Regions of France : Ile-de-France

Various kings and queens also thought it the ideal getaway retreat, so the region has more than its fair share of palaces, châteaux and vast forests used for their hunting expeditions.

At the turn of the 19th century, artists, writers and musicians were of the same opinion, the banks of the rivers Seine, Oise and Marne providing their inspiration.

Essonne

• Medicinal herbs in Milly la Forêt – along with Cocteau’s grave and decorated church
• One-eyed Cyclops in the forest
• Historic Etampes is another ‘Little Venice’

Hauts-de-Seine

• The royal palace and grounds just outside the city gates at Saint Cloud are easy to get to and free
• Daring architecture and high technology at La Défense
• World famous Sèvres porcelain on show in the National Ceramic Museum

Seine-et-Marne

• Well-to-do Fontainebleau with its royal palace and sprawling forest
• Smaller is more beautiful at Vaux le Vicomte, the alternative to Versailles
• Art lovers head for the artists’ haunt of Barbizon, near Fontainebleau

Seine-Saint-Denis

• Royal burial ground under the motorway interchange at Saint Denis
• Stade de France, the temple to football in Saint Denis
• Flight museum at Le Bourget

Val-d'Oise

• Pontoise has a remarkable cathedral – almost an architectural history lesson
• The Musée Pisarro in Pontoise
• Art students can see Van Gogh’s wheatfield at Auvers sur Oise

Val-de-Marne

• The Bois de Vincennes and its adjoining botanical garden
• The royal town of Vincennes with château, infamous dungeon, and zoo
• Singing and dancing in Nogent’s riverside restaurants

Yvelines

• Versailles is one of France’s “must see monuments”
• St Germain en Laye is the national antiquities centre
• Ile de Chatou on the Seine, was the inspiration for many Impressionists

Versailles

The Château de Versailles stands 15 miles (24km) southwest of Paris and is one of France's noted attractions. Most of the palace was built between 1664 and 1715 by Louis XIV (known as the Sun King), who turned his father's hunting lodge into the grandest palace ever built. The 'Old Château' still exists but is enveloped by the vast white stone façade of the New Château. This lavish statement of monarchical power was to become a symbol of the excess that would lead to the revolution of 1789. Perhaps the most famous room in the palace is the Hall of Mirrors (Galerie des Glaces) where the Treaty of Versailles was signed, signifying the end of the Great War. Within the palace visitors can also see the former Royal bedchambers, the grand staircase and other staterooms, and within the vast landscaped park and gardens are many wonderfully ornate fountains and ponds. There is a small train that ferries visitors from the palace to the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon, former love nests where both the Sun King and Napoleon enjoyed the company of their mistresses.