When Olivier Baroin moved to Montmartre about 15 years ago, the Paris neighborhood felt like a quiet village tucked within the bustling city. Today, that charm has all but vanished.
Local shops catering to residents have been replaced by tourist-focused stores selling souvenirs, selfie-takers crowd the streets, and outdoor café seating spills onto Montmartre’s narrow, cobblestone lanes. Overtourism has dramatically changed life in this once-bohemian quarter.
Frustrated and facing new pedestrian-only restrictions on local streets, Baroin—who has a disability—has decided to sell his apartment. “I had no choice but to leave,” he told The Associated Press, explaining how the restrictions complicated mobility, especially since he relies on a car or taxi.
Montmartre’s struggle mirrors a wider crisis across major European cities—from Venice to Barcelona to Amsterdam—as they wrestle with rising tourist numbers and their impact on local communities.
In Montmartre, residents are pushing back. Black banners hung between balconies read messages like, “Behind the postcard: locals mistreated by the Mayor” and “Montmartre residents resisting,” signaling growing unrest.
Atop Montmartre hill, the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur now attracts up to 11 million visitors annually—surpassing even the Eiffel Tower. Meanwhile, daily life is dominated by tuk-tuks, tour groups, long photo lines, and a surge of short-term rentals.
“Everything must be delivered now because there are no food shops left,” said Baroin, a member of the residents’ group Vivre à Montmartre (Living in Montmartre).
The tension echoes across Paris. In June, Louvre Museum staff briefly staged a strike protesting overcrowding, understaffing, and deteriorating conditions. With 8.7 million visitors this year, the Louvre is more than doubling its intended capacity.
Paris, with around 2 million residents in the city proper and its suburbs, welcomed 48.7 million tourists in 2024—a 2% increase over 2023. For many locals, iconic sites like Sacré-Cœur and Montmartre have morphed into an “open-air theme park,” threatening the authentic character that once defined the city.
