The
Sacre Coeur and the immediate area around it in Montmartre is one
of the most visited areas of Paris.
The church architecture itself seems to have more critics than supporters,
but it is certainly visible and has no hiding place. Perched on top
of the small hill of Montmartre, just to the north of the centre its
white domes are visible from miles around. The church itself is free
to walk around, but there are crowds. It normally feels more crowded
than Notre Dame.
You can pay a small fee to climb to the top of the church, but the
view is much the same as from the church steps. In front of the church
are steps and gardens stretching down to the bottom of the hill, opening
up the views of the centre of Paris.
There is a small funicular railway to one side for those that can't
make the hill under their own steam, but it really is a short distance.
Just on one side of the church is a square, perhaps one of the most
blatant tourist traps in Paris. Artists, cafe's and arts stalls fill
the square and further cafes spill out all round the perimeter. |
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There
is always a small army of artists, seemingly doing good business sketching
portraits of visitors. The square would be charming if it wasn't so
crowded and blatantly tourist.
Montmartre, although located well and truly in the centre of Paris
still retains a village atmosphere. The roads are narrow and very
little traffic comes up the hill, even the small bus is electric.
Many people wander around the streets of Montmartre which are pleasant,
its surprising how quickly the tourists disappear just a few hundred
metres from the church. Around the back of the church is a small park
where very few visitors go, and wandering around you will come across
an old vineyard, a couple of museums and several interesting buildings.
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Getting
There:
Montmartre is a couple of kilometres north of the tourist centre,
just north-west of the Gare Nord station.
There are several approaches.
Perhaps the most enjoyable is to get the Metro
to Abesses (line 12) where there is an old fashioned local shopping
street with plenty of interest, before climbing up the hill.
The classic route if you're in a hurry is to get the Metro to Anvers
(line 2), then walk directly up to the Sacre Coeur or take the funicular.
The other 'easy' way up is to get the Metro to Jules Joffrin (line
12) where the Montmartre electric bus starts. |
The
Paris Open Top Double Decker Bus Tours operated by L'OpenTour are
a common sight in Paris at all the major visitor attractions.
The formula is the same as many similar operations operating world-wide.
A ticket which entitles you to unlimited rides on the buses which
run along several routes passing all major Paris visitor attractions.
More
Details - Ticket Purchase
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