Montmartre and Sacre Cœur, Paris, France

© Tuul & Bruno Morandi/Getty Image

Game on. Paralympic Games begin in Paris

The Summer Paralympic Games get underway in Paris today. More than 4,000 athletes from all around the world will meet in the French capital to compete in 22 sports across 549 different events. Delegations from 184 nations will parade down the iconic Champs-Élysées to the Place de la Concorde rather than entering a stadium. This year, the Canadian Paralympic Team consists of 20 members that includes five Paralympic medallists, like Greg Stewart and Brent Lakatos. The first official Paralympic Games were held in Rome in 1960. 23 nations took part, competing in eight sports, including wheelchair basketball and para-athletics.

Today's image takes us to an icon of Parisian life: the Sacré-Cœur Basilica in the Montmartre neighbourhood. Completed in 1914, the church stands at the top of one of the highest points in Paris. It offers impressive views over the city, taking in the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, the Panthéon and much more. If you're in Paris to enjoy the Paralympics, it's the perfect spot to soak up the beauty of the host city.