Montmartre / Sacré-Cœur
Montmartre / Basilique du Sacré-Cœur
The white Sacré-Cœur basilica atop Paris's highest point and a hilltop square crowded with painters, the Moulin Rouge, the Deux Moulins café from Amélie, and stone staircases. An artistic highland with a bohemian spirit.
Montmartre is a hill 130 meters above sea level in northern Paris. In the late 19th century it was home to artists such as Renoir, Picasso, and Modigliani, and it still keeps a village feel, with cobbled alleys, vineyards, and windmills. The Sacré-Cœur basilica at the summit was built between 1875 and 1914. Its white Romano-Byzantine dome is made of a limestone that cleans itself in the rain. The church is free to enter and contains France's largest mosaic. For about €8 you can climb 300 steps to the dome for a view over Paris. The steps and lawn in front of the church are a free spot to watch the sunset and the view over the city, and they are also a stage for street performers. Behind the basilica, Place du Tertre is packed with painters who draw portraits and silhouettes on the spot (portraits cost about €30–60; agree on the price first). Within a 10-minute walk are the Dalí Museum, the Musée de Montmartre (where Renoir once lived), the Lapin Agile cabaret, the Wall of Love (with 'I love you' written in 250 languages), the Art Nouveau Metro entrance at Place des Abbesses, and the Deux Moulins café from *Amélie*. At the foot of the hill, in the Pigalle district, are the Moulin Rouge (song-and-dance shows from about €100; reservation required) and the Montmartre Cemetery. Getting there: take Metro Line 2 to Anvers station and climb along Steinkerque street, or take Line 12 to Abbesses station. A funicular, which you can ride with a Metro ticket, saves you from climbing the steps. Watch out for 'friendship bracelet' scams and pickpockets at the foot of the hill and on the steps, and never let a stranger tie a string on your wrist. Photography is not allowed inside the church. Restaurants on Place du Tertre are relatively expensive.
Opening hours
Sacred Heart Church 6:30 a.m.–10:30 p.m.; dome 10:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. (until 5:00 p.m. in winter)
Nearby sights
- Galeries Lafayette Haussmann
- Palais Garnier
- Printemps Haussmann
- Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection
- Musée d'Orsay
- Louvre Museum
- Tuileries Garden & Place de la Concorde
- Canal Saint-Martin