The capital city of France is the centrepiece of the Ile-de-France region, and on this page we shall also look at the northern regions of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardie.

Let us begin with the sights and sounds of Parisian life though. The Eiffel Tower stands proud as France's tallest structure, despite only originally being supposed to stay until 1909. The Pantheon (whose façade is based on that in Rome ) in the city's Latin quarter, shows Neoclassicism at work. It has a crypt which is the resting place of many famous historical figures. The Louvre Museum offers so much more than just a few world-famous paintings. It is one of the largest, the oldest and the most visited museums in the world, and it contains old Eastern, Egyptian, Roman, Etruscan and Greek pieces, right through to paintings and sculptures from the 21st century. The Louvre Pyramid, built in 1989, is a bit of a sight to behold too. The Arc de Triomphe is triumphant (50 metres high), and one part of the ‘Axe Historique' (a line of monuments and iconic locations running through the city centre. Others include the Champs-Elysées and the Grande Arche. The Champs-Elysées is a widely-renowned shopping area, with a large number of mainstream shops as well as more designer ones. Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral (‘Our Lady of Paris') took nearly two centuries to construct, and as well as being a fine example of Gothic architecture, was one of the earliest buildings to make use of flying buttresses. In the 19th century, there was the possibility of the building being demolished. Victor Hugo's book on the Hunchback of Notre Dame helped generate some interest and publicity so there is not much chance of it going now. Paris has long attracted attention due to its romantic image, although you would think that romance could occur anywhere, and that single, lonely people in Paris might not concur with this notion. Notwithstanding that, the Basilica de Sacre Coeur (Basilica of the Sacred Heart) is the ................READ MORE ABOUT PARIS, PICARDY AND PAS-DE-CALAIS