An imposing curtain wall punctuated by towers encloses this medieval fortress, which is still home to an army garrison. The square keep was begun by Philippe VI and completed...

Big cats are the stars of the show, but horses, elephants and monkeys also make Pinder the most traditional travelling circus in France.

A huge indoor street course and micro-ramp, which hosts international competitions.

Young ones will get a real kick out of Fantasyland, with its Alice maze, Sleeping Beauty's castle and teacup rides. Walt Disney Studios focuses on special effects and the...

The home of the French Open, this has two 18-hole courses and one nine-hole course.

Flat racing.

Trotting in the Bois de Vincennes. Floodlights on winter evenings add to the atmosphere.

This much-loved indie and electro venue is a great place for free music, with three or four bands playing every night the venue is open. It also provides monthly residencies to...

Now directly linked to London via Eurostar, La Vallée, near Disneyland, is discount shopping heaven. Its 90 stores feature all the usual suspects - Armani, Hilfiger and...

A small, smoky joint that hosts DJs and sound systems every night, as well as rock, reggae, raï, funk and folk acts several night as week. Ignoring the official opening hours,...

You'd never think that lime green and brown stripes would match bold silver and white replica 19th-century wallpaper, but they do at this boutique hotel (another of Franck...

Nowadays a growing number of hoteliers are filling the budget market with good value accommodation that looks smart, feels comfortable and is full of mod cons. The newest of...

The basement of this art deco palace, built for the colonial exhibition in 1931, contains the small but much-loved city aquarium and its colonial crocodiles, brought from Dakar...

The best and most reasonably priced bet for jazz in the summer, as the cream of the international jazz world congregates for afternoons in the park.