Many of these places are located in the old village of Montmartre, whose renown is well deserved and, yes, there are some fantastic places to enjoy away from the very non-romantic crowds swarming around Sacré-Coeur… which you won’t find directly on this list.
The little park behind the Square des Abbesses, le Square Jehan-Rictus, contains the famous love wall, but it’s always swarming with people.
Secondly, if you’re climbing up them you’ll reach Rue du Chevalier de la Barre which, if you go ahead a little bit, has a small set up stairs that has a magical view of the back of the Basilica–the one catch with those particular steps is that they can have people hanging around at the top, so not always romantic (but it can be especially in the morning or early afternoon on sunny days! ).
Considered the oldest house in Montmartre and formerly the art studio of Renoir, Degas, Suzanne Valadon and Maurice Utrillo, Le Musée de Montmartre is nestled on a quiet street a stone’s throw from Sacré-Coeur yet it feels a world away.