Paris...

Paris is, of course, the capital of France.Compared to other capital cities such as London and New York, the city of Paris is very small - covering of 87km² with a population of 2.2 million. This difference arises because the borders of Paris have not been expanded to encompass the suburban communities - its boundaries have not changed since they were last defined by the Prefect Hausmann in 1860 during the reign of Napoleon III. Even famous and economically important areas such as La Défense lie outside the city of Paris. The metropolitan area of Paris - the total built-up area - is estimated at 2,700km² with a population of about 4.5 million.

Paris - also referred to as the City of Light since the introduction of gas street lighting in the early 19th century - is world famous for its beauty and culture. The most famous attractions include the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, The Arc de Triomphe and Sacre Couer in Montmartre. Paris has museums and art galleries in abundance, including the world famous Louvre which houses the Mona Lisa and Da Vinci's David. A key reason for visiting Paris is its "retail culture". On famous streets such as the Boulevard Hausmann shops can be browsed at leisure - most famous of all is the Galeries La Fayette.

Paris is easily accessible from Le Bec Hellouin, taking about 2 hours by autoroute, or 90 minutes by train from Rouen or Evreux.

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