Paris is part of the the region Ile de France which proposes many sites to visit. Castles and palaces with Versailles, Vaux le Vicomte, Fontainebleau or Chantilly to name the most important, all of which can be hired for spectacular and prestigious gala evenings, artist villages such as Barbizon or Auvers sur Oise, where Van Gogh died, architectural wonders such as the Chartres cathedral. Many places are worth a half-day visit.