My husband and I are going to spend a day in Montmatre and would like to walk down less touristy streets. We did a walking tour last year and loved it, but would like to get off the main sites and streets to enjoy other streets and other parts of Montmartre. Any suggestions?
Here is a walk we like:
Get off at Lamarck Caulaincourt Metro. Take the elevator to the top (very deep station) and when you exit turn right and walk up the sloping street to your right. When you reach the top, which is Caulaincourt, turn right and about a block uphill cross the street and walk up Avenue Junot to the left. This street goes gradually uphill through some interesting architecture and passes one villa i.e. private individual house residential street which is kind of interesting. A couple of blocks up this hill you will come to the little square with the statue of a man walking through a wall. Good photo op. If you continue straight ahead you come to Place du Tertre (tourist nightmare as far as I am concerned but most people want to see it once) and through that you approach Sacre Coeur from the side.
If you turn left downhill here before the square you will come to the vineyard on your right and Lapin Agile ahead. Turn right here and walk up the pretty street to the basilica. This brings you sort of to the back and you can walk along the side and out to the front for the view. We often make variations on this walk with friends new to the city as it is both easier walking and takes you through pretty parts of Montmartre.
across from the square with the man walking through the wall there is a playground with a statue of St. Denis holding his head. If you walk through that park and out the back you will come to a little pedestrian walk among residential buildings. Turn right and you will have a pleasant walk that will take you back out to the area by the vineyard where you can walk up to the basilica.