10Domaine de Chamarande 13Parc Astérix Located 35 km south of Paris, this estate The famous Gauls, Astérix and Obélix, have combines historical heritage and contem- their very own theme park. Come face to porary a . Exhibitions on a , architecture, face with Caesar in Ancient Rome, Cleopatra design and botany are held in the Louis XIII- in Ancient Egypt or Goudurix in the realm style chateau (1654), in the gardens or in the of the Vikings. A memorable family outing orangery. with thrills galore, plenty of shows to enjoy, 38 rue du Commandant Arnoux. famous characters to meet and restaurants 91730 Chamarande. 01 60 82 52 01. and cafes for a tasty treat. Daily from 9am (opening times vary 60128 Plailly. 0 826 46 66 26 (€0.15/min). according to season). Free. Opening days and times vary, contact for h p://chamarande.essonne.fr details. Full rate: €51. www.parcasterix.fr 11Château d’Auvers-sur-Oise – Vision impressionniste The village of Auvers-sur-Oise is situated in the countryside to the no h of Paris. At the end of the 19th century, this bucolic se ing was very popular with Impressionist painters, such as Cézanne, Pissarro and Van Gogh. The Château d’Auvers, built in the 17th century, evokes this highly-productive a istic past. Rue de Léry. 95430 Auvers-sur-Oise. 14Domaine de Chantilly 01 34 48 48 48. Daily: 10am-5pm (Apr to You will need to set aside at least half a day Sept: 6pm), except Mon and mid-Dec to mid- for this truly sumptuous estate! The cha- Jan. Open Easter and Whit Mon. Full rate: €15. teau, a jewel of French architecture, houses www.chateau-auvers.fr the second largest collection of fine old paintings a er the Louvre. The breathtak- ing grounds, stretching over 115 hectares, feature both English and French-style for- mal gardens, ideal for a picturesque stroll. The 18th-century stables are home to the Musée du Cheval (Equestrian Museum) and equestrian shows. 7 rue du Connétable. 60500 Chantilly. 03 44 27 31 80. High season (end March to 12Casino Barrière – Enghien-les-Bains end Oct): daily, 10am-6pm (8pm for the park). At 14 km from the Champs-Élysées, this is the Low season (early Nov to end March): daily, closest casino to Paris … and the most fre- 10.30am-5pm (6pm for the park), except Tues. quented in France! The glass building in a lake- Closed 1 Jan, 25 Dec and 2 weeks in Jan. side se ing has 40 gaming tables (roule e, Estate ticket (chateau, grounds, Great Black Jack, poker … ) and 500 slot machines, Stables and Musée du Cheval)/full rate: €17. 72 video-pokers and 39 English electronic rou- Grounds ticket/full rate: €8. le e stations. The casino also boasts two res- www.domainedechantilly.com taurants, two bars and an Italian-style theatre with a varied programme. Sma dress and personal ID are required at the entrance. 3 av. de Ceinture. 95880 Enghien-les-Bains. 01 39 34 13 00. Daily. Mon to Fri, 10am- 4am; Sat, Sun and public holidays, 10am-5am. Admission to the casino is restricted to people over 18 yrs, not banned from pyg, p entation of valid ID. www.casinosbarriere.com 78 OUTSIDE PARIS