Let's begin our visit with a bit of history. Montmartre Cemetery wasn't always called that. It was first known as Cimetière de la Barrière Blanche, Cimetière sous Montmartre, Champs du Repos (we like this one!), and finally Cimetière de Montmartre, as we know it today.
With a surface area of 11 hectares, it is the third largest cemetery in Paris, after Père-Lachaise and Montparnasse. The Cimetière de Montmartre is built on the site of the famous Montmartre quarries, from which gypsum has been extracted since Gallo-Roman times. This gypsum was used to make plaster of Paris, which is reputed to be very white and fine, and has been used to build many monuments.
The Montmartre Cemetery is astonishing because the Caulaincourt Bridge, made entirely of metal, has spanned it to the southeast since 1888. It's therefore possible to contemplate the cemetery from above! Today, the Cimetière de Montmartre boasts 20,000 graves, and it's still possible to be buried there today.
Alongside the unknowns, many celebrities have their graves here: Michel Berger and France Gall, Jean-Claude Brialy, Daniel Darc, Alexandre Dumas fils, Georges Feydeau, Michel Galabru, Théophile Gautier, the Goncourt brothers, La Goulue, Sacha Guitry, Bernard-Marie Koltès, Jeanne Moreau, Stendhal, François Truffaut and Emile Zola.
But the must-see tomb in Montmartre Cemetery is undoubtedly that of Dalida. With its large, beautiful sculpture surrounded by golden rays, it continues to be decorated with flowers every day by fans from all over the world.
Free and refreshing, this walk is a must in the 18th arrondissement.
Dates and Opening Time
Starts November 26, 2025
Location
Montmartre Cemetery
20, avenue Rachel
75018 Paris 18
Prices
Free
Official website
www.paris.fr
