About Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur
Montmartre stayed outside Paris's limits until January 1, 1860, and it still climbs its slope with a village air. Picasso painted Les Demoiselles d'Avignon at the Bateau-Lavoir, Renoir and Van Gogh also passed through, and on the Place du Tertre the painters still portray tourists. On Rue Saint-Vincent, a small vineyard produces about 500 liters of wine a year.
At the top, the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur, begun in 1875 and consecrated in 1919, has a trick: Château-Landon stone releases calcite in the rain, which helps keep the facade white. Entry to the basilica is free, and those with breath to spare can climb to the dome.
