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Magworth, your guide tried to be sensible but he has deprived you of a fun evening. There is no danger in going to Pigalle if there is a group of you, and so long as you stick to main streets, main places (Moulin Rouge), etc.

You can also make it as part of a longer visit in that part of Paris, going from there up to the Sacre Coeur and then Place du Tertre, where all the amateurs painters are. It is very tourist oriented nowadays, but still worth seeing to my mind. Avoid having a drink in any of the bars - they are much too pricy.

I remember taking my English cousins there one night and the barman in one cafe tried to charge us exhorbitant prices; I gave him a piece of my man in very well chosen Paris slang words and he soon reduced the bill !

Sorry, a piece of my mind ! Typing desastrous today !

The only time I was in Pigalle was an evening at the Moulin Rouge, with a small group.
But I have walked to the Sacre Coeur and Place du Tertre several times on my own.

Super view from the top of the Sacre Coeur - better than the Eiffel Tower in my opinion.

I climbed Sacre Coeur from the inside, up many steps and was able to stand on the very top between the towers. I am not sure you can still do that. It was wonderful, just me and a few pigeons looking down on Paris. I also went into the crypt and couldn't find my way out again. It seemed like hours before I finally emerged.

Quite frankly, the only reason I did not get lost is because I was with my Father, as I was a youngster.
I took the same cousins into the Basilique, but not in the crypt.

Another lovely view is from the top of the Arc de Triomphe - all these avenues which leave from the Arc make me think of a star exploding in 8 or 10 directions. Haussmann did a great job in enhancing the perspective

Another fantastic way to see a lot of monuments lit at night while enjoying a meal is on the Bateaux Mouche; OK, the food is not exactly 5 stars, but it is a very pleasant experience and should be a 'must' for anyone who wishes to enjoy the scenery from the River.

I agree about the Arc de Triomphe -especially the view out to that weird "hypercube" at La Redoute(?).

P.S. we stayed near the Arc de Triomphe once, in late October. We had gone for an open top bus ride and returned frozen. It was then that I introduced a Parisian bar owner to the delights of our local drink in East Lancashire - "benny and hot" (Benedictine with hot water). He took some convincing!

I'm not surprised ! I would never have imagined that mixture could be a pleasant drink ! A glass of Vin Chaud is probably more common in France !

When was that 'hypercube' thingy built ? I have been away from Paris for so long (apart from a few one day trips) that there are lot of new buildings I don't know.

One thing I hate though is the glass pyramide in the Louvres inner court - I know a lot of people like it, but I cannot get used to it.

Try it pigale - very warming!

It dates back to the "Accrington Pals" regiment finding the Benedictine factory during the First World War. They developed a taste for it, and still more is sold within 20 miles of Accrington than in the rest of the UK put together (I think). Bars around here had to keep Thermos flasks of hot water ready in case anyone asked for a "Benny and hot".

The hypercube was there in the 80s, but I think it was fairly new.