On Paris’ doorstep is the Château de Vincennes, whose stupendous 14th century keep has been restored, with the Saint-Chapelle to follow in 2008. Further out, Fontainebleau is a 40 minute drive or an hour by public transport. The château alone is a day-trip, but there’s a full weekend’s worth here if combined with forest rambles or a visit to Barbizon, the village colonised by Corot and Millet and their circle. Make time, if you can, for a day-trip to Vaux-le-Vicomte, a château so ravishing it inspired the envy of Louis XIV. Not that it’s all about history, though. A short hop from the city, the new Mac/Val in Vitry-sur-Seine has put the banlieue firmly on the contemporary art map.