Montmartre and Centre Pompidou: Oui ou non?
 

We have a day and a half in Paris at the beginning of our vacation in Sept. We've been to Paris several times and have seen most of the major sights; however, two places we've never been are Montmartre and the Centre Pompidou. Montmartre sounds sleazy and touristy. The guidebooks don't even make it sound appealing. Any thoughts on these two places?

Both areas are sleazy, touristy and full of hucksters; however if you love the modern art of the fifties and sixties go with Pl. G. Pomp. There are a number of good restaurants in the vicinity and you can stop in to see reasonably priced copperware at Dehillerin on rue Rambuteau. Then take a leisurely walk down rue des Francs Bourgeois to Pl. des Vosges.

Have never been to Pompidou but have been to Montmarte and it can be a bit dicey, particularly at night.<BR><BR>There are however some interesting aspects to it:<BR><BR>1. Sacre Coure Church is very nice.<BR><BR>2. The view from the church is outstanding.<BR><BR>3. There is a little artist square right around the corner, Place ----, from the church and it is interesting. <BR>You can watch the painters paint and you can buy their works as well.<BR><BR>4. Some nice little bistros.<BR><BR>In the daytime it is OK, but I would not be comfortable hanging around at night. Particualrly on the Boulevard di Clichy unless pronography is your thing.<BR><BR>US

The Pompidou is one of my favoirite places in Paris, but I'm and artist and more contemporay art lover, so have a bias in that direction. The permanent collection which includes some great works by Matisse, Picasso, Bonnard, to name but a few is well worth the trip, plus the view from the top is fantastic. I also enjoy the surrounding area...seems almost every time we've been there, there's been some fun spirited demostration going on (students dressed in colorful attire on stilts, etc.)<BR><BR>I was disappointed with the Montmarte area overall, though the view from the Basilique du Sacre Coeur was impressive.<BR><BR>

Hi Susie. Parts of Montmartre -- such as Sacre Coeur, Place du Tertre, and the surrounding area -- are certainly very touristy, but other parts are not. It's not as if everwhere you go in Montmartre you're going to run into hordes of fellow tourists. <BR><BR>The Centre Pompidou is an interesting building with equally interesting art inside, a lively scene outside, and a glass-enclosed escalator which provides a nice view of that area of Paris. Last time I was there, a few years ago, the exterior was looking quite shabby but I seem to recall it's been repainted since then.

P.S. According to this website, the Centre Pompidou underwent a two year renovation, which ended in January, 2000.<BR><BR>http://www.cnac-gp.fr/english/infos/..._le_centre.htm

I'd go for the Pompidou. You can get a great view of Paris from the top (actually including Sacre Coeur) and it's an interesting building. I second the walk along avenue des Francs Bourgeois to the Place des Vosges (have lunch at Ma Bourgogne outside, facing the square). While at the Pompidou, don't miss the Nikki de Saint Phalle fountain nearby.

With a day and a half to play with, you can easily do both of these things. Montmartre is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Paris and it features some very interesting streets and sights, as well as the spectulars views of the city you've already seen mentioned here. Yes, it certainly has some ragged edges, too. Take your best pickpocket protection measures when you get into the crowded areas such as Place du Tertre and some of the adjacent streets. There are plenty of tourists, but that doesn't make it a bad place to visit. Walk around a bit in the neighborhood and you will see why it is so attractive to so many people. Centre Pompidou has a wide range of work; some of which I found extremely interesting and other pieces that I found about as exciting as examining countertop patterns. It's unquestionably well worth a visit.