The Île de France region is one of the ancient provinces of France, and the one that has been the centre of power during most of French history thanks to its attracting city: Paris. Today the Paris Region is France’s premier administrative region for its population and economy.
A brief description of the Île de France
The River Seine in Paris © French Moments
Paris, nicknamed the ‘City of Light’ is the most visited city in the world, and the banks of its River, the Seine, are listed by the UNESCO. Its major landmark, the fascinating Eiffel Tower is Paris’ showcase to the whole world.
The Île de France today still aims to preserve the rich heritage that has been built throughout the centuries: the fortified farms, the royal forests, the magnificent gothic cathedrals and churches (Notre-Dame de Paris, Sainte-Chapelle, Saint-Denis), the medieval castles and the extravagant palaces of the Kings of France (such as those of the Louvre, Versailles, Fontainebleau, Vaux-le-Vicomte, Saint-Germain-en-Laye or Maisons-Laffitte).
Economy of the Île de France
The esplanade of La Défense © French Moments
Tourists may be surprised at some of the modern day projects such as the Grande Arche and Europe’s number 1 CBD La Défense, a symbol of the region’s economic power.
With transport infrastructure connecting the Île de France to the rest of the world, the region is a crossroad of European and international trade. With a population of 12 million (18.3% of the French population), it contributes to the production of a third of the economic wealth in France. The Île de France accounts for 6 million jobs, including 94% wages employment. A third of the 500 largest firms in the world have set their European headquarters in the Paris region.
Facts and figures
- Population: 12,005,077 (2014)
- Area: 12,012 km2
- Regional capital: Paris
- Other main cities: Versailles, Boulogne-Billancourt, Argenteuil, Saint-Denis, Bobigny
- President of the Regional Council: Valérie Pécresse (Les Républicains)
- Number of départements: 8
- Main sites: Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Saint-Denis Basilica, Palace of Versailles, Palace of Fontainebleau, Vaux-le-Vicomte, Medieval Town of Provins, Disneyland Paris
Visit the official website of Paris Region
Our pages on ÎLE DE FRANCE
Top 10 Most Famous Monuments of Paris
Paris, the City of Light is the world’s most visited capital. The city is proud…
Discover the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris
Among the many parks and gardens of Paris, the Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Gardens) is certainly…
Grand Gallery of Evolution, Paris
The monumental building housing the Grand Gallery of Evolution stands at the end of the…
The Eiffel Tower at Christmas time
A visit to the Eiffel Tower at Christmas time has become one of the highlights…
Our tips to enjoy Paris in the Spring
Millions of visitors visit Paris in the Summer. Little do they know that the French…
What are the Bouquinistes of Paris?
The banks of the Seine would not be the same without the established Bouquinistes of…
April Walking Tour in Montmartre
One part I love about my job is to show people the beautiful parts of Paris.…
Saint-Étienne-du-Mont Church, Paris
The Saint-Étienne-du-Mont Church is a Gothic sanctuary located Place Sainte-Geneviève next to the Panthéon in…
Top 10 Facts about the Sacré-Cœur, Paris
You can’t hardly miss it when visiting Paris. The basilica of Sacré-Cœur (18th arrondissement) attracts high…
The 2015 Bastille Day Fireworks at the Eiffel Tower
We have researched for our readers some useful information about the fireworks display which will…
Discover the Palais-Royal in Paris
Despite its name, the Palais-Royal was not the official residence of the kings and queens…
Parc de Boulogne Edmond de Rothschild
The vast Parc de Boulogne Edmond de Rothschild is situated between the Bois de Boulogne…
Square Louise Michel, Montmartre
Situated 18th arrondissement, the Square Louise Michel (formerly Square Willette) is a steep green area that…
Discover the Neo-classical Place Vendôme in Paris
The famous Place Vendôme in Paris’ First arrondissement ranks amongst France’s most beautiful squares. Located…
Jardin des Tuileries, Paris
From the Place du Carrousel, the Jardin des Tuileries (Tuileries Garden) offers an unbroken vista…
Saint-Denis Basilica, the Royal Necropolis of France
Situated in the north of Paris, the Saint-Denis Basilica has been closely associated with French…
Discover the Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris
The Montparnasse Cemetery in the 14th arrondissement of Paris is the second largest operating cemetery of the…
Parc de Bercy, Paris
The public Park of Bercy stretches on the former site of an old wine depot.…
What you should know about Place des Vosges, Paris
The picturesque Place des Vosges is located in the Marais district in Paris, at the…
Sweet sweet strawberries
BY RACHEL – This week was my daughter’s second birthday. What fun! We’re not doing…
That day when the glass pyramid of the Louvre disappeared!
How the glass pyramid of the Louvre disappeared? The offender is French street artist JR who…
Notre-Dame de Paris: a guide to the Gothic cathedral
The cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris always makes a powerful impression to me. Well, doesn’t…
West Facade of Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris
The West facade of Notre-Dame cathedral is a remarkable Gothic masterpiece of simplicity and harmony.…
Discover the castle of Saint-Germain-en-Laye
The castle of Saint-Germain-en-Laye is known as the Château-Vieux (Old Castle). It is closely linked to the history of…
Madeleine Church, Paris
The Madeleine Church in the 8th arrondissement in Paris was designed as a temple to…
Our Instagram profile has gone berserk!
Last Thursday I walked on the rue Chanoinesse, one of my favourite places on the…
Fourteenth Arrondissement of Paris
The Fourteenth arrondissement is well known by Parisians for including a large part of the Montparnasse…
Sainte-Clotilde Basilica, a neo-Gothic church in Paris
With its soaring symmetrical twin spires visible from many points all over Paris and its…
Sixteenth arrondissement of Paris
One of the most the most affluent and prestigious residential districts of Paris, the Sixteenth arrondissement…
What to see in the Third Arrondissement of Paris?
The Third arrondissement of Paris partly covers the historic district of Le Marais. It stretches from the…
Paris before and after the 2016 floods
At the time of writing this article, the water level of the River Seine is…
Discover the Passy Cemetery in Paris
The Passy Cemetery in the 16th arrondissement of Paris is the one of Paris’ largest operating cemeteries. The…
Discover the historic town of Saint-Germain-en-Laye
The historic city of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in the Yvelines département is famous for its royal castle and for being the birthplace of Louis…
Discover the prestigious Avenue des Champs-Élysées
The celebrated Avenue des Champs-Élysées is synonymous with glitz and glamour. The Avenue and its…
Discover the old town of Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye dates back to the Middle-Ages. The town has kept the original urban layout of the…
Eiffel Tower lit up in Blue-White-Red after the Paris attacks
From Monday 16 to Wednesday 25 November days the Eiffel Tower is lit up in Blue,…
25 Fun Facts about the Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower sounds like a magical name. What would Paris be like without the Eiffel…
Discover the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris
The Pere Lachaise Cemetery in the 20th arrondissement of Paris is the largest operating cemetery of…
Nativity Scene at Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris
One of the most famous Nativity Scenes in Paris is found inside the Notre-Dame cathedral and attracts almost 2 million visitors from…
Spring flowers and perfect sunny day in Montmartre
A sign that spring is coming is the sunny days we are having right now in Paris. We…
Saturday morning on the Place des Vosges
Amongst all the squares of Paris, the Place des Vosges is one of my favourite.…
Top 10 Tallest Churches of Paris
Out of the hundreds of churches in Paris, which ones are the tallest? Maybe against…
Parc du Dispensaire, Sartrouville
On my previous post I published a few photos of our walk across the River…
Top 10 Most Beautiful Bridges of Paris
No less than 37 bridges span the Seine, the river that separates the Left and…
Ascent to the forecourt of Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre
One of the favourite gates used by sightseers on their way to the old district…
Top 10 panoramic views of Paris
Top 10 panoramic views of Paris: it is always exciting to discover a city from…
Is the Tuileries Garden in danger?
Each time we visit Paris, we always take a stroll through the Tuileries Garden. Starting…
Why Pont Alexandre III is Paris’ most beautiful bridge
This is one of my favourite bridges of Paris. Spanning the River Seine, Pont Alexandre…
It’s time for the Galette des Rois!
As soon as Christmas and New Year with its abundance of food and bûches are…
The Canopy of Les Halles
On Tuesday 5 April 2016 took place the inauguration of the new site of Les…
Paris La Défense Christmas Market
The Christmas market of La Défense is arguably the largest in the Paris region. The cluster of its…
Explore Parc de Saint-Cloud to the West of Paris
The Parc de Saint-Cloud is often considered as one of the most beautiful gardens of…
The towers of Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris
Climbing on the towers of Notre-Dame cathedral is a must-to-do thing when visiting monuments in…
Île de France, the historic province of the Paris Region
The Île de France region is one of the ancient provinces of France, and the…
Ménagerie of Jardin des Plantes
The Ménagerie of the Jardin des Plantes in the 5th arrondissement is a small zoo which…
Top 10 Most Visited Museums in France
Here is the Top 10 list of the most visited museums in France, which are…
Jardin d’Acclimatation, Paris
The Jardin d’Acclimatation, Paris is the best amusement park for children within the city. The park covers…
Statue of Liberty on the Île aux Cygnes, Paris
It is either visible from the top of the Eiffel Tower, from the Front-de-Seine or…
Place du Tertre, Montmartre
The little shaded square of Place du Tertre is situated just a stone’s throw away…
Top 10 Most Beautiful Squares of Paris
The French capital is famous for its historic squares such as Place de la Concorde and…
Top 10 out-of-place Sites in Paris
French provincial atmosphere and African scenery in Paris? Despite its grand Haussmannian buildings, its neo-classical royal…
Versailles, Yvelines
Versailles is located 22 km southwest of Paris. It is famously known for its grand…
Explore the secretive Palais-Royal Garden
The garden of the Palais-Royal is the only garden in Paris classified as “Remarkable Garden” by…
Top 10 Most Beautiful Gothic Churches in Paris
Paris boasts over one hundred churches and sanctuaries. Among them are a fair number of Gothic…
Queen Elizabeth II Flower Market in Paris
The delightful Queen Elizabeth II Flower Market in the 4th arrondissement of Paris was named in…
Discover the Provins Medieval Christmas Market
I have two favourite sites when it comes to Christmas in the Seine-et-Marne département. These…
Discover Maisons-Laffitte in the Paris region
Maisons-Laffitte is worth a visit for its chateau and park… To the North-West of Paris, Maisons-Laffitte…
The Paris Carnival – A Little Guide
In Paris the carnival has a long story and can be traced back to the Middle-Ages. After a long hiatus…
Paris-Plages along the River Seine
From mid-July to mid-August, the municipality of Paris runs a temporary artificial beach operation along…
A walk from Montparnasse to the Ecole Militaire, Paris
Although cold, winter in Paris is still stunning with lots of beautiful things to discover.…
Discover Saint-Germain’s Château-Neuf and Pavillon Henri IV
The Château-Neuf was one of Saint-Germain-en-Laye’s two castles which served as a royal residence from the…
What the view looks like from the top of the Arc de Triomphe?
Yesterday the weather was blue-perfect in Paris, a fantastic opportunity to get perched onto one…
Where to find the Statue of Liberty hidden in Paris?
There are a few replicas of the Statue of Liberty that are found across Paris:…
Why the Canal Saint-Martin is worth discovering?
Do you remember Amelie skipping stones at the locks of a canal in Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s…
Preparing for Bastille Day in Paris
The preparations for the celebrations of Bastille Day in Paris are taking shape with the installations and…
Sous le Ciel de Paris: the story of the song
Still a popular song today, “Sous le Ciel de Paris” (Under the sky of Paris) has…
Amazing places to see on a Paris by night tour
Both in Winter or Summer, the City of lights stays lively all night long. You…
Second Arrondissement of Paris
The Second arrondissement of Paris is home to the Stock Exchange (la Bourse) and is bordered…
Place de la Bastille, Paris
Shared with the 4th, 11th and 12th arrondissements, the Place de la Bastille is one…
Discover the Alsatian Christmas market in Gare de l’Est
Stuck in Paris and can’t visit Alsace this Christmas? No worries, Alsace comes to you!…
Our 10 Best Photos of Autumn in Paris
In this post we have compiled a selection of French Moments’ photos of Autumn all taken in…
Half-timbered house in the Rue de Braque, Paris
I thought there was only three major half-timbered houses in Paris until this morning when…
Gardens of Saint-Germain-en-Laye Castle
The castle of Saint-Germain-en-Laye is bordered by beautiful gardens. The domain extends to the forest and the Terrace…
Discover the church of Saint-Germain-en-Laye
The present parish church of Saint-Germain-en-Laye was built in 1827. It is the fourth sanctuary to have been built on…
Place de la Concorde early in the morning
Have you ever thought of visiting central Paris early in the morning when the masses of…
Top 10 Romantic Places in Paris: A Little Guide
Paris is famous in the entire world for being a place conducive to true romance.…
Discover the Eiffel Tower, Paris’ iconic monument
The Eiffel Tower is one of the most famous monuments in the world. The iconic…
Panthéon, Paris
The neo-classical Panthéon stands at the top of the Sainte-Geneviève hill in the 5th arrondissement. With…
Crazy about the Eiffel Tower
We are going crazy about the Eiffel Tower on our Flickr account! Let us tell…
Place Dauphine, Paris
Place Dauphine is a small triangular square beautifully set in the Île de la Cité.…
Our first InstaMeet in France at Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Last Sunday I was fortunate enough to be part of an InstaMeet in France at Saint-Germain-en-Laye.…
Windmills of Montmartre, Paris
The steep rue Lepic (18th arrondissement) that climbs the hill of Montmartre gives access to Paris’ two…
Discover the Montmartre Cemetery in Paris
The Montmartre Cemetery in the 18th arrondissement of Paris is the second largest operating cemetery of the…
This is Léon, the last Gas streetlamp in Paris !
Malakoff does not rank amongst my favourite destinations in the Paris region. I knew very…
Top 10 Funny facts about Paris
Paris, Ville Lumière and prestigious capital of France. We often think we know everything about…
Famous Cafés of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris
The café scene is a vital part of the social life of Paris where artists, writers,…
Paris viewed from the top of Sacré-Cœur, Montmartre: our best photos
Last weekend we came early in the morning and climbed to the top of Sacré-Cœur…
The Christmas Tree of Notre-Dame Cathedral
At sunset we went to the parvis of Notre-Dame cathedral to admire the Christmas tree…
Arab World Institute of Paris
The Arab World Institute (AWI) in Paris is a cultural centre dedicated to the arabic…
Top 10 Busiest Métro Stations in Paris
The Paris métro, operated by RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens), is the second-busiest subway network…
