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Paris’s 18th arrondissement is all effortless elegance and Belle Époque charm
In 2001, Amélie Poulain, title character of French hit film Amélie, took cinema screens and the world by storm with her quirky life in the Parisian district of Montmartre.
The film painted Montmartre, and the whole city, as a classic picture of the French capital: stunningly beautiful, yet charming and quirky at the same time.
Part of the 18th arrondissement, on the northern border of central Paris, the area didn’t become popular through the film – it only helped disperse tourists to more destinations.
Sitting on the highest point of the city, Sacré-Cœur Basilica can be widely seen; in summer, despite a growing number of pickpockets, tourists and locals alike flock up the stairs – some to bask in the sun while enjoying the view over the sprawling metropolis, others to satisfy their curiosity for the city’s history.
The view from Sacré-Cœur is more than worth the long climb up the stairs.
The Belle Époque has left its mark on the area, not just in the form of cabaret and other entertainment: Haussmann’s restoration of Paris, changing the city as a whole and giving it its distinct look, was still ongoing, and artists and intellectuals moved their lives to Montmartre.
Probably the world’s most famous cabaret: Moulin Rouge, at the heart of the Pigalle quarter.
With its number of tourist attractions, including the red-light district of Pigalle – home to the popular Moulin Rouge and the Place Pigalle, known for its adult shows – the area is always bustling with life.
But stray off the beaten track and discover an arrondissement full of hidden gems – like Clos Montmartre, the small vineyard on Rue Saint-Vincent yielding about 500 liters a year – and Parisian elegance.
An unexpected sight: at the heart of Montmartre rises a small vineyard.
Follow the winding roads further to the east and you’ll encounter the Goutte d’Or and its large North African community; with its name translating as drop of gold, the district’s gem is the popular, and mostly tourist-free, open-air marché Dejean.
Throughout the arrondissement, cozy cafés and boutiques line the street, the multicultural influence always obvious; surprisingly, only a few of them are heavily frquented by tourists.
Living in the 18th arrondissement doesn’t come cheap – a studio flat clocks in at a minimum of €215,000 (£150,247, $233,799), with three bedroom apartments easily breaking the €455,000 (£317,964, $ 494,785) mark; building and development are also heavily restricted.
No matter where you are, the Metro station is never more than 500 meters away.
Transport links are, as per usual in Paris, more than just good: true to the thought behind it, no point is further than 500 meters away from a metro station, with Anvers, Pigalle, Blanche, Abbesses, Lamarck-Caulaincourt and Jules Joffrin offering links to the whole of Paris.
An electric bus, the Montmatrobus, runs every 10 – 12 minutes from Place Pigalle to the Place Jules Jofferin and the arrondissement’s City Hall, via Place du Tertre and even going up to Sacré-Cœur.
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Stefanie Gerdes
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