Montmartre was originally called Mont des Martyrs after the first bishop of Paris, St Denis, was beheaded here by the Romans. Legend has it that he picked up his head, washed it off in a fountain, and carried it until he collapsed quite far away in what is now the St Denis Basilica. Anytime you see a statue of a saint carrying his own head, that's St Denis.
The Métro Abbesses has one of the last intact Guimard Art Nouveau entrances, which you should reach from the underground by taking the never-ending staircase instead of the elevator. Why? Because the paintings in the stairwell are cute, and who doesn't need to walk off a croissant or two? Love the shopping along the streets between Place des Abbesses and the Montmartre Funicular. Lots of funky clothing and house décor stuff. There are tons of good café terraces, too.
I still think Place du tertre is horrid, but the nearby l'Espace Montmartre Salvador Dali is worth the high admission if you like Dali at all. Artists have always been a part of Montmartre, and if you DO want a portrait, get one from one of the seated artists who have samples to show you, they're much more reliable since they're pretty permanent. You'll see Toulouse-Lautrec posters everywhere, as well as the typical touristy stuff that probably costs less back home. One interesting historical note, the name 'bistro' came from the Cossacks who frequented Montmartre in the early 1800s, who used to pound the tables in cafés and yell "Bistro!" the Russian word for "faster!"
The Sacré-Coeur Basilica was built between 1875 and 1914 in penitence for the sins of the Communards after the Franco-Prussian War. Supposedly there has been someone on duty non-stop since 1885 praying for the sins of the Commune. Many disregard its strange cake-white exterior and the darkish interior, and head straight for the view from the top of the dome. Funnily enough, the locals were worried that the basilica would ruin their little hilltop village atmosphere, and one has to wonder if the tour busses would still be there without it. Down below the basilica is the Square Willette, named after the Moulin Rouge architect who said even God wouldn't want to live in Sacré-Coeur, and reportedly yelled "Long live the devil!" on the inauguration day.
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