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Offered languages
- English
What do medieval winemaking nuns have to do with a 19-year-old Black American girl dancing in a banana skirt in Paris?
On this tour, we connect those dots, tracing how Montmartre came to be, and the larger global forces that drew Black Americans, Africans, and Caribbeans to this very special part of Paris.
On this walk, you’ll get:
A clear, engaging history of Montmartre beyond the usual stories
The chance to see the neighborhood’s major sites through a fresh lens
A local guide who knows how to avoid most of the crowds (and pigeons )
A deeper understanding of how movement and migration shape places, and why Montmartre became a crossroads for Black life and culture
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
I'll be standing right at the door! It shouldn't be too crowded, so I'll be easy to spot.
Itinerary
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1Vigne du 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 • Admission ticket free -
La Petite Maison Rose de Montmartre (Since 1920) (Pass by)
We pass one of Montmartre’s most photographed streets and buildings, a picture-perfect moment.
Admission ticket free -
2Eglise Saint-Pierre de Montmartre
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 • Admission ticket free -
3Basilique du Sacre-Coeur de Montmartre
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 • Admission ticket not included -
4Place 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 • Admission ticket free -
5Le Bateau-Lavoir
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 • Admission ticket not included -
Le Moulin de la Galette (Pass by)
We pass by the Moulin de la Galette, once a windmill turned popular dance spot, where working-class Parisians, artists, and outsiders gathered.
Admission ticket free -
6Moulin 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 • Admission ticket not included -
7Quartier Pigalle
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 • Admission ticket free -
8Quartier Pigalle
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 • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- There is some uphill walking
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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