Sacré-Cœur Basilica

The basilica was conceived as a national act of atonement and hope after France's crushing defeat by Prussia in 1871 and the violent civil unrest of the Paris Commune that followed. Rather than being funded by the state, construction was paid for almost entirely through public subscription, with donations collected from parishes across the country — a basilica built, quite literally, by the French public rather than for it.

Architect Paul Abadie won the design competition with a Romano-Byzantine plan partly inspired by the medieval domes of Saint-Front in Périgueux, a deliberate break from the Gothic and Baroque styles that dominate the rest of Paris's churches. Construction began in 1875 but was not finished until 1914, slowed by the challenge of anchoring such a massive structure into Montmartre's unstable, gypsum-riddled hillside, which eventually required eighty pillars sunk deep into the bedrock. The First World War delayed consecration further still, until 1919.

The basilica's pale stone comes from a quarry near Château-Landon, and it has an unusual property: it secretes calcite whenever it rains, which is why Sacré-Cœur appears to whiten rather than grey with age, unlike most stone buildings exposed to a century of Parisian weather.

Inside, the apse holds one of the largest mosaics in the world, depicting Christ with arms outstretched over the city below — a fitting image for a building that spent nearly forty years rising above Paris before it was even finished.

Entry to the basilica and the panoramic terrace on its front steps is free, and the view across the city costs nothing to enjoy at any hour. Climbing the dome for an even higher vantage point requires a separate ticket, priced modestly, and rewards the climb with one of the widest views in Paris.

The steps and terrace get extremely crowded, especially around sunset, so arriving early in the morning or visiting outside peak hours makes for a much calmer experience. As with most crowded tourist spots, keep an eye on your belongings and be wary of anyone offering bracelets, "surveys" or other unsolicited approaches on the steps.