Butte Montmartre staircases, 38 in all, town listed, unavoidable

The Butte Montmartre staircases, world-famous, are a must-see tourist attraction. There are 38 in Montmartre out of 148 in Paris. Not bad for a virtually flat town on a plain whose highest point is only 131 m above sea level, right in the middle of the Saint Vincent cemetery at the top of the Butte. Butte Montmartre staircases: something for every taste A recent study by the Atelier Parisien d'Urbanisme defined them as follows: those linking lanes at different levels (32), those between sidewalks and roadways at different levels (5) and those between a lane and an engineering structure (1). Another "characterization" is the flight of steps (central, lateral, full-width, bordered by riprap, bordered by terraces, with converging - or diverging - ascents, etc.). For local residents, stairs are a problem. Getting into their house or building, doing their shopping, moving in or out. The number of steps, the way the staircase is laid out, are all criteria not to be underestimated before settling in Montmartre. Living on the Butte is not all fun and games! The best-known Butte Montmartre staircases: along the funicular or "rue Foyatier" In fact, "rue Foyatier" is a "rue" in name only. It's a 222-step staircase, pure and simple, leading straight up to the Sacré-Coeur, and crossing Square Louise Michel. It runs alongside the funicular, its immediate "competitor", for 207 steps and a difference in height of 36 m. The additional 15 steps (to 222) are those needed to reach the upper station level at Parvis du Sacré-Coeur. This "rue Foyatier", facing south and the center of Paris, is a unique photo opportunity. But you can also practice your photography skills from the Parvis. The rue Foyatier staircase: an annual competition Many of us take the funicular, for the price of a metro ticket and to avoid climbing the 202 steps of the adjacent staircase. But there are always brave walkers who attempt the ascent on foot. And some even run up them! For several years now, HappyCulture, a hotel brand, has been organizing an original race at the beginning of June: try to climb all the stairs in under 30 seconds! With each ascent, the brand will donate 100 euros to Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque, to finance heart surgery for several sick children. In 2022, nearly 70,000 euros were raised thanks to this race and 5 children operated on. What's more, on Instagram, for every "like" of the post dedicated to the operation on race day, 1 euro will also be donated. For the sake of comparison, if you want to train, you should know that you have to climb the Butte three times faster than the funicular, which takes 1 minute 30. Olympic athletes, sportsmen and women, Koh-Lanta adventurers and other personalities will be on hand to help you on your way up. See you at the foot of the funicular Montmartre's longest staircase: rue du Mont Cenis This is rue du Mont Cenis, a steeply sloping street 1,304 meters long and 12 meters wide. It begins at the junction of rue Saint-Éleuthère and rue Azaïs, just below the Sacré-Coeur in the Montmartre district, runs alongside the Saint-Pierre de Montmartre church near place du Tertre, crosses rue Saint-Vincent, rue Lamarck, place Jules-Joffrin, rue Marcadet, rue Ordener, rue Championnet and boulevard Ornano, and ends at rue Belliard. In fact, rue du Mont Cenis is not a staircase 1304 m long, but a succession of flights of stairs. For example, there are 52 steps between rue Custine and rue Lamarck, 54 between rue Paul-Féval and rue Saint-Vincent, and 81 between the latter and rue Cortot. Formerly known as the chemin du pèlerinage de Saint-Denis ("petite rue Saint-Denis" in its southern section and "chaussée Saint-Denis" in its northern section), this very steep road took on the name of Mont-Cenis, a reference to the Northern Alps massif of the same name. Counting steps of Butte Montmartre staircases Some people have had fun counting the number of steps on every staircase in Montmartre. There are at least 2,207 steps in total, and this number is certainly underestimated. The number of steps on the best-known staircases is as follows ("rue" equals "escalier" in Montmartre parlance): Rue Maurice-Utrillo: 140 steps Rue du Mont Cenis: 51 steps + several flights of stairs Rue Paul albert: 101 steps Rue Foyatier: 207 steps Avenue Rachel - Rue Caulaincourt: 60 steps Rue Chappe: 95 + 66 steps Allée des Brouillard: 4 steps Escalier du Funiculaire (in all): 222 steps There are also some lesser-known but equally charming staircases, in keeping with the image of this renowned district. Montmartre's steepest staircase is probably rue Utrillo. Not very long, it's no less challenging. At the top, you'll find a small, intimate square, and if you continue your stroll down rue Albert, you'll arrive at Passage Cotin, which also has a shaded staircase. Le Chevalier de la Barre also has its own staircase, in the rue of the same name. It provides access to the Turlure garden. This 17th-century staircase used to be called Rue des Rosiers. It wasn't until 1906 that it was given its present name. It connects Rue du Ramey with Rue du Mont-Cenis, which also has its own staircase, and not the least, since it is said to be "the longest on the Butte". Butte Montmartre staircases at night At night, the stairs of the Butte Montmartre take on a strange, mysterious, even disquieting aspect. Like in a detective story, where everything is in anticipation of the crime that's about to happen. But the Butte Montmartre is a safe place where crime is no higher than anywhere else! Montmartre's Path of Light From rue Lamarck, and taking the staircase up to the Sacré Coeur on rue du Chevalier de Barre at night, the Chemin de Lumière has been shining again since December 2022. Henri Alekan, one of France's greatest cinematographers, and Patrick Rimoux, a plastic artist and light sculptor, created this work in 1995. Several paths of light had already been created in 1993 in Burgundy and Brussels, before arriving in Montmartre. Henri Alekan had also lit the Butte's stairs in Marcel Carné's film Juliette ou la Clef des Songes. The ADDM (Association de Défense de Montmartre) has been campaigning for this Chemin de Lumière to be renovated, putting the project to the vote of Parisians for several years as part of the participatory budget. And perseverance has finally paid off, as the Chemin de Lumière shines once again in Montmartre. Made up of 135 stars in fiber optics and colored glass, the Chemin de Lumière represents the arrangement of the constellations of the celestial vault in the Paris sky on January 1st (on the left of the staircase) and July 1st on the right, adding a little more enchantment to the nights of Montmartre. The Butte Montmartre staircases in the movies Montmartre (and Pigalle at the foot of the Butte) have been the setting for films since the 1930s (at least). And of course, the staircases, which are to be found all over the Butte, have been the subject of scenes that film buffs won't soon forget. Just a few of these films below, but dozens more can be found in the specialist press: Tanguy, le retour (2019): includes scenes shot in Montmartre, notably rue Lepic Un sac de billes (2017): scenes shot in Montmartre such as a scene at the beginning of the film where two children play marbles sitting on the steps of Place Emile Goudeau. Dalida (2017): you can recognize her house, the superb rue de l'Abreuvoir and the restaurant at the Moulin de la Galette. L'ex de ma vie (2014): scenes in Montmartre from the 29th minute, rue de la Bonne and rue Saint Vincent. We see the cabaret du lapin agile. Three Days to Kill (2014): Lead actor Kevin Costner bicycles down Montmartre's stunning rue de l'Abreuvoir with his daughter. Minuit à Paris (2011): the staircase on rue du Chevalier de la Barre behind the Sacré-Coeur.Le petit Nicolas (2009): several scenes shot in Montmartre, such as the school exit down rue Foyatier, the car chase on avenue Junot, the ice cream shop on rue Ravignan (in reality, the Boutique "le ZUT" has been remade as an ice cream shop!) and scenes also on rue Saint Vincent and rue de la Bonne, behind the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur. La Môme (2007): Edith Piaff sings in the street, she's spotted by Louis Leplée (Gérard Depardieu), a scene on the rue du Calvaire staircase where Marion Cotillard runs with Sylvie Testud, and a scene in the hollow of rue Berthe. Monsieur Batignole (2002): scene shot on rue du Mont Cenis where Monsieur Batignole (Gérard JUGNOT) goes to the janitor's house where Simon's (Jules SITRUK) cousins have taken refuge. Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001): a film that won numerous awards and nominations, including thirteen Césars and five Oscars. In 2002, he won four Césars, including Best Film and Best Director. Note: On the Butte, there's a school that trains apprentice filmmakers: the Femis (Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Métiers de l'Image et du Son). Some of the school's students go on to become directors. La Butte Montmartre and La Complainte de la Butte There are many, many songs about Montmartre and the Butte Montmartre. Most celebrate, among other things, its staircases. But there's one nostalgic love song that has toured the world, with 128 versions performed by as many singers: La Complainte de la Butte. Since its release in 1955, it has become a classic song about Paris, Montmartre and French chanson. Originally sung by Cora Vaucaire as a single and as music for Jean Renoir's film French Cancan (1955). Lyrics by Jean Renoir, music by Georges van Parys. And what sticks in your mind after listening to it: "Les escaliers de la Butte sont durs aux miséreux ..." (The stairs of the Butte are hard on the wretched).