One of the most celebrated recreation spots near Paris is Euro Disneyland, the region's biggest amusement site. This truly magical place features not one but two theme parks - Disneyland park and Walt Disney Studios -- both offering everything that one can wish for on a holiday. Luxurious hotels, flashy night-entertainment complex, extensive golf course, high-end restaurants and shops are all here to make your dreams of a perfect leisure come true. The kids will surely love it here too! Chatting with such Disney fames as Goofy or Donald Duck is more than enough to make the young satisfied.

If however Disneyland is not your type of entertainment, you should consider visiting the nearby Val d ‘Europe – an impressive walk-through aquarium, where you can have a peek of French marine life through a huge crystal-clear glass-walls. Afterwards you should definitely visit the regions pride and joy: the world-famous Loire Castles celebrated for thier stunning architecture, elegant interiors and dazzling gardens.

Though seemingly similar, each Loire castle has its own history and unique features that distinguish it from the others. Blois Palace is usually refereed to as the most important French residence, because it has hosted the biggest number of royalties coming to France from all over the world. Chenonceau Palace, on the other hand, is considered a symbol of French elegance (due to its white stone walls), and Cheverny is best known for its collection of priceless antique furnishes and original 17th-Century decorations. Finally, Chambord Castle is the largest of them all with as many as 400 rooms and thrice as many steps.

A day out of Paris cannot be considered complete without a visit to the Versailles Palace. Built in the 17th Century to celebrate the power and fame of the Sun King (a title given by Louis XIV to himself), Versailles Palace proudly guards its most precious treasure: the pompous State Apartments, which put contemporary mansions to shame. If you have very little time, however, it is best to forsake all the other chambers and head straight to the Queen’s Apartments and the Hall of Mirrors, where the Versailles treaty was signed in 1918 to end World War I.

Should it happen so that Versailles  palace is too crowded to admit new visitors, you can wait awhile in one of the spacious gardens that surround the residence. Once there you can relax to the sound of the shimmering fountains, or stroll along the enchanting Neptune pond adorned with numerous marble statues.

If Versailles is not enough to quench your hunger for French history, then the UNESCO protected town of Provin is likely to be more than enough to satisfy your curiosity. Only there can you participate in several interactive medieval theme shows, which are set to recreate the atmosphere of the medieval France. You might like to have a look at the “Eagles of the Ramparts” ceremony during which birds of prey present their learned tricks. Interestingly enough, each element of Provin's life is authentic – the fortified walls, the falconers’ costumes and the stunning aerial acrobatics. Extremely realistic is also a contest called “Battle of Ramparts,” during which professionally trained modern knights display the Medieval  techniques of warfare.