Women of Montmartre: Artists, Icons & Women shaping Paris today
Join a small-group walking tour exploring the stories of the women who shaped it: from artists to icons to the women still shaping the neighborhood, through creative, local and independent businesses.
Montmartre is often remembered through the men who painted, wrote, drank, and performed here.
But behind this famous image are the women who also created, challenged and transformed the neighbourhood.
HERA was created to widen the frame: not to erase the stories we know, but to discover the people and perspectives that complete them.
This walking tour follows the women of Montmartre: artists, rebels, performers, and cultural figures, who helped shape the neighbourhood’s creative identity, often without receiving the same recognition as their male counterparts.
Through village streets, hidden corners, and places of artistic memory, we’ll explore how women created space for freedom, ambition, reinvention, and self-expression in one of Paris’s most iconic neighbourhoods.
But HERA is not only about the past. Along the way, we’ll also discover how women continue to shape Montmartre today through independent businesses, creative projects and cultural spaces.
This walk connects hidden histories with the living neighbourhood: stories of ambition, freedom, resilience, and transformation, set against the backdrop of one of Paris’s most iconic and inspiring districts.
Meet your guide:
Hi! I’m Orla, the founder of HERA Walking Tours. Originally from the UK and raised in France, I’ve always been fascinated by the stories that connect people, places and cultures. While living and guiding in Paris, I realised that many of the stories we hear about the city focus on the same famous names, while countless women who shaped its history remain in the background.
HERA is also about celebrating the women-led, local and independant businesses continuing this legacy today: the people and places keeping Paris creative, diverse and alive.
I created HERA to bring those stories back into the streets of Paris.
This experience is for you if:
✨ You want to discover a different side of Paris beyond the usual landmarks
✨ You love art, history and stories of inspiring people
✨ You are curious about the women behind famous places
✨ You prefer intimate experiences over large tourist groups
✨ You want to explore Paris through a local and meaningful perspective
