Why visit
Historic Montmartre square known for artists’ easels, portraitists, and café terraces; a compact stop beside Sacré-Cœur.
[1][3]Paris visitor guide
Place du Tertre
Historic Montmartre square known for artists’ easels, portraitists, and café terraces; a compact stop beside Sacré-Cœur.
Photo by Eylon Ben Yaakov
The story behind the place
How Place du Tertre became a Montmartre landmark
Place du Tertre sits in the heart of old Montmartre, where the square’s life has long mixed civic history, cafés, and artists. Paris je t’aime traces its landmark status to 1790, when Montmartre set up its town hall at no. 3, and to the early-20th-century Vieux Montmartre association at no. 19. The square is also tied to a classic Paris story: Café Chez la mère Catherine is associated with the word “bistro,” said to have emerged in 1814 from Russian soldiers asking for service quickly. Today, the square’s appeal comes from continuity more than spectacle — a working artists’ piazza framed by terraces, narrow streets, and the nearby Saint-Pierre de Montmartre church. It functions both as a tourist stop and as a living reminder of Montmartre’s bohemian identity.
[1][2]Know before you go
Plan your visit
Quick facts
Place du Tertre FAQ
No. The square itself is open access and free to visit.
Early morning is the most practical time if you want a calmer square.
Yes, as an open-air square with street art and a short, flexible visit.
Abbesses on Metro line 12 is the listed public transport stop.
It remains one of Montmartre’s historic village squares and a long-running artist hub.
Itineraries featuring Place du Tertre
Places nearby
Visitor guide
Sacré-Cœur Basilica
Sacré-Cœur is one of Paris’s most emblematic monuments, known for its white Romanesque-Byzantine silhouette, its hilltop setting on Montmartre, and broad views over the city. The site also includes the crypt and the dome, which adds a higher 360° viewpoint if you choose to pay for access.
Visitor guide
Jardin des Tuileries
Historic central Paris garden between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde; notable for formal French landscaping, lawns, basins, and family activities.
Visitor guide
Louvre Museum
The Louvre combines a vast art collection with the historic palace setting; the museum highlights iconic masterpieces and gives families and first-time visitors multiple ways to structure a short or longer visit.
Sources
Last updated September 16, 2026
- 1.Place du Tertre - Tourist attractions Paris je t’aime – Tourist Office · accessed September 16, 2026
- 2.Place du Tertre - Lieux touristiques Paris je t’aime – Office de Tourisme · accessed September 16, 2026
- 3.Montmartre district in Paris Paris je t’aime – Tourist Office · accessed September 16, 2026