A Visit To Montmartre & Sacre Coeur
By traveltripz on Mar 31, 2007 in Paris, France, Europe
Up bright and early again and off to the Montmarte district to see the Basilica of Sacre Coeur.Montmarte is a hill in north of Paris which is not only known for the white dome of Sacre Coeur but also it’s nightclubs, primarily Moulin Rouge. The name Montmarte means ‘mountain of the martyr after St Denis the Bishop of Paris and who is the patron saint of France, was decapitated on the hill in approx 250 AD.
Montmarte was known as an artists community and Dali, Monet and Picasso were some of the artists who had studios in the area.
The place is actually quite dreary and dingy in the daylight and the Moulin Rouge obviously comes into it’s own at night because it looks very run down in the light of day.After getting off the bus, we trudged up the narrow streets past all the tacky souveneir shops up to the base of the basilica. It pays to be fit as it is a steep climb up the hill, and there are a lot of steps up to the basilica.
The view over Paris from the top is spectacular. Although we had overcast weather and a bit of a drizzle the sight back over the city to the Eiffel Tower was awesome.
The internal staircase winds around and around and you begin to wonder if you are ever going to reach the top. I remember making a comment about fat friars chasing alter boys up these winding stairs believe me the boys would have been safe.
1 Trackback(s)