Museums.artTickets
Number 4 of 20 in Paris

Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur: the village above Paris

Montmartre is a hill 130 metres high on the northern edge of Paris, with a white basilica on its summit and the city's best free view from the steps in front of it.

The white domes of the Sacré-Cœur basilica above the gardens on the hill of Montmartre, under a blue sky.
Giò Terra, CC BY-SA 4.0
What it is
Walk
Time to allow
2 to 3 hours
Cost
Free, ticket for the dome
Best time
Early morning, or at sunset

Paris this week

    Why Montmartre is worth it

    Montmartre was a village outside Paris until 1 January 1860, and its lanes still look like one: cobbles, ivy, small houses, a working vineyard. That is why the painters came. Renoir, Van Gogh, Modigliani and Picasso all lived and worked on the hill, and it was in a ramshackle studio here, the Bateau-Lavoir, that Picasso painted Les Demoiselles d'Avignon.

    At the top stands the Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur, begun in 1875, finished in 1914 and consecrated in 1919. It is built of a travertine that whitens as it weathers, which is why it never looks dirty. Entry to the basilica is free. The dome rises 83 metres from the top of the hill, and looks over Paris from some two hundred metres above the Seine.

    The walk is the point. Come up by the back streets, not the stairs in front of the basilica, and you will have the rue de l'Abreuvoir and the vineyard almost to yourself before you meet the crowd at the top.

    What to see

    1. The Sacré-Cœur

      Inside, the apse is covered by one of the largest mosaics in the world, 475 square metres of it, finished in 1923. The bell, the Savoyarde, was cast in 1895 and weighs about 19 tons.

    2. The view from the steps

      The terrace in front of the basilica looks south over the whole of Paris. It is free and open at all hours, and it is at its best at sunrise and at dusk.

    3. Rue de l'Abreuvoir and the Maison Rose

      The prettiest street on the hill curves down from the Place Dalida past a pink house that has been painted and photographed for a century, with the dome of the basilica behind.

    4. The vineyard

      The Clos Montmartre is a small vineyard on the north side of the hill, which still produces about 500 litres of wine a year.

    5. Place du Tertre

      The old village square, where portrait painters set up their easels. Crowded and commercial, and still worth five minutes.

    How to do it well

    • Start at Abbesses or Lamarck-Caulaincourt and walk up through the back streets. Leave by the steps in front of the basilica, so the view opens at the end.
    • The rue Foyatier has 222 steps. The funicular beside it takes an ordinary metro ticket.
    • Go before ten in the morning or after six in the evening. In the middle of the day the Place du Tertre is shoulder to shoulder.
    • The climb to the dome is separate from the basilica, by a narrow stair, and has a ticket.
    • Keep your phone and wallet in a front pocket around the steps and the funicular, and walk past anyone who tries to tie a bracelet on your wrist.

    Where it is

    Address

    The hill of Montmartre, 18th arrondissement

    Nearest station

    Abbesses, on line 12, or Anvers, on line 2, for the funicular

    Museums and sights nearby

    Distances are in a straight line.

    Tickets and tours: Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur

    Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur: common questions

    Is it free to visit the Sacré-Cœur?
    Yes. Entry to the basilica is free. Only the climb to the dome has a ticket.
    How do you get up to Montmartre?
    On foot from the Abbesses or Anvers metro stations. From Anvers, the rue Foyatier climbs 222 steps to the basilica, and the funicular beside it does the same for an ordinary metro ticket.
    Which artists lived in Montmartre?
    Renoir, Van Gogh, Modigliani and Picasso among them. Picasso painted Les Demoiselles d'Avignon in his studio at the Bateau-Lavoir, on the hill.
    How much time do you need for Montmartre?
    Allow 2 to 3 hours. That is this site's estimate for an unhurried visit.

    What visitors say about Montmartre

    Rating from Google

    4.7

    168,834 ratings on Google

    Google's figures as read on 4 October 2026.

    Read every review on Google

    Things to do near Montmartre

    The nearest of this site's best things to do in the city. Distances are in a straight line.

    All 20 things to do in Paris

    Artists to see near Montmartre

    The museums nearest to here, and the most famous artists on show in each.

    All artists

    Hotels near Montmartre

    The five-star hotels closest to it, of those this site lists in Paris. Distances are in a straight line.

    All 20 hotels in Paris, ranked
    All 20 things to do in ParisMuseums and attractions in Paris