Paris, the world's most popular city destination, has plenty of must-see places but make sure you spend at least a day strolling off the beaten path, as this is the only way to discover the real Paris: a lively cosmopolitan but undeniably French city.

Paris, the ultra-cosmopolitan French capital city, has a longstanding global reputation as a mecca of art, culture, fashion, gastronomy, history and architecture. Called the City of Light, City of Love and Capital of Fashion, Paris is not only brimming with internationally famous attractions but is an energetic city where beauty and vivacity ever-weave its curvy streets. Paris' starring role on the global stage makes it a prime destination for travelers, who have many reasons to visit beyond the emblematic Eiffel Tower and the world-renowned

Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Towe

Arc de Triomphe

Louvre

Sacré-Coeur

Versailles Palace

Champs-Elysées

Jardin du Luxembourg

Centre Pompidou

Place de la Concorde

Musée d'Orsay

Place des Vosges

Opéra de Paris Garnier

Pont Neuf

Panthéon and many more………………

Lyon is the second largest city in France and has a history dating back over more than 20 centuries. Established by the Roman Emperor Augustus in 1BC as the capital city of the Gauls, it rapidly became one of the major economic, military, religious and political centres in France over the following centuries. Its location at the confluence of Rhone and Saone rivers enabled the town to develop major trading activities. As a result Lyon became the birthplace of the French silk industry, producing refined pieces of this precious fabric for the court of Louis XIV.Ever since the Middle Ages Lyon has been considered the French capital of gastronomy. Today this is illustrated by the impressive number of restaurants within the city and surrounding area, ranging from the famous bouchons (typical local eateries) to Michelin star-awarded establishments.

Serving as a stage for more than 2’000 years of history, the city has a remarkable architectural heritage. Expanding towards the east throughout the centuries, without destroying the existing areas, 500 hectares of its city centre became a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1998. Wandering around Lyon is like embarking on a fascinating journey through time.As for culture, the National Opera, one of the 20 most prestigious ballets in the world, and the Célestins Theatre offer an ambitious programme all year round. Furthermore, the city has museums that exist nowhere else in the world, such as the Lumière Institute, the Fabric Museum, the Lyon History Museum, the Fine Arts Museum and the Puppets of the World Museum.

Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse. The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of about 1 million on an area of 721 km2(278 sq mi). Located on the south east coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea, Nice is the second-largest French city on the Mediterranean coast after Marseille.

The natural beauty of the Nice area and its mild Mediterranean climate came to the attention of the English upper classes in the second half of the 18th century, when an increasing number of aristocratic families took to spending their winter there. The city's main seaside promenade, the Promenade des Anglais (‘the Walkway of the English') owes its name to the earliest visitors to the resort. For decades now, the picturesque Nicean surroundings have attracted not only those in search of relaxation, but also those seeking inspiration. The clear air and soft light has been of particular appeal to some of Western culture's most outstanding painters, such as Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, Niki de Saint Phalle and Arman. Their work is commemorated in many of the city's museums, including Musée Marc Chagall, Musée Matisse and Musée des Beaux-Arts Jules Chéret. Nice has the second largest hotel capacity in the country and it is one of its most visited cities, receiving 4 million tourists every year. It also has the third busiest airport in France after the two main Parisian ones. It is the historical capital city of the County of Nice (Comté de Nice).

The Palace of Versailles is the central part of a complex that housed the French government, most notably its royalty, during the reigns of Louis XIV (France’s famed “Sun King”), Louis XV and Louis XVI. After the French Revolution in 1789, it ceased to be a permanent royal residence.

Located about 10 miles (16 kilometers) southwest of Paris, it is beside the settlement of Versailles. Before the construction of the palace by Louis XIV, this settlement was little more than a hamlet but by the time of the revolution it had a population of more than 60,000 people, making it one of the largest urban centers in France.

Before the revolution, the Versailles complex included the palace, gardens, a walled-in royal hunting ground, a smaller palatial structure known as the Grand (or Marble) Trianon and an estate used by Marie Antoinette, Louis XVI’s queen. Between the palace and the town there are also buildings that housed the war and foreign affairs ministries, residences for those not entitled to live in the palace, stables and a kennel, among other structures.

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• The Festival de Marseille returns in December with an emblematic figure of dance.There the art builds bridges between classical cultural traditions, art and modernity.

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