Visit the Amélie Film Locations in Paris

Amélie, or Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain, to give it the complete title, is one of the funniest and most charming films of recent years to be set in Paris. It makes a wonderful preview of Paris for many visitors and the best bit? This area of Paris really has the ‘village feel’ depicted in the film, and it is possible to visit it. Here’s where to find the Amélie filming locations in Paris.

Paris is a large city but the area Amélie calls home is relatively compact. Montmartre is spread out across the Butte de Montmartre (a hill in the north of Paris), on top of which stands Sacre Coeur. Montmartre has a charm all of its own and offers the visitor a maze of old cobbled streets to wander, views to enjoy and cafes to indulge in. Exploring the same streets Amélie walked just makes it even more magical.

Locations in Montmartre:

Café des Deux Moulins

The most obvious must-see is the café where Amélie worked as a waitress (pictured above), both because it features a lot in the film, and because the café today pays homage to and celebrates the film with a large Amélie film poster on the back wall. Much of the original décor remains, although Georgette’s tabac corner is gone. While you’re there make sure you crack the top of a crème brulée with a spoon Amélie-style!

Maison Collignon – 56 rue des Trois Freres

Monsieur Collignon’s business still operates as a small corner shop, although a lot more calmly than in the film. The already-existing shop made famous by the film today sells fruit, vegetables, groceries, and these days, familiar with tourist visits, a few postcards. The window along the west side of the shop is filled with newspaper cuttings about the making of the film and interviews with the (real) owner of the shop. Amélie’s flat was upstairs, accessible via the first door on the west side of the building.

Lamarck Caulaincourt Metro – between rues Lamarck and Caulaincourt

This is the metro station where Amélie parts ways with the blind man to whom she described, in a whirlwind of vivid details, all the life surrounding them as she helped him cross the street. Don’t be surprised that the shops are not in the mere steps from the metro, as they seem to be in the film; they are all nearby.

Palace Video – Toys Palace, 37 Boulevard de Clichy

The sex shop where Nino works was called Palace Video, but is now named Toys Palace and can be found on main road Boulevard de Clichy in the Pigalle district, just down the hill, south of Montmartre.

Sacre Coeur and Square Louise Michel

Landmark Sacre Coeur is famous in its own right, but is also where Amélie sets up her treasure hunt trail for Nino to reclaim his beloved photo album and she telephones him from the public call box at the bottom of the hill (on Square Louise Michel). There is a lovely carousel here and it is a great spot from which to photograph Sacre Coeur.

Locations beyond Montmartre, but not far away:

Notre Dame – Ile de Cité

Careful if you look up while outside Notre Dame; this is where Amélie’s mother died after a suicidal tourist jumped from the bell tower and landed on her!

Pont des Arts –between the Institut de France and the Louvre

Walk north across the Seine river, as Amélie did, and see if you also feel a ‘surge of love’ and desire to start doing good deeds!

Canal St Martin – 10th arrondissement

If, like Amélie, you enjoy skimming stones over the surface of water, Canal St Martin is where she skims one.

La Motte-Picquet Grenelle Metro – Line 6, 15th arrondissement

This is where Amélie sees Nino’s ‘Ou et Quand?’ posters

These Amélie filming locations are all in central Paris and easy to get to. So, if you’ve ever fantasised about having an Amélie moment next time you’re in Paris. Why not?

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