Black Montmartre Walking Tour

Points forts

Itinéraire

1. 1

   Clos Montmartre

   We begin at a small vineyard tucked among apartment buildings, a reminder that Montmartre was once covered in vines. The wine sold here set the stage for a community that would eventually welcome an extension of the Harlem Renaissance.

   10 minutes•Entrée libre•Voir sur la carte

2. 2

   We pass one of Montmartre’s most photographed streets and buildings, a picture-perfect moment.

   Passage sans arrêt•Entrée libre

3. 3

   One of the oldest churches in Paris, Saint-Pierre marks Montmartre as sacred ground and a site of pilgrimage for African and Caribbean seminaries in the early 1800s. For years, people from all over the world climbed this hill, tracing the steps of Montmartre’s legendary bishop.

   15 minutes•Entrée libre

4. 4

   Basilique du Sacré-Coeur

   We won’t enter the basilica, but we’ll unpack the tragic events that led to its construction and how they shaped Montmartre’s rebellious, outsider culture.

   15 minutes•Entrée non incluse•Voir sur la carte

5. 5

   Place du Tertre

   At Montmartre’s center, where art and politics collide, we revisit post–World War I celebrations honoring Black soldiers, alongside a lesser-known and more troubling commemoration held in the square.

   10 minutes•Entrée libre•Voir sur la carte

6. 6

   Best known as Picasso's studio, the Bateau-Lavoir gives us a moment to step beyond the famous names and look at the work of lesser-known Black artists who passed through Montmartre, artists shaped by the same precarity, and experimentation that defined the hill.

   10 minutes•Entrée non incluse

7. 7

   Bois de Boulogne

   We pass by the Moulin de la Galette, once a windmill turned popular dance spot, where working-class Parisians, artists, and outsiders gathered.

   Passage sans arrêt•Entrée libre•Voir sur la carte

8. 8

   Moulin Rouge

   In front of the Moulin Rouge, we see how Montmartre’s rebellious spirit spilled downhill into Pigalle’s looser nightlife, creating a rare space that welcomed Black performers.

   5 minutes•Entrée non incluse•Voir sur la carte

9. 9

   Bois de Boulogne

   We stop at the former site of Chez Josephine, where we unpack the performance that made Josephine Baker a star and how it clashed with the ideals of the Negritude movement.

   15 minutes•Entrée libre•Voir sur la carte

10. 10

    Bois de Boulogne

    We end at the former site of Le Grand Duc, a hugely popular jazz club and pillar of Paris’s Jazz Age. Here, we trace how that era came to an end and where Black communities in Paris took root afterward.

    15 minutes•Entrée libre•Voir sur la carte

Point de rendez-vous

I'll be standing right at the door! It shouldn't be too crowded, so I'll be easy to spot.

La carte montre Paris. Le point de rendez-vous exact est l'adresse ci-dessus.Ouvrir une carte plus grande

Prise en charge

• Rendez-vous au point de départ pour tous

À savoir avant de partir

• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• There is some uphill walking
• Mobile or paper ticket accepted
• One per booking

Annulation et remboursement

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.