We didn't make it inside the Sacre-Coeur, but we did wanter into the Saint-Pierre de Montmartre…read moreduring a recent visit to the neighborhood. Unlike its more famous neighbor, the Saint-Pierre had no wait and a surprisingly thin crowd for the area, which was otherwise thronged with tourists.
The Saint-Pierre is apparently the second oldest surviving church in Paris. Construction started in 1133, though the current facade only dates back to 1775. It is less impressive than, say, Sacre-Coeur, and you don't have to go out of your way to see it, but if you're already exploring Montmartre, you might as well have a look.
I went with my friend and my three-year-old during a ten-minute window we had to walk around the area. My son is a big talker who asks questions all day long, and the most memorable thing about this visit was the guard at the door who gave him a resounding shush as we crossed the threshold. It was kind of jarring, and borderline rude, but it was an efficient way to cross a language barrier and stop a child from talking. To my surprise, he shut up immediately, and we walked around the church in reverent silence.
The church was very pretty, old stonework and a lot of cool stained glass windows, which got all of our attention. We were in and out in a few minutes, but the Saint-Pierre was a worthwhile stop. Always humbling to wander into a random church in Europe and learn that it's older than my country, with almost a thousand years of history.