Sacre Coeur (photo: martinsoler.com)

Located on the top of the hill of Montmartre, at what is the highest natural point in Paris, the Basilique du Sacre Coeur stands proud as one of Paris’ most visited destinations.

The Sacre Coeur is one of the later churches built in Paris. It was completed in 1914 and opened in 1919 after the first world war.

Visible from almost all of Paris, it said that it was built to restore a feeling of respect and honesty in Paris after a terrible period (1870 when the church was commissioned).

The church is built out of white stone called travertine which exudes calcium and thus stays white (well almost) despite the weather and pollution.

As the state and church had already been separated the church was granted an approval to be built by the French government though it was financed essentially by donations and not by the state.

Currently the Sacre Coeur is the second most visited monument in Paris after Notre Dame.

How to visit Montmartre and Sacre Coeur?

Due to the massive amounts of tourists throughout the year, we recommend you make your visit to the Sacre Coeur very early in the morning. The church is open 24hours a day and you can enjoy an amazing sunrise over the hill if you’re coming in winter or enjoy the great view over Paris if the sun is already up.

As the church is on the top of a hill, and the stairs to get there are steep, we recommend you take some good walking shoes for the day. You can take the lift up (take the metro to Anvers) but that would spoil the joy of really experiencing Montmartre.