Cities & towns of Ile-de-France

The capital of France attracts more visitors with every passing year, and with good reason! At once romantic, prestigious, lively, vibrant, creative and incredibly rich in culture and architecture, the city of Paris is brimming with countless attractions. Its various districts, all very different from each other, and its plethora of museums, exceptional monuments, magnificent parks, designer boutiques, Art Déco brasseries, typical little bistros and old bookshops are sure to enchant you. Art-lovers can’t help but be seduced by the masterpieces at the Louvre, the Impressionist collections of the Orsay Museum, the canvases and sculptures at the Picasso Museum, or the paintings at the Carnavalet Museum. There is plenty of architectural heritage too, and the greatest eras of history have made their mark all over Paris. From Antiquity, with the Gallo-Roman thermal baths in Cluny, to the 19th century with the unmissable Eiffel Tower and the majestic Arc de Triompe, through the Middle Ages with the famous cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris and the picturesque John the Fearless Tower, visitors in search of sightseeing are spoilt for choice! And after a pleasant walk on the banks of the Seine or along the peaceful paths in the Garden of Plants, Monceau Park or the Tuileries Garden, you surely won’t want ever want to leave this charming and splendid city of a thousand faces!

In den Hauts-de-Seine, ein Departement voller Kontraste, harmoniert die Architektur des Viertels La Défense wie selbstverständlich mit dem Jahrhunderte alten Know-how der Keramikstadt Sèvres.

Das Departement mit der Ordnungsnummer 92 ist geprägt von Geschichte, Kunst und Kultur. Eines seiner Aushängeschilder ist ohne Zweifel das Schloss Malmaison, eine legendäre Stätte, die heute ein Nationalmuseum zur Erinnerung an Napoleon ist. Aber auch andere Kulturorte, die sich auf namhafte Persönlichkeiten spezialisiert haben, sind einen Besuch wert, darunter das Museum und die Gärten Albert-Kahn, die Stiftung Arp, das Museum Paul-Belmondo und das Museum Rodin. Das Museum der 1930er Jahre in Boulogne-Billancourt, das Heimatmuseum in Rueil-Malmaison oder der Hügel Valérien und das Memorial der Escadrille von La Fayette sind beliebte Ziele bei Geschichtsbegeisterten.

Wer gerne in Städten flaniert, wird Neuilly-sur-Seine, Meudon, Rueil-Malmaison und Saint-Cloud lieben. Naturfreunde haben die Wahl zwischen weiten Naturräumen und prestigeträchtigen Domänen, von denen eine harmonischer und ruhiger als die andere ist: Vallée-aux-Loups, Sceaux, Saint-Cloud und der schöne Wald von Meudon.

Seine-Saint-Denis is brimming with attractions and places to discover. The Basilica of St. Denis, a Gothic architectural gem and a royal necropolis, is one of the jewels in its crown. In a different vein, take in the lively atmosphere of the Paris Saint-Ouen flea market, which has no fewer than 12 markets, all with different identities! The Air and Space Museum in Le Bourget, France's biggest aeronautical museum, as well as the legendary Stade de France are other renowned visitor attractions in the area.

Seine-Saint-Denis always makes space for nature, with its many departmental parks: Haute-Île, Île-Saint-Denis, Sausset, La Courneuve Georges-Valbon or Jean-Moulin - Les Guilands. If you like tall trees, opt for the La Poudrerie forest park, or if a waterside stroll is more your thing, head for the Canal Saint-Denis or the Canal de l'Ourcq.

Take in some history and culture at the Shoah Memorial in Drancy, the old Mécano factory in La Courneuve or the old Bouilhet-Christofle silverware factory, and be sure to discover the rich heritage in the towns of Saint-Denis, Neuilly-sur-Marne or Pantin.

With its guinguettes (cafés, usually open-air, with a dance floor) on the banks of the Marne, boat trips, parks and gardens, the Val-de-Marne is an ideal destination for those who love leisurely strolls.

A secret garden in Ile-de-France, the department of Essonne, with its scenery of fields, forests, valleys and rivers, has many beautiful parks and gardens which are ideal for a relaxing stroll, like the ones in Courances, Courson and Saint-Jean-de-Beauregard. Discover Essonne by taking a look at its many castles and museums, and don't forget to visit the medieval town of Dourdan, the charming village of Milly-la-Forêt, the Church of Saint-Sulpice-of-Favières and Estampes, Town of Art and History.

The Seine-et-Marne département in the east of the Île-de-France region boasts extensive agricultural land and a rich natural and built heritage, including the celebrated Fontainebleau forest, a paradise for outdoor activities, magnificent parks and gardens, sumptuous palaces such as Fontainebleau and Vaux le Vicomte, the beautiful Grand Morin valley, a favourite haunt of the Impressionists, and medieval fortified towns like Provins, Moret-sur-Loing and Meaux. The Seine-et-Marne is also home to the world-famous theme park Disneyland Paris (in Marne-la-Vallée), a magical experience for kids and grown-ups!

Val-d'Oise is an extremely tourist-friendly region, with plenty to appeal to visitors. The area has a whole host of historic buildings, such as the abbeys of Maubuisson and Royaumon, or the châteaux of Ambleville, Grouchy and La Roche-Guyon. Unmissable attractions include the Villarceaux estate, for a journey back in time to the Enlightenment, and a visit to the National Museum of the Renaissance at the Château d'Écouen. On a more contemporary note, the Axe Majeur trail in Cergy-Pontoise is sure to amaze you.

The localities of Pontoise and Auvers-sur-Oise are imbued with the memory of the Impressionists, and Montmorency with that of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Luzarches offers a more pastoral setting that's ideal for a scenic walk, while Enghien-les-Bains has the only spa resort in Île-de-France. There is also no shortage of museums in the department of Val-d'Oise, including the Louis-Senlecq Museum of Art and History, the Harvest Museum or the Val-d'Oise Departmental Fire Brigade Museum.

Feeling the need for nature? You have plenty of options, such as the idyllic setting of L'Isle-Adam or the livelier Île de Loisirs leisure park in Cergy-Pontoise, the imposing forest of Montmorency or the majestic natural parks of Oise-Pays de France and the French Vexin.