Sightseeing in France

Go on a city break to the beautiful city of Paris. In the west of Paris, the Trocadéro and the Eiffel Tower are well worth a visit. The Trocadéro district is characterised by its many museums and at the centre of the district stands the impressive Palais de Chaillot, which houses 2 exciting museums. The building is divided into two wings and in the square between you have one of the best views of the city's landmark, the Eiffel Tower. Built for the 1889 World's Fair, the tower met with much opposition and was due to be demolished, but today stands as a landmark for the whole of France and is one of the most visited sights in the world. You can choose to take the lift up to the tower and enjoy the beautiful views of the city, or you can skip the queue and take the many popular steps up the tower. Risskov has a wide range of weekend breaks and mini breaks.

Spend some lovely hours in the beautiful Montmartre district. Enjoy a walk around the district, which exudes a real Parisian atmosphere. Visit the beautiful white Basilique du Sacré-Coeur. Built on the highest point in Paris, its white dome is visible from most of the city. (If you have difficulty walking, you can take the cable car up to the church for an extra charge). Wander the narrow streets, see the small square of Place du Tertre, home to many artists and painters, and pass Rue des Saules with its Lapin Agil restaurant and Paris' only vineyard.

Visit the impressive Château de Versailles, built by the French Sun King Louis XIV. The absolute highlight of the glamorous palace is the impressive Hall of Mirrors. The park is also huge and beautifully landscaped. To the right of the main building stands the famous Neptune Fountain, in the middle of the palace park runs the Grand Canal, and in the park you can also see the two smaller mansions, the Grand Trianon and the Petit Trianon. It is possible to take the little train that passes by the sights of the garden.

Go on a car holiday in the south and discover Paris on a cheap self-drive holiday with Risskov. Discover Paris at your own pace and park the car and take the metro. It's easy to get around Paris underground and near Denfert-Rochereau metro station, death awaits, even underground! Take the whole family underground and visit the spooky catacombs of the damp and cold Parisian underworld, where most of all it smells like a musty cellar. There's around 1.7km of tunnel available for tourists, out of a walkway system of over an impressive 280km. The realm of the dead also awaits, with skulls and bones in rows, taken from dead Frenchmen, women and children, very morbid and macabre, but deadly. Find a cheap winter holiday or summer holiday at Risskov with child friendly hotels, and discover what hides under the streets of Paris.

A great place to start in Paris is the Hôtel National des Invalides which is a real gem, with museums and monuments all relating to French military history. The Musée de l´Armée, part of this huge complex, has a truly unrivalled collection of armour and weapons through the ages mixed with videos and stories about the history behind France's military development. The museum's collection of war art is also one of the largest and most recognised in the world.

Also get a ticket straight away to see the Dôme des Invalides, where all the French war heroes are buried, including Napoleon Bonaparte I - an impressive mausoleum and a great tribute to France's heroes. If you're into both French temptations and unrivalled military history, then a city break in Paris is a must! Find a weekend break or a mini holiday to Paris at Risskov and get away to experience the City of Light.

Another great experience in Paris is the Musée d'Orsay, the old Orsay railway station, which has been restored and converted into an incredible museum of mainly French art from the period 1848 - 1914. But there are almost always special exhibitions, and preferably several at a time, so it's definitely worth stopping by - get off at Solferino metro station and turn right down Rue de Bellechasse.

Père Lachaise is one of the great Parisian cemeteries. The cemetery is very special as it houses a lot of celebrities such as Oscar Wilde, Marcel Proust, Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison, Moliere, Chopin, Georges Bizet and many, many more. Explore the dead and find out where the many celebrities are buried in what is probably the largest cemetery in Paris.

Located just 30km east of Paris in Marne-la-Vallé, Disneyland is sure to be the highest scoring outing for younger family members. By far the easiest way to get to Disneyland is to get on the train in Paris and, just over half an hour later, get off again. Disneyland offers an amazing world that we all know, based on the famous Disney characters. There are two main theme parks, Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios Park and in the middle of it all is Disney Village with restaurants, bars and cinemas. Take a trip to Discoveryland or Adventureland or meet Peter Pan and Snow White in Fantasyland. Discover a real gold-mining village on Rock Island and take a stroll down Main Street, which depicts the main street of a small American provincial town in the early 19th century. There's something for the little ones, the middle-aged and the big family.

Paris is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the world. The city has inspired writers and painters and you will soon realise that this is not just a big city you are visiting, but a mecca for art, culture, fashion, food and innovation. Many new trends, both political and cultural, have emerged from here over the years.

Walk along the Seine or go shopping on the Champs Elysées, where you can also see the Arc de Triomphe at the top and Concorde Square at the bottom. Of course, you must also see the Eiffel Tower. Paris is full of big squares, wide boulevards and green spaces, but it's also worth heading into the smaller neighbourhoods where you'll find the most amazing shops and restaurants inside the small cobbled streets.

The charming town of Orange is a typical Provencal village with pavement cafés, cosy streets and old squares, beautiful façade architecture and an urban environment with a fine selection of shops and inviting restaurants.

Every Thursday there is a pedestrian market in the town square and in July and August opera concerts are held at the amphitheatre, see the programme at www.choregies.asso.fr.

The city has a long history, dating back to 35 BC. Almost as old are its two main attractions - the amphitheatre Theatre Antique with the statue of the Emperor and the Arc de Triomphe. Both are understandably on UNESCO's World Heritage List. The finest wall in my kingdom, as Louis XIV referred to the back wall of the amphitheatre, is the best preserved of the theatres in the western part of the ancient Roman Empire. It seats 8,000-10,000 spectators and is still used for concerts because of its sublime acoustics. The Arc de Triomphe is almost a picture book with its numerous friezes and decorations telling of proud Roman victories on land and sea and, not least, of the defeated Gauls.

Chantilly is a lovely and elegant town located 48 km. north of Paris. You can enjoy a pleasant walk through the streets of the town, but the main attractions are without comparison the town castle and the many green areas. Château de Chantilly is located about 2 km east of the city centre and can be reached by walking via Ave. de la Plaine des Aigles. The castle was left to decay just after the French Revolution, but has since been put back into use. The main attractions today are the impressive castle park and several fine paintings. The castle itself consists of two connected buildings, the Petit Château and the Grand Château, which were rebuilt after the Revolution and were, among other things, military headquarters during the First World War. Today, the Grand Château houses a fine museum with impressive 19th-century interior rooms. There are also many interesting paintings in the museum, including one by Raphael. Also visit the Petit Château, where the highlights are the impressive library and the Prince's apartments.

Go on a cheap summer holiday in the south and visit France and the beautiful capital Paris on a real family holiday. Find child-friendly hotels in the area and explore the big city. Also make sure to stop by the Latin Quarter around Notre Dame, a must for any visitor to Paris. The Latin Quarter is the beautiful old streets of Paris and here you will find the old Sorbonne University, green spaces and some of the best restaurants in the city. In the small streets behind Notre Dame you will find cheap restaurants where you can have a good experience. The finer Michelin restaurants are also here, but you'll need to book in advance. In the area you will also find Ïle St. Louis, the quiet island in the middle of the Seine. You get to the island via a small bridge behind Notre Dame. Here you'll find a small main street filled with small and fun shops selling everything from delicacies to clothes. You'll also find the best ice cream in Paris on the island. Find a cheap weekend break for the whole family or book a mini break with Risskov and enjoy all that a city break to Paris has to offer.

Claude Oscar Monet is known for his many beautiful paintings and a whole new style, named after a picture Monet painted in 1873 "Impression Soleil Levant". Impressionism was an artistic style that Monet started with Pierre-Auguste Renoir and which, in short, consisted of reproducing the immediate impression of reality on the artist, who then tries to describe the snapshot as the eye perceives it, here and now, by emphasising light and colours, moods and, above all, sensations.

Many of Monet's subjects come from his hometown, Giverny, which has also preserved his home and turned it into a delightful little Monet museum. Visit the beautiful garden and be inspired by the many water lilies, which were also one of Monet's favourite motifs. Giverny is an hour's drive north-west of Paris and Monet's house and garden are visited by half a million tourists a year, and not without reason.

10 km northeast of Chantilly you will find the charming medieval town of Senlis. The small town with its narrow cobbled streets is full of historical sights, including 4 fine museums and the town's great attraction, the 12th-century Notre Dame Cathedral. The cathedral is large and bright and take a closer look at the Grand Portal, which is on the west side of the cathedral facing Place du Parvis Notre Dame.

In the middle of the Chantilly forest you will find the beautiful and interesting Cistercian monastery of Asnières-sur-Oise, the Royaumont monastery, the largest in the Paris region. The monastery was founded in a protected area of natural beauty by the later King Saint-Louis. The monastery to this day rises imposingly above the forest and marsh and the medieval garden is a living museum not to be missed.

A nice excursion outside Paris is the town of Fountainebleau and the forests surrounding the town. This is a lovely breathing space outside the city with fine stone houses, walking trails in the woods and picnic areas. Take a trip to the city or the forests, where Parisians themselves go to get some fresh air. Many climb or 'boulder' on the large sandstones that lie in the woods.

Pont-Audemer is a small French town, also located in the middle of the Risle river. The town's close and natural connection to the water, as well as the settlement over the many small drains from the Risle, have earned it the nickname "The Venice of Normandy." The small medieval town has a few little surprises to offer, ask for a city map at the hotel reception, it may help you find your way around.

Start with a visit to the Saint-Ouen church on Rue de la Republique, a beautiful old church from the 15th century with some exceptionally beautiful stained glass windows and incredible colours. Also visit the Musée Canel, which pays tribute to the humanist and republican, the archaeologist and one of the great proponents of the secular school, Alfred Canel. The cosy museum is divided into floors for the permanent exhibitions, the large library and the temporary exhibitions, which are located on the top floor - definitely worth a visit and Monsieur Canel's spirit is still felt all over the place, on every hall and in every room!

There are also small shops in Pont-Audemer offering a little bit of everything. Here you're likely to find something different and quirky to take home. There are also cosy little cafés and restaurants tucked away in the side streets, so feel free to explore and find out for yourself why the town is called the Venice of Normandy.

Visit Omaha beach, the American Cemetery, the Merville Museum and Pegasus Bridge, where Allied gliders landed on the night of 5-6 June 1944 and after just 10 minutes of combat completely overwhelmed the German position guarding the bascule bridge. It was also here that the Allies suffered their first casualty, when Lieutenant Denholm Brotherridge lost his life in the battle for the bascule bridge, becoming the first of the 4,414 recorded soldiers to die on D-Day. A harsh but unforgettable experience that helps to put the events of history into perspective.

Go on a driving holiday in Europe and discover the exciting history hidden in Normandy, France. A self-drive holiday makes it easy to get around and visit the exciting sights and Bayeux is only about half an hour's drive from Caen so is certainly worth a visit. The town's main attraction is the Bayeux Museum, home to the famous Bayeux Tapestry. Let your imagination run riot over the battle scenes on the 70.5-metre-long piece of linen canvas, as arrows whizz by your ears and fierce Vikings with and without heads fight with bloody axes and swords. Get a rare insight into the history of the Battle of Hastings in 1066 with this stunning piece of medieval graffiti with a production date close to the end of the Viking Age - a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with a major historical event.

Go on a driving holiday in Europe, but start in Normandy on a cheap self-drive holiday. Find a last-minute hotel and take the family on a real family holiday in France.

Just outside Caen, about five kilometres to the west, is Parc Festyland, and as its name suggests, it's an amusement park located in Bretteville-sur-Odon and is also Normandy's largest. There are plenty of fun attractions here for both big and small family members and everyone is guaranteed a good laugh, try a ride in the CAP'TAIN ROC or PIRAT'AK, also known as the wet fun!