The Witch's Rock, Montmartre

Paris · France · Stone formation

A foreign boulder in the middle of Montmartre — and the old woman next door the local children were convinced was a genuine witch.

Between the avenue Junot and the rue Lepic runs a narrow, steep passage Parisians call the Passage de la Sorcière, the witch's passage. The name comes from a large, peculiar boulder lying halfway up the slope. The site was originally a spring — la Sourcière — but in the 19th century an old woman, said to be half mad, lived in the house facing the rock, and the children of the quarter were convinced she was a witch who took the air beside the boulder at dusk. Sourcière became Sorcière, and the stone was said to be either a fallen meteorite or her magical instrument. Geologists have since shown the block comes from the Marne region around Reims and must therefore have been carted here — which has only made the question of why more troubling.

FAQ

Where is The Witch's Rock, Montmartre located?

The Witch's Rock, Montmartre is in Paris, France.

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Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.