Montmartre is Paris at its most vertical: a former village in the 18th arrondissement, laced with cobbled lanes, staircases and traces of the artists who once lived and worked here. Picasso, Modigliani and Toulouse-Lautrec all passed through its studios and cabarets, helping to shape the neighbourhood’s lasting association with modern art.
At the summit, the white Sacré-Cœur Basilica is a striking piece of Romano-Byzantine architecture. Conceived as an act of national penance after France’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, it also carries the complicated political legacy of the Paris Commune. Inside, the vast apse mosaic of Christ presides over a working church where perpetual adoration has been observed since 1885.
The basilica’s terrace offers a sweeping view over Paris, particularly appealing in the soft light of early morning or late afternoon. Beyond the crowds and portrait artists of Place du Tertre, seek out the Musée de Montmartre and the lanes around the neighbourhood’s small vineyard for a quieter sense of the hill’s history.
Visit early on a weekday for a calmer experience, and keep voices low inside the basilica. Entry to the church is free, while the dome climb has a separate charge. The funicular near Anvers métro station spares you the steepest ascent; after exploring, walk down toward Abbesses for cafés away from the busiest streets around the summit.