France: Paris – Sacré-Cœur & the Monmartre

August 11, 2022
Ile de France
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Set high on hill Sacre Coeur is one of the most visible and famous landmarks in Paris.

The Sacré-Coeur, consecrated in 1919, is one of the most iconic monuments in Paris. At the top of the Butte Montmarte, it has one of the most beautiful panoramic views of the capital, from 130 metres above ground. In a Roman-Byzantine style, the Sacré Coeur is recognizable by its white colour. Inside the building, the ceiling is decorated with the largest mosaic in France measuring about 480 m². The crypt is also worth a visit. And to go even higher up, visitors can access the dome where the 360° view of Paris is magnificent.

There are plenty of ways to get to the Basilica de Sacré-Coeur. You will arrive at the bottom of some pretty steep steps, which you can choose to climb, or if you don’t fill like the climb you can use the funicular to get to the top. The views are worth it! In my opinion the best time to go is early evening or even after dark.

Montmartre

A short walk from the Sacré Coeur is the Place du Tertre. Here you will find restaurant terraces and easels belonging to the 298 artists who share 140 spaces, some of whom will paint your portrait for a few euros. Place du Tertre artists remind us of the heroic time when Montmartre was setting the trend of modern art. Penniless artists, including Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh and Picasso, lived in Montmartre in the late 19th / early 20th centuries. Their memory is kept in the charming Montmartre Museum.

Beyond the Place du Tertre is the district of Abbesses with its steep, winding roads, and at the bottom of the hill, the famous Moulin Rouge cabaret.

Planning your visit to the Basilica de Sacré-Coeur

Getting there
By Metro:
Jules Joffrin (M° 12) + Montmartrobus (Place du Tertre stop)
Pigalle (M° 12, M° 2) + Montmartrobus (Norvins stop)
Anvers (M° 2) + Funicular (one metro ticket) or
Abbesses stairs (M ° 12) + Funicular (one metro ticket) or stairs

By bus:

30 – 31 – 80 – 85 (arrival at the foot of the hill)

Small tourist train Promotrain: 131 rue de Clignancourt 75018 PARIS

Address:	1 Rue de la Légion d’Honneur, 75007 Paris,
Website:	https://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com/
Telephone:	T: +33 (0)1 40 49 48 14
Hours:	The opening hours of the basilica are from 6:30 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. For mass, hours check here.
Fees	Free

Best time to visit Paris

You’ll experience crowds from May to September, but encounter the most people in July (followed closely by June and August). We’d recommend visiting between October and April if your main objective is to avoid crowds. For the warmest temperatures, October and April are the best times to visit Paris sans crowds.

Other places to visit while in Paris

1. BANKS OF THE RIVER SEINE

The banks of the River Seine through the heart of Paris are listed as UNESCO world heritage site due to the incredible architecture of buildings such as Notre Dame, the Louvre and the Grand Palais and the examples of outstanding town planning, in particular, the large squares and avenues built by Haussmann at the time of Napoleon III have influenced town planning throughout the world.

2. VERSAILLES

The Palace of Versailles was the principal residence of the French kings from the time of Louis XIV to Louis XVI. Embellished by several generations of architects, sculptors, decorators and landscape architects, it provided Europe with a model of the ideal royal residence for over a century.

3. THE LOUVRE MUSEUM

The Louvre, or the Louvre Museum, is the world’s most-visited museum, and a historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. At any given point in time, approximately 38,000 objects from prehistory to the 21st century are being exhibited over an area of 72,735 square metres.

4. MUSEE D’ORSAY

Housed in a train station built for the 1900 World’s Fair, the Musée d’Orsay is known throughout the world for its rich collection of Impressionist paintings including masterpieces as iconic as the Bal au Moulin de la galette from Renoir or The room at Arles de Van Gogh. Its collections include works of architecture, decorative arts and photography in addition to traditional artistic fields (painting, sculpture, graphic arts). They thus draw a broad panorama of French and European art from 1848 to 1914.

5. THE PALAIS GARNIER

The Palais Garnier, also known as Opéra Garnier, is a 1,979-seat opera house at the Place de l’Opéra in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was built for the Paris Opera from 1861 to 1875 at the behest of Emperor Napoleon III. It is also famous due to its use as the setting for Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera.

6. PÈRE LACHAISE CEMETARY

The Père Lachaise cemetery takes its name from King Louis XIV’s confessor, Father François d’Aix de La Chaise. It is the most prestigious and most visited necropolis in Paris. Here you will find the graves of such famous people as Frédéric Chopin, Colette, Jean de La Fontaine, Molière, Yves Montand, Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, Camille Pissarro and Oscar Wilde are just a few.

7. CHÂTEAU DE FONTAINBLEAU

The Château de Fontainebleau is located in the small town bearing the same name and lies 40 miles (65 km) south-southeast of Paris by road. It has been the residence of 34 kings and two emperors, Fontainebleau is the only château that was lived in by every French monarch for almost eight centuries. With 1500 rooms, it is one of the biggest châteaux in France, and the most furnished in Europe.