Land of History

The vast diversity in the Paris Region is due first and foremost to its more than 1,000 years of history. From the Château de Versailles (78) to the cities of Fontainebleau (77), Saint-Germain-en-Laye (78) and Etampes (91), not to mention the Medieval center of Provins (77) and the Basilica of Saint-Denis (93), there is no forgetting the royal past of Île-de-France.

Literally studded with castles (Vincennes, Chamarande, Courson, Villarceaux, La Roche-Guyon, etc.) and museums (Prehistory Museum in Nemours, Inland Waterway Shipping Museum in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, Ceramic Museum in Sèvres, etc.), the region makes the most of its exceptional historical legacy.

Source of inspiration

Throughout the years, many artists and writers have been captivated by Paris, only to settle in Île-de-France! A muse for numerous painters and a haven of peace for writers, the Paris Region is filled with estates and iconic settings where these illustrious men and women lived or worked. Van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise (95), Millet in Barbizon (77), Rosa Bonheur in By (77), Monet, Renoir and Degas on the banks of the Seine in Chatou and Bougival (78). These spots will forever be associated with Impressionist painters.

Île-de-France also provided a source of inspiration for Emile Zola in Médan (78), Elsa Triolet and Louis Aragon in Saint-Arnoult (78), Jean-Jacques Rousseau in Montmorency (95) and of course Jean Cocteau in Milly-la-Forêt (91). Today, their creations remain vivid in our minds as so many tributes to their territory of choice.

Île-de-France is indeed fertile ground for art, such as Jean Tinguely's Cyclop, deep in the forest in Milly (91) and Dubuffet's Chaufferie avec cheminée, located in a center of a crossroads in Vitry-sur-Seine (94). Art also flourishes in the street itself, with the many sculptures in the La Défense business district (92): César's Le Pouce, Calder's Araignée rouge, etc.

Acutely architectural

Another side to the beauty of the Paris Region's cultural heritage: architecture, abundant and eclectic! From Villa Savoye in Poissy (78) designed by Le Corbusier, to the omnipresent influence of André Lurçat in Saint-Denis (93), not to mention Mario Botta's cathedral in Evry (91), Île-de-France stands out as a choice setting for contemporary architecture.

This diversity also includes the region's industrial legacy, particularly the Menier chocolate factory in Noisiel (77), the flour mills of Pantin (93) and the Manufacture des Œillets in Ivry-sur-Seine (94).

Beautiful by nature

Finally, the natural landscapes of Île-de-France attract tourists from the four corners of the earth. In addition to château parks like the Domaine de Courson (91), where botanical heritage shines, and Le Nôtre's French gardens in Versailles and Vaux-le-Vicomte, the region features several remarkable forests (Fontainebleau, Marly, etc.) superb gardens (the Albert Kahn Gardens in Boulogne, among others) and vestiges of agricultural traditions (watercress in Méréville, "peach walls" in Montreuil, etc.). Regional nature parks are ideal locations to discover this scenic beauty, along with local specialties and deep-rooted savoir-faire. And don't forget recreation, with 12 outdoor leisure centers at your disposal throughout the region.

These are just a few of the many good reasons to visit Île-de-France, and especially to discover what it has to offer off the beaten path: by 2CV, boat, bicycle or hot air balloon. You can even take advantage of a local guide thanks to the Greeters program, whereby residents accompany visitors on a tour of their neighborhood or town. The program has been extended from Paris to the départements of Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne.

Capital history

Yes, Île-de-France is Fontainebleau and its palace, where François I established his royal residence and where Napoleon I abdicated. It is the Louvre and its intrigues. It is Versailles, whose majestic splendor embodied the apex of royal authority by divine right. It is the Basilica of Saint-Denis, the royal necropolis of France, and the Port Royal Abby, center of religious rebellion. It is the finest hours of the French Revolution, the first steps of the 1st Republic, and the center of virtually all political power under the Fifth Republic: Elysée Palace, the National Assembly, the Senate, etc.

This glorious history is also rife with confrontations, tragedies and often painful memories: the Charonne metro massacre and the bloody repression of protesters demonstrating against the Secret Army Organization (Organisation de l'Armée Secrète) and the Algerian War; the execution of more than one thousand hostages and Resistance fighters during World War II at Mont Valérien; the Wall of the Confederates (Mur des Fédérés), where 147 members of the Paris Commune were shot; Drancy, where Parisian Jews boarded the trains that were to take them to concentration camps.

A region emerges

In spite of a highly national focus, local affairs have come into their own in the Paris Region, albeit later than in other parts of France. For example, Parisians waited until 1977 before being granted the right to elect their mayor, a long-standing practice in other French cities. Likewise, the Paris Region has managed its public transportation system, via STIF (Syndicat des transports d'Île-de-France), only since 2006. Decentralization has come a long way, but the question of the national government's role in the Paris Region remains a topic of hot debate, such as for the launch and management of the Grand Paris project.