When visiting Paris, most travelers think of a few specific landmarks: The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe. While all these should be must-see’s on every tourists list, there is one place in particular that comes art, culture, history, religion, entertainment, and a beautiful Paris view. This place is Sacre Coeur and is situated on the highest point in Paris.
To get to Sacre Coeur you can take the metro line 2 to “Anvers”. When stepping off the metro, you will immediately feel a change in ambiance as compared to the other site regions. This area is edgier and is a combination of art mixed with red light district. Your first stop before making your journey should be to a liquor store or wine shop to pick up some vino or champagne to drink up on the hill of Sacre Coeur. While there are wine shops near the Basilica Sacre Coeur, they are more expensive with less options. You should also pick up some picnic items, such as cheese, crackers, fruit, and meat to have a meal with your wine on the hill. You will be able to see the Basilica from the bottom where you exit the metro, so just walk towards it, going uphill.
The Basilica Sacre Coeur is the main site, positioned at the very top of the hill. Designed by Paul Abadie in a Roman Byzantine style, the structure is made of travertine which bleaches over time, giving the church a pristine sheen. Tourists can go inside and make their way to the top dome for great photos and a spectacular Paris view.
Walking around the basilica, you will find a meditation garden and fountain, perfect if you would like to relax, write in your journal, or take some time to find your inner peace. Continue walking to visit the many souvenir shops, making your way to the front lawn and steps of the basilica where you can almost always find singers, musicians, and other performers putting on a show for the crowd. Here, you can drink your wine, enjoy the entertainment, and take in a 360-degree Paris view. This is a great place to watch the sunset.
A bonus to this area is that it is only a few streets away from Place du Tertre, an art hub where you can find paintings and caricatures galore. The art region stems from a history that began in the beginning of the 20th century when many poor artists lived, worked, and frequented the area, including Pablo Picasso.
Top photo credit via florianplag.
Jessica Festa is the editor of the travel sites Jessie on a Journey (http://jessieonajourney.com) and Epicure & Culture (http://epicureandculture.com). Along with blogging at We Blog The World, her byline has appeared in publications like Huffington Post, Gadling, Fodor’s, Travel + Escape, Matador, Viator, The Culture-Ist and many others. After getting her BA/MA in Communication from the State University of New York at Albany, she realized she wasn’t really to stop backpacking and made travel her full time job. Some of her most memorable experiences include studying abroad in Sydney, teaching English in Thailand, doing orphanage work in Ghana, hiking her way through South America and traveling solo through Europe. She has a passion for backpacking, adventure, hiking, wine and getting off the beaten path.
