Sacré Coeur is the second most popular tourist destination in Paris after the Eiffel Tower. And though some locals will say it's not the area it used to be, it is absolutely worthy of a visit.
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Montmartre is primarily known for its artistic history, for the white-domed Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur on its summit, and as a nightclub district.
Rue de l'Abreuvoir is located in the Montmartre neighbourhood of Paris, France. It is nestled in the 18th arrondissement, not far from the famous Sacré-Cœur Basilica.
It's not a particularly challenging walk, though there are hilly sections, and Montmartre has some cobbled streets so trainers or walking shoes are a good idea.
The interior of Sacré-Cœur Basilica is just as impressive. Take your time to admire the 480-square-metre mosaic illustrating Christ with a golden heart – it's the biggest mosaic in France. You can also see stained-glass windows, which were restored after WWII, as well as its famous grand pipe organ.
At the top of the Montmartre hill, the Sacré Coeur Basilica (Sacred Heart), provides truly breathtaking views of the capital and the Eiffel Tower. From here you can clearly see the Iron Lady stretch high into the Parisian sky, setting itself apart from all the other buildings around it.
Montmartre is a safe neighbourhood. Down the hill, it's Pigalle which is the equivalent of the Red-Light district. As it is very touristy during the day and night you should not have any problems.
The area around Place Pigalle is seedy at night, but not all of Monmartre. The usual big city con artists hang out around Monmartre, mainly to take advantage of gullible tourists, but there isn't any major risk to your safety that you won't find elsewhere in Paris.
Self-guided Montmartre walking tour mapIf you'd like to do this Montmartre walk yourself, click on the map below to access directions through Google maps. The route is just over 2.5km (1.6 miles) and takes 35 minutes to walk straight through, but allow a couple of hours to include stops.
Montmartre is safe at night, but there's nothing to see; all the interesting activity (artists, shops, etc.) takes place during the day. Sacré-Cœur is nicely lit in the evening, but that's about it. Some areas to the east of Sacré-Cœur are dicey in the evenings, but tourists never go there, anyway.
Toilets with attendants are scattered around Paris. You can find them in railway stations and in a few other locations near famous places, such as the Madeleine, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre-Dame, Sacré-Cœur, the Eiffel Tower, and so on.