Ile-de-France has borne witness to many historical battles, and from here monarchs extended their power slowly over France's other distinct regions. They escaped from a crowded Paris into lavish hunting lodges located throughout Ile-de-France's bountiful forests, a landscape that also inspired several esteemed artists. Corot painted the village of Barbizon, Monet chose the Epte River as a subject and several of Sisley's riverside canvases were created at Villeneuve-la-Garenne.

Capital city Paris' streets are made for walking, and the Champs-Elysees leads directly to the Arc de Triomphe. Views from the Eiffel Tower motivate romance, and Notre Dame Cathedral's facade is jumbled with gargoyles and flying buttresses. Louis XIV's Chateau de Versailles, an exercise in opulence, is said to have nearly bankrupted the country. The Chateau de Fontainebleau is the folly of flamboyant king Francois I, Vincennes Castle features a creepy medieval dungeon and Thoiry-en-Yvelines is home to the Thoiry Castle and its surrounding Safari Park. Outside Paris is the popular Eurodisney, a classic Disney amusement park with a European twist.