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Ile
de France (literally the island of France) is the greater metropolitan
area of Paris which has a population of around 9 million. It is
Europe’s largest city and an economic and cultural powerhouse.
Few countries are so dominated by their capital as Paris does France.
Using the Eiffel Tower as a vantage point, Ile de France sprawls
past the horizon in every direction. It is not all urban however
and contains many beautiful parks and gardens and semi rural areas.
For those wishing to spend some time exploring Paris it may work
out well to chose one of the less congested and less expensive outlying
areas of Ile de France and make forays into the city by train (avoiding
rush hours). Paris is a lot more expensive than other areas of France
so it pays to be organised.
Paris | Paris | Ile de France | 75000
Paris (pronounced Paree) is one of the best known and evocative
cities on earth. Located on the Seine River in the central north
of France, it is Europe’s largest city (greater metropolitan
area est 12 million) and arguably it’s most important. Paris
is the economic and cultural hub of continental Europe. It is the
headquarters for 10 of the world’s top 100 corporations and
the home of organizations like UNESCO and the OECD.
Historically, the Paris area has been permanently inhabited by humans
for over 6,000 years. It became a Roman town from 52 BC to 400 AD
and was known as Lutetia. It was the capital of the Frankish King
Clovis in 500 AD. The death of Clovis saw Paris decline in importance
in favour of Burgundy. The Vikings, who eventually settled in Normandy
and became Normans, besieged Paris in 885-886. In the late 12th
Century Paris began its ascendancy when King Philip Augustus fortified
the city and soon after established Paris University which was to
attract students from all over Europe. King Louis XIV built the
incredible Chateau Versaille just outside Paris, which further cemented
it as the capital and key centre in Europe. The French revolution
was largely played out in Paris and Napoleon who was a product of
the revolution chose Paris as the capital for his empire. Paris
developed enormously during the industrial revolution of the 19th
Century. It almost fell during the First World War and was captured
by the Germans in the Second World War, but was liberated fairly
easily and virtually intact.
Paris receives more international visitors than any other city in
the world. It has three international airports, several long distance
train stations and is ringed with autoroutes. The Seine River is
navigable all the way to the coast where the major port of Le Harve
is located. The Paris Metro and regional transport network is among
the largest and most comprehensive public transport systems in the
world.
Paris contains some of the most visited and recognizable attractions
in the world such as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Champs
Elysee, Louvre, Notre Dame and Sacre Couer Cathedrals to name a
few. The museums of Paris rank among the best in the world.
Around Paris there are many popular attractions such as the Loire
Valley, the Champagne Region, the Somme battlefields, Chateau Versaille
and numerous themeparks including Disneyland Paris.
Exploring Paris and doing it justice would probably take
a month. For first timers wanting to scratch the surface the following
shopping list usually ticks the boxes.
• Going
up the Eiffel
Tower for a panoramic of Paris
• Hunchback spotting at Notre Dame Cathedral.
• Queuing with all the other Dan Brown tragics at the Louvre
Museum to see the Mona Lisa
• Cruising the River Seine on a Batobus
• Counting the McDonalds and Burger King joints lining the
Champs
Elysees
• Witnessing the world’s maddest roundabout at the Arc
de Triomphe
• Having a ‘Fawlty Towers’ moment with a Parisian
waiter
• Dinner show at the Moulin
Rouge
• Getting lost on the Paris
Metro
• Visit the magnificent, sprawling Palace
of Versailles
Allow
about three days to get all this out of your system before getting
amongst the real France. Remember that prices in Paris are generally
much higher that elsewhere in France so it’s not really the
place to dawdle.
Guidebooks will save you time and money especially once you are
there. We recommend DK Eyewitness guides. Not only is the information
accurate and detailed, but they are packed full of attractive photographs
and diagrams that are not generally a feature of the other guides.
DK guides tend to focus on specific cities or regions rather than
whole countries.
Download
detailed Paris Guide from ParisInfo.com
Paris
Climate & Weather Forecast
Versailles | Yvelines | Ile de France | 78000
Versailles is a city on the western outskirts of Paris that is home
to one of the most remarkable palaces on earth, the Chateau de Versailles.
Versailles was commissioned by Louis XIV and in 1682 was made the
capital of France. The chateau and city were planned and laid out
symmetrically with no expense spared. It was the object of admiration
throughout Europe underlining France’s dominance of the continent.
Today the city Versailles is basically a wealthy outer suburb of
Paris, but the chateau has been meticulously preserved and is one
of the most visited and revered sites in Europe.
Getting
there from the UK
By road and ferry from Dover to Calais, Boulogne or Dunkerque. Use
Viamichelin.com
routeplanner
By air from London,
Manchester, Glasgow, Exeter, Leeds, Liverpool, Nottingham Norwich,
Newcastle, Sheffield
By rail via the Eurostar
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