Musée de Montmartre

Métro: Lamarck-Caulaincourt (line 12)
Address: 12, rue Cortot, 75018 Paris
Hours: everyday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Cost: 9.00 euros per adult (see website for details)
Website: www.museedemontmartre.fr

Just steps away from the Sacré Coeur is the Museum of Montmartre. It's unpretentious mirroring its past of bohemian life of its famous inhabitants. Yet you will find it homey and with a soul contrasting with the sterile environment of some other famous museums of Paris.

La Balançoire by Auguste Renoir (source Wikipedia)

Yep this is it! The spot where Renoir painted "La Balançoire". You can seat on THE swing. Renoir lived and had his studio there in 1876. Surprisingly, this painting was not well received by the critics of the time and was bought by his friend and fellow painter Gustave Caillebotte.

 The landscape has been redone to look like it was during Renoir's time and has been named after him. Renoir wasn't the only artist to have his studio there. Among others, Suzanne Valadon, Maurice Utrillo or Raoul Dufy also worked in this cozy space.

The museum is made of a few houses dating from the 17th century. In the museum, you can admire artwork relating the life of Montmartre including famous posters from Toulouse-Lautrec or Modigliani to name a few.

The vineyard of Montmartre already existed in the Middle Ages. There truly is a love story between the French and their wine! However, it's been restored in 1933. So I guess you can say it is new wine! ;)