Paris: Montmartre Crime and Food Tasting Walking Tour

Begin your tour at Place Blanche, once a lively nightlife hub, and discover its history of cabarets, prostitution, absinthe culture, and criminal networks. Hear how police closely monitored Montmartre and Pigalle due to violence, theft, and organized crime tied to the area’s after-dark scene. Continue to Montmartre Cemetery, opened in 1825 on a former gypsum quarry. Explore how burial traditions evolved in 19th-century Paris, with elaborate tombs, romantic mourning rituals, and a growing fascination with spiritism.

Walk along Rue Lepic, where Vincent van Gogh lived with his brother Theo. Gain insight into his life in Montmartre, shaped by artistic ambition, financial hardship, and the influence of absinthe culture, reflecting the realities of the neighborhood at the time.

Visit the Lost Maquis of Montmartre, once an informal settlement marked by poverty and marginalization. Understand how social conditions fueled crime and how media and police narratives contributed to the area’s “dangerous” reputation.

Along the way, enjoy a tasting of local savory specialties, offering a glimpse into the everyday flavors that have long been part of Montmartre’s culture.

End at Place du Tertre, a historic site linked to executions during the French Revolution and later violence during the Paris Commune of 1871.