Montmartre Street Art Tour – Free Activity in Paris

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Paris is one of my favorite places in the world. I can wander for hours, and never getting tired of this city. When I first went there I was determined to see all the sights, visit all the museums and take all the tours. Europe is not the cheapest place to travel to though so you can only sustain that for so long. I’ve visited Paris a few times now, and I’m happy to take it a bit easier now. I’ll sit in a cafe and read my book, or stroll along the banks of the Seine to check out what the vendors have to sell. I was determined to enjoy some free activities on my last visit, so decided upon the best free activity there is – a walk! Through one of the most interesting neighborhoods – Montmartre.

Stumbling upon Parisian street art in Montmartre

I was staying near the Arc de Triomphe, and took myself on a walk towards Montmartre. Classic tourist problem, it turned out to be a bit further than it looked on the map, and took me about 45 minutes to get there. I was walking around the small winding streets of this former hub for artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec, Matisse and Picasso and noticed a lot of street art. I quickly got lost in the alleyways and back streets of this once center of bohemian lifestyle in Paris. Although much different now, the influences of it’s earlier residents remain. Murals, paintings and Banksy-like graffiti art adorn the side of buildings. It seems I had started my own street art walking tour, much like one I did in London’s Camden neighborhood.

Looking up and around for art

I wanted to share some of my favourite finds from my self-guided walking tour, showing that you don’t need a museum to find great art. As I turned onto a quiet street I almost walked past this piece. I spotted it out of the corner of my eye in the alleyway behind some housing, and hurried back. Advertising a concert that month the artwork is fun and certainly grabs your attention:

I found this art piece further down the same alleyway. Taking a second to realize it wasn’t someone scaling the wall into one of the gardens, I had to take a photo.

I found some art pieces which seem to have been originally done to advertise events such as the concert in the first picture. I imagine the idea is they are meant to be eye catching enough for someone to wonder what the event is. Make sure to look up as well as at eye level, as there are those a little more hidden from view:

Much of the art has a great pop of colour like these ones:

Remember to take a reusable water bottle with you on your travels, like this one from FastTech

Famous characters in Montmarte

I found a lot of stencilled in artwork over the top of maps, it really seemed to be quite popular. I found this one showcasing one of Paris’s more famous residents over a map of Paris:

Then there was this one over the top of a subway map:

I came across some street art featuring sights to see in the area:

Leading me to the most famous monument in the Montmartre area, the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, were some smaller pieces of art. They are created on any available surface, and let me know my choice between the tourist site and a bar in true Parisian style:

Political messages show up in some of the art you will see. There are quotes from famous historical figures such as Mikhail Bakunin or Emma Goldman, written around pictures of their authors. Current societal thoughts are key in the messages you will see on these randomly placed pictures throughout the area, and the city of Paris itself.

Easy to miss and hard to ignore street art

Not all of the artwork is bright and immediately obvious. You can almost miss some of it if you aren’t looking in the right place. I had to keep reminding myself to look up. Some pieces blended in or got mixed in with the street signs:

Anyone who grew up in Europe will be familiar with the cartoon characters in this next picture. Asterix and Obelix, from the French comic The Adventures of Asterix, are the subject of this beautiful piece of art. The artist, Combo, has a new take on the relationship between the characters. In the comic series they are best friends and bachelors which I’m sure will draw comparison’s to Sesame Street’s Bert and Ernie. The artist even managed to help Obelix shed about two hundred pounds. Look up Obelix if you don’t believe me.

I love the fantastic colours that create this vibrant art piece. Street artist Raphael Federici travels the world painting, and has some wonderful looking pieces in Paris. This is definitely one of my favourites:

I found this piece around the back of the Sacre-Couer, showing some humour around the hills of the Montmartre:

Taking a break from Montmartre

I was exhausted after walking the streets of Montmartre for a couple of hours, as it really has a lot of hills. It’s a beautiful area and I have no doubt there is more to Montmartre street art than what I found. Getting lost the next time I’m in Paris is something I look forward to, and seeing what other unique pieces I can find.

It isn’t just Montmartre with fantastic street art in Paris. I came across many other pieces while walking around the city. In this first one Queen Victoria shares some wisdom. I also noticed a simple few splashes of paint brightening up a wall adjacent to some classic Parisian apartment windows:

I was walking around St. Germain and came across what I believe to be a Banksy piece. It’s covered in plaxiglass to protect it, and the date shown references the 50th anniversary of the Paris May ’68 riots:

I came across some storm troopers hanging around along the banks of the Seine:

Art comes in all forms in Paris

My favourite kind of art to find in Paris though, is the art you can eat! Is there anything more perfect than a French bakery window display?

Every time I go to this beautiful, interesting city, I find something new. I’ll go to a new restaurant, store or park or find my next picture perfect view. And there’s always a new work of art that I fall in love with. With the popularity of Banksy and other famous street artists, a lot more street art is showing up all over the world. Paris, and in particular Montmartre, is the perfect place to showcase the talent of these artists. It brightens up otherwise dark, often run down city streets and alleyways. The amount of street art is growing and my next trip to Paris can’t come quick enough so I can find some more.

If you’ve enjoyed this blog post please comment or share using the social media links below. What is your favorite neighborhood of Paris? Where else have you found great street art?