Montmarte

We walk from our hotel on Avenue des Champs Élysées to Sacré-Coeur Basilica in Montmartre, the historic hilltop village in Paris famous for its artistic heritage, winding cobblestone streets, and large collection of tourists, passing a few classic Paris sights on the way.  Sacré-Coeur is the highest point in Paris after the Eiffel Tower and offers incredible panoramic views of the city.

La Madeleine (church)

Gare Saint-Lazare (first railway station in Paris)

 Église de la Sainte-Trinité de Paris

Moulin Rouge

On the way up the hill to Montmartre

Montmartre was originally a Roman settlement and evolved into an independent rural community that was annexed into Paris in 1860.  During the Belle Époque period at the turn of the 20th century, Montmartre attracted struggling artists and writers such as Picasso, van Gogh, Matisse, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Dali, Modigliani, Renoir, Hemingway, and Sartre, who lived and worked here.  Sacré-Coeur Basilica, dedicated to the sacred heart of Jesus, was constructed between 1876 and 1919 and  is located at the highest point of the hill.

Sacré-Coeur 

Views from Sacré-Coeur 

After admiring the views, we wander a few blocks into Place du Tertre, packed with restaurants and artists selling their works and painting portraits on demand.

Heading around the corner

Artists in Place du Tertre

We pick a spot for lunch in the square and watch the artists and tourists in the streets.

View from lunch

Walking back down the hill from Montmartre, we pass more great sights and pop into a few shops to view art, pottery, and food.

Heading back into the city

We return to to Avenue de Champs Élysées to plan our next wander in the city.

Notre-Dame de Paris

We visit Notre-Dame Cathedral to view the 850-million euro reconstruction after the fire on April 15, 2019 destroyed much of the building.  The cathedral officially reopened on December 7, 2024 and we book an entry time online to visit.

Notre-Dame is located at the eastern end of the Île de la Cité island and was started around 1160 when Maurice de Sully, bishop of Paris, conceived the ideal of converting the ruins of two earlier churches into a single building.  The foundation stone was laid in 1163 and the high alter consecrated in 1189.  The choir, western facade, and the nave were completed by 1250 and the porches, chapels, and other embellishments were added over the next 100 years.

The 2019 fire completely destroyed the cathedral and a collaboration of historians, architects, and master craftspeople from around the world used traditional techniques and materials to rebuild it.  The finishing work continues across the structure through 2026 (with a  crane still erected behind the cathedral).

Reopening

Outside

We enter and explore the interior of the cathedral.

Entrance (with timed entry pass)

First view on entry

We walk counter-clockwise around the cathedral, passing behind the alter and returning to the front of the building.

Walking to the rear of the cathedral

Returning to the entrance

The restoration work is incredible and the cathedral is restored to its former incredible glory!

Renoir Exhibition at Musée D'Orsay

It's been a while since we visited Musée d'Orsay, one of the largest art museums in Europe, built in the former Gare d'Orsay railway station in Paris.  The museum holds mainly French artwork and we are excited that it is currently hosting an exhibition of works by Renoir, one featuring paintings and another, drawings.

Featuring Renoir

We enter and start with the paintings, titled Renoir and Love (Renoir et l'Amour) using the subject matter of couples, bohemian friends, conversations, and convivial lunches to offer a reflection on the era and on love.

Renoir et l'Amour

The exhibition next door is titled Renoir the Draughtsman (Renoir Dessinateur) and features drawings, many of which are largely unknown.  Renoir never stopped drawing and is reported to never let a single day go by without sketching.

Renoir's drawings

Following the drawings, we find Renoir's pastel art, in which he is a considered a master on par with Manet and Degas.

Pastels

From the Renoir exhibitions, we head up to the top floor of Musée d'Orsay for a quick spin through the impressionist collection, spotting many favorites and a few we don't recall, but really enjoy.

Impressionism

We return to the main floor of the museum and head out into the city for more exploration.

Back on the main floor