Abbesses Station: Where the Montmartre Walk Begins

Our Montmartre walk starts at Abbesses station, on Metro line 12, right in the heart of the neighborhood. Montmartre has several stations, but this is the one to start from: it's famous as a filming location for the movie Amélie, and it gives you a sense of how high Montmartre hill rises in a city with hardly any hills.

To get from the platform to street level, you can climb the stairs or take the elevator. Anyone who has ridden the Paris Metro a few times will head straight for the stairs. But here, you should take the elevator. If you're curious why, try the stairs once. You'll feel the height of Montmartre hill in your legs.

Abbesses is known for its depth, but also for its entrance. It is said to be the first Metro entrance decorated in the Art Nouveau style, and it lives up to its reputation as the most beautiful Metro station in Paris.