Saint-Germain-des-Pres is an area

that is located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. It surrounds the Church of the former Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. This area also forms part of the Latin Quarter, as the Abbey had given some of its land along the River Seine—the Pré aux Clercs (fields of the scholars) for the construction of buildings to accommodate the University of Paris.

In the 17th century, the district of Saint-Germain was among the most desirable on the Left Bank. Marguerite de Valois who had persuaded the Abbot to give abbey land to her, she had a palace built on it, and set a chic tone for the area that lasted until the Saint-Honoré district north of the Champs-Elysées over shadowed it in the early 18th century. The area around the Church and along the Boulevard Saint-Germain offers many shops, antiques stores and has a number of famous cafés, including Les Deux Magots and Café de Flore.

The Quartier Latin (Latin Quarter) is the oldest area in Paris; has been an academic hub of knowledge and learning built around the famous Sorbonne University, which was founded for the poor in 1231 by Robert de Sorbon. The University has an internationally famous reputation and attracts large numbers of students. The Latin Quarter derived its name because Latin was the official language until 1793.

The Pantheon is located in the heart of the Quartier Latin, on top of the Sainte-Geneviève hill. It was constructed between 1764 and 1790by the Order of King Louis XV. During the 1789 French revolution and soon after its construction, the Pantheon was turned into a memorial to famous Frenchmen. It now houses the remains of Voltaire, Rousseau, Marat, Victor Hugo, Emile Zola, Jean Moulin, Marie Curie, Louis Braille and Soufflot, its architect. The university tradition lives on in this district, seat of the well-known student protests of May 1968. This picturesque, historic area has many cafés, restaurants, theatres, and little bookshops that make it an energetic and beautiful place to visit.  

For the young and young at heart

Disneyland Resort Paris is located around 32 km (19 miles) east of Paris. Go through the enchanted kingdom of Disneyland, from Main Street to Fantasyland, passing through Discoveryland (with the added new attraction ‘Buzz Lightyear laser blast), Frontierland and Adventureland. The resort also features the Walt Disney Studios Park - A Hollywood studios-based park, and the Disney Village has numerous shops, several restaurants, a cinematography complex, a disco and a concert area as well as a number of other activities. There are many Hotels from 2* to 5* in the resort and Golf Disneyland - 9-hole and 18-hole courses.

The Asterix Theme Park (Parc Asterix) is located around 30km north of Paris, and quite near to the Disneyland Resort, it is based around the characters of the popular French cartoon Asterix. The park has an excellent selection of rides, shows, and cartoon characters, there are 28 main attractions. The rides differ from real heart-stoppers (one travels at over 80 kph with 7 loops), to far more gentle rides that are more appropriate for younger children. Themed areas comprise of a Gaul village, Roman and Greek zones, and an old style Paris Boulevard filled with street entertainers. Live shows are staged throughout the day, from comedy to performing dolphins.

France Miniature is located at 25, Rue du Mesnil (Boulevard André-Malraux) Élancourt Saint-Quentin en Yvelines. This 12-acre park is a miniaturized re-creation of the country that has over 150 French monuments with a natural background. All of these structures have been meticulously crafted and thoroughly detailed; they are on display at their genuine geographic positions in relation to the roughly-hexagonal shape made by the borders of France. The majority of the miniatures are scaled at 1/30th of their actual size and have miniaturized landscapes that look like the real thing. Another attraction at the park is Le Palais de la Miniature. It is not a miniature monument, but a genuine gallery of the miniatures of the artist Daniel Ohlman.

The Playmobil Fun Park is located 22-24, Rue des Jacheres, Fresnes (94). The park covers an area of almost 2,000 square feet and will be hours of fun for the young ones. There are twelve play areas, the themes include: Knights, Pirates, Zoo, Fairy tale castles, farm and a separate area for children aged 18-36 months. There is a café and restaurant to unwind in and a shop selling the whole Playmobil range.

The Aquarium Sea Life Paris Val d'Europe is located around twenty minutes from the edge of Paris, near Disneyland Paris Resort at the  Centre Commercial International Val d'Europe 14 Cours du Danube - Serris 77711 Marne La Vallee, cedex 4. There are fifty open tanks, spread over 2,500 sqm, and has more than 300 marine species that include turtles, rays, sharks, moray eels and tropical fish.

The Parc Zoologique et de Loisirs de Thoiry (Zoo and wildlife park) is located at the Chateau de Thoiry, 78770 Thoiry. With around eight hundred free roaming exotic animals in the park, it’s just like being in an African Reserve. You can walk through the lion tunnel which is made of glass and observe these magnificent creatures. In the zoological and botanical gardens, there is a pedestrian area from where you will be able to see the dragons of Komodo. There is a 16^th Century Castle to explore, and ‘The Mysterious Island’ adventure trail with suspended bridges in the massive foliage, holes with sound games, a wooden pyramid to climb and toboggans.