late 1800’s, Montmartre became a popular drinking area, thanks in part to the local nuns who made wine and in part a lack of Paris city taxes in the Montmartre. The neighborhood never shook this attitude and feel, confirmed over the years by the steady presence of artists in both studios and on the streets. Exhibitions at the Musee de Montmartre usually feature works of artists associated with the area and the Espace Montmartre Salvador Dalí displays over 300 works by the surrealist painter and sculptor. Montmartre is also associated with the grandiose Sacre-Coeur, a Romano-Byzantine Catholic basilica dedicated to the sacred heart of Jesus.

If you are feeling more boisterous than studious, the area still has good excuses for fun. Former literary haunt Au Lapin Agile, or “The Agile Rabbit,” is now one of numerous Montmartre clubs and the famous Moulin Rouge nightclub is also in the vicinity. The Moulin Rouge  (French for Red Mill or windmill) was built in 1889 and retains the splendor of turn-of-the-century France in its décor and atmosphere. This traditional cabaret still provides musical dance entertainment for adult visitors looking to have fun and let their hair down.