Vignes de Montmartre, Historical vineyard in Montmartre, Paris, France.
The Vignes de Montmartre, officially Clos-Montmartre, is a 0.15-hectare vineyard on the northern slope of the butte Montmartre, along rue Saint-Vincent and rue des Saules. It holds 1,762 vines of 27 grape varieties, mostly Gamay and Pinot Noir, behind a green wire mesh fence with a sign reading "Vigne de Montmartre" and "Clos Montmartre". Rows of vines run up the slope, and an arch of vines forms a leafy tunnel over a gap.
Vines are documented on Montmartre as early as 944, and in the 12th century nuns of the Montmartre abbey founded by Adélaïde de Savoie planted vineyards. After the abbey sold parcels, residents became mainly winegrowers. By 1928 all vines had disappeared; in 1930 residents and the Vieux Montmartre society opposed planned buildings, and the prefect declared the land unbuildable. In 1933 the city created Clos-Montmartre with 20,000 gamay and pinot noir vines from Thomery.
The name refers to the vineyards that have been woven into the neighborhood's identity for generations. Locals and visitors gather each autumn to celebrate the harvest together, making wine production a shared community tradition rather than a purely commercial activity.
The vineyard is closed to the public except on rare occasions, such as the Fête des jardins held each autumn since 1980. It lies along Rue Saint-Vincent and Rue des Saules, between the Au Lapin Agile cabaret and the Musée de Montmartre. Reach it by metro line 12 at Lamarck - Caulaincourt or by bus 40, the only line running on the butte, at the Les Vignes stop.
The 1934 harvest festival was attended by President Albert Lebrun, with Mistinguett and Fernandel as sponsors, but the young vines had no grapes, so bunches bought at Les Halles were tied on with thread for the sponsors to cut. The 2016 harvest weighed 1,950 kg, pressed in the cellars of the 18th arrondissement town hall and sold at auction for the district's social works.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,349 contributors worldwide.