Sacré-Cœur rewards the climb with one of those views that make Paris seem almost impossibly…read morebeautiful. Walking up through Montmartre is good exercise in its own right, with the staircases near the top providing a wonderfully direct final approach as the white basilica rises above you. The surrounding neighborhood is beyond charming, and reaching the summit feels like a fitting culmination of exploring one of the city's most distinctive quarters.
Once there, the sweeping view across Paris is spectacular, particularly from the broad steps beneath the basilica. The Romano-Byzantine architecture is striking up close, while the enormous gold mosaic inside gives you another reason to step away from the panorama and enter the church. Few places capture Paris quite so completely: beautiful architecture, a lively neighborhood, and that extraordinary city unfolding beneath you.
