Montmartre was home to human beings even in Neolithic times. It was during this period that gypsum plaster (plaster of Paris) was discovered inside the Butte (“Hill”). Over the millennia, this material was mined, leaving huge hollow spaces underground. Thousands of years later, in the time of paving streets with cobblestones, the added weight would often cause the ground to cave in. Entire houses disappeared into deep holes. But this is just one of countless unusual details about Montmartre. Indeed, much of the Butte's history is otherworldly and miraculous – even the origin(s) of its name. "Montmartre" refers to the Temple to Mars located on the hill’s summit in Roman times. Or it’s a reference to the martyr ("martre") Saint Denis, an early Christian who was beheaded as punishment for his faith and, the legend goes, picked up his head and walked all the way from this quartier to the Parisian suburb that now bears his name. For almost 1500 years after this, Montmartre remained a quiet, windmill-filled village. But some big events, like the establishment of an abbey and convent by Louis VI and his wife Adelaide in the early Middle Ages, as well as the establishment of the Jesuit order by Ignatius Loyola himself, not to mention a possible visit by Joan of Arc, kept things from being too quiet.

Centuries later, the Butte (“Hill”) was a windmill-spotted bastion of supporters of the French Revolution (1789). Then, it was incorporated into the city of Paris in the 1860's. But Montmartre never quite blended in. After France’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian War in 1871, for example, a number of the Butte's radical inhabitants refused to turn in the guns and cannon that were kept in an arsenal there, and started the Paris Commune. Even before this time, Montmartre had shown its wild side to the rest of the city; because it was located just outside the city walls, wine and spirits weren’t taxed there. This led to the establishment of cabarets and café-concerts, among them the Moulin de la Galette, the Lapin Agile, the Mirliton/Chat Noir, and, of course, the Moulin Rouge. Soon enough, drawn by the area’s low cost of living, as well as this freer lifestyle, a group of what would become some of the biggest names in modern art history began to settle in the region. Van Gogh, Renoir, Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec, Valadon, Utrillo, and Modigliani are just a few of the creative minds that lived and worked here in the late 1800's to early 1900's and lost their heads -- figuratively speaking, this time -- as they took in the beautiful, sloping landscape, and drank glass after glass of absinthe in cafés perched on the hill.

With all this history, there's a lot to see in Montmartre. Most tourists begin at the top, at the Sacre-Coeur Basilica. While the church's Romano-Byzantine style makes it look like something exotic and old, it was actually begun in 1875, and finally completed just after World War I. Constructed out of penance for the perceived sins of the 19th century (including, first and foremost, the Commune, which proved to be a bloody conflict), the church seems to also be an embodiment of what life during the Belle-Époque was all about. There’s decadence (the huge basilica's altar, as well as surrounding details, are sumptuously decorated with shining marble and stone, culminating in an enormous mosaic over the apse), innovation (the very ground of Montmartre's hollow hill had to be reinforced to support the building), and, of course, art. The Basilica can be seen at points all over the city, its white stone reflecting the sunlight or moonlight.

The Sacre Coeur might seem like reason enough for a visit to Montmartre, but the Butte is packed with much more to see. The nearby Place du Tertre, a small square chock-full of amateur artists trying to sell their wares, is another notorious tourist site, just around the corner from the Espace Salvador Dalí, a museum/gallery devoted to the Surrealist artist. All along the cobbled streets, one finds charming houses and cottages in a variety of architectural styles that are somehow all pleasing to the eye. The Musée de Montmartre, which contains artwork and artifacts pertaining to the neighborhood's history, is located in the oldest house on the Butte. Originally owned by an actor in Molière’s troupe, the residence was later home to a number of artists' studios. It’s here, for example, that Renoir painted his famous The Ball at the Moulin de la Galette. Continue down the north side of the Butte for a view of Montmartre's small vineyard, an homage to the vineyards that covered this side of the hill in Roman times. Further down the street is the world-famous Lapin Agile cabaret, where the area's artists hung out, ate cheap food, and sang along to chansons, a century ago. Across from here, the Cimetière Saint-Vincent is the final resting place of such notable former residents as Steinlen, Marcel Aymé, and Utrillo and Valadon (the nearby Cimetière de Montmartre has even more famous inhabitants).

On the south side of the Butte, you’ll find the location of the former Bateau Lavoir, an enormous rundown building that was rented out as artists' studios in the early 1900's. Here, Picasso, Juan Gris, and some other bohemian residents shared their inspirations, as well as a single toilet (!). It’s here also that in 1907 Picasso began his groundbreaking canvass Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, which is considered the first Cubist canvas. Picasso and Juan Gris continued to develop Cubism and forever changed the face of modern art. Further down, on one end of the long, winding rue Lepic, is the apartment (#54) where Vincent Van Gogh lived with his brother Theo, in the late 1880's. Nearby, a walk down the lively rue des Abbesses ends at the Place des Abbesses. Here, in a pretty tree-filled square, the Abbesses Metro station is crowned by one of two remaining awnings originally designed by Guimard. Just off the Place is Saint Jean de Montmartre, an imposing Art Nouveau brick church that’s hard to miss. The streets near the foot of the Butte are filled with cafes, bookstores, and shops selling unique clothing and decorative items designed by the area's young artists. On the rue Tholozé is Studio 28, the movie theater where Buñuel's controversial L'Age d’or premiered in 1930. From here, a visitor also gets a great view of the Moulin de la Galette, the popular 19th century beer garden immortalized by Renoir and other artists. With so much to see, it’s easy to get a bit tired. Why not stop and order a crème brulée at the Café des Deux Moulins, the café where the hit 2001 film Amélie's titular heroine worked? In Montmartre, even while sipping a coffee, you can’t escape art, history, and inspiration.