Introducing Paris...

THE FRENCH CAPITAL is rich in museums, art galleries and monuments. The Louvre, Eiffel Tower and Pompidou Centre are among the most popular sights.

Surrounding Paris, the Ile de France takes in 12,000 sq km (4,600 sq miles) of busy suburbs and commuter towns punctuated by chateaux, the most celebrated being Versalles. Further out, suburbia gives way to farmland, forest and the magnificent palace of Fontainebleau.