We’ve visited Paris before, and never tire of the historic and beautiful city centre. Wanting to see more and lose ourselves in the backstreets to really see the life of the “City of Love”, we got up early to explore. One of the highlights of our explorations was the quiet little garden where we found ♥ The Wall of Love ♥.
One of the monuments we decided to include in our wanderings was the Sacré-Coeur on the Montmartre hill, just outside the city centre, and our morning walk is the perfect time to visit.
It is, however, the route to the top of the hill which is the highlight for us.
While our self-guided walking tour began at Place Pigalle, taking us past more well-known sights like the legendary Moulin Rouge and the windmills on Rue Lepic, we soon walked up steep, winding cobbled streets, past the pretty vine-covered houses where many acclaimed artists and writers have lived and through beautiful small parks.
The Man in the Wall
We were excited to follow an out-of-the-way alley, walk down some stairs to see the strange statue of a man’s hand, leg and torso emerging from a wall. We vow to read the short story Le Passe-Muraille by Marcel Aymé, which inspired this sculpture.
A little further on, and we came across the little vineyard Clos Montmartre, on a street corner. This working vineyard is one of the last vineyards in Paris and still produces a small amount of wine every year, which is auctioned off for charity.
As promised, the grounds of the Sacré-Coeur Basilica provide some of the best views over the city of Paris, including the Eiffel Tower. The Notre Dame in the centre of Paris attracts long queues of visitors for its architecture. But this stunning white stone monument with its commanding presence at the top of Montmartre hill is well worth the venture.
♥ The wall of love ♥
Our favourite little find after wandering down the hill past cafes and bistros in this eclectic neighbourhood is a small square. In Place des Abbesses, a shady enclave holds Le Mur des Je t’aime (The Wall of Love). The tiles which make up the wall are covered with the word “I love you” written in 250 languages. It’s fun to scour the wall, finding it written in languages you know. The park is a lovely place to sit, reflect and soak up the atmosphere of this unique part of this city of love.
Traveller’s note:
- We designed our self-guided walking tour with guidance from several online sources and the Lonely Planet – Paris, DK Eyewitness France and Frommer’s Walking Tour 1 in Paris.
- Le Passe-Muraille (the Passer-through walls) is located in Place Marcel Aymé just off Rue Norvins – see the map here for the location.
- Ale Mur des Je t’aime is located in Place des Abbesses –see the map here for the location.
- More interesting self-guided walking tours are offered here – we have completed all of them.
In case you’re interested
On our stays in Paris, we’ve discovered little corners of the city that most travellers miss. Take a look at some of our recommendations through the links below.
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