Paris: Montmartre Brunch Tour for Foodies

It’s difficult not feel as though you’re climbing the stairway to heaven when you visit this basilica. The French government commissioned it to represent the return of their self-confidence in 1873: the devastating preceding years of the Commune and the Franco-Prussian War had made their mark on the Parisian psyche. You’ll notice elements from Romanesque and Byzantine styles in its appearance — a mixture many critics of the time dismissed as naff. Today, the Sacré-Coeur and the surrounding area are a destination for young couples, tourists and, of course, those who still use it as a church.

Most people come to Sacré-Coeur to admire the extraordinary view from the top of its 83 metre dome; added to its situation 130 metres above sea level, this makes it the second-highest point in Paris after the Eiffel Tower.

On the inside there’s another visual treat— a massive golden mosaic, created in 1922 by Luc-Olivier Merson, sits high above the choir. Also worth noting are the portico’s bronze doors decorated with biblical scenes, the vaulted arches in the crypt and the stained-glass windows. One of the world’s heaviest bells hangs high up in the campanile; La Savoyarde weighs about 19 tons.

For any budding photographers, on clear blue-sky days it’s possible to take amazing photos in the evening, the white of the basilica standing out against the pink and blue of the evening sky.

For those who prefer to avoid walking up, there is a funicular which accepts metro tickets.

Today Montmartre is talked about by Parisians the way New Yorkers talk about ‘the Village’: ‘it's not what it used to be,’ ‘it's like Disneyland,’ ‘the artists can't afford to live here’ are some common complaints. But in truth, most of the great bohemians left after the outbreak of World War I.

During what is referred to as the Belle Époque, many notable artists lived and worked in Montmartre from 1872 to 1914, where the rents were low and the atmosphere congenial to expression. Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Raoul Dufy and Maurice Utrillo all shared the same address at different times - 12 rue Cartot - which is now the Musée de Montmartre. Renoir's famous windmill, the Moulin de la Galette, is at the top of the district.

Picasso painted one of his most important masterpieces, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, whilst living here; Vincent van Gogh, Raymond Duchamp-Villon, Henri Matisse and Edgar Degas all worked in Montmartre and drew some inspiration from the area.

Montmartre still has a great feel, and is also home to two notable churches that are both well worth seeing: the Sacré-Coeur and Saint-Pierre de Montmartre. The district's high altitude - though not quite the mountain its name suggests, it is certainly quite a hill - offers views over Paris rivalled only by the Eiffel Tower.

Start your tour at metro Blanche and gradually enter the district on a pilgrimage into the place that nurtured France's great artists. Try to lose yourself in the steep and cobbled streets of one of the most historic and interesting neighbourhoods in Paris.

Artists gather

Today Montmartre is talked about by Parisians the way New Yorkers talk about ‘the Village’: ‘it's not what it used to be,’ ‘it's like Disneyland,’ ‘the artists can't afford to live here’ are some common complaints. But in truth, most of the great bohemians left after the outbreak of World War I.

During what is referred to as the Belle Époque, many notable artists lived and worked in Montmartre from 1872 to 1914, where the rents were low and the atmosphere congenial to expression. Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Raoul Dufy and Maurice Utrillo all shared the same address at different times - 12 rue Cartot - which is now the Musée de Montmartre. Renoir's famous windmill, the

, is at the top of the district.

Picasso painted one of his most important masterpieces,

, whilst living here; Vincent van Gogh, Raymond Duchamp-Villon, Henri Matisse and Edgar Degas all worked in Montmartre and drew some inspiration from the area.

Montmartre still has a great feel, and is also home to two notable churches that are both well worth seeing: the

and

. The district's high altitude - though not quite the mountain its name suggests, it is certainly quite a hill - offers views over Paris rivalled only by the Eiffel Tower.

Start your tour at metro Blanche and gradually enter the district on a pilgrimage into the place that nurtured France's great artists. Try to lose yourself in the steep and cobbled streets of one of the most historic and interesting neighbourhoods in Paris.