Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and unoriginal bohemians, but it's still fun (to beat the crowds, go on a weekday or early on
weekend mornings). From here, head up Rue des Saules to find Paris' lone vineyard and the
Montmartre Museum
(described later). Return uphill, then follow Rue Lepic down to the
old windmill,
Moulin de la Galette,
which once pressed monks' grapes and farmers' grain,
and crushed gypsum rocks into powdery plaster of Paris (there were once 30 windmills on
Montmartre). When the gypsum mines closed (c. 1850) and the vineyards sprouted apart-
ments, this windmill turned into the ceremonial centerpiece of a popular outdoor dance hall.
Farther down Rue Lepic, you'll pass near the former homes of
Toulouse-Lautrec
(at Rue
Tourlaque—look for the brick-framed art-studio windows under the heavy mansard roof)
and
Vincent van Gogh
(54 Rue Lepic).
