Step into the catacombs and find a fascinatingly grisly scene, writes Trudy Lefeber.

Funded by the European Union to the tune of $140 million, a deft bit of reinvention has turned France's drug and crime epicentre into the nation's Capital of Culture. Jenna Hand goes along for the ride.

Of all European countries, you might have thought, France would have taken gay marriage in its stride.

A 21-year-old man arrested on suspicion of stabbing a French soldier in the neck in Paris was flagged to French intelligence months ago over fears that he had been radicalised, it was claimed.

Vincent Autin and Bruno Boileau were pronounced "spouses" at their wedding.

A man from the French Riviera town of Nice has been arrested on suspicion of eating part of his 95-year-old grandmother.

A far-right writer and activist has killed himself at the altar of Paris' famed Notre Dame Cathedral, after calling for "spectacular" action to protect France's identity.

What's in store for Paris's iconic Hotel de Crillon? Samuel Muston takes the long view.

Eurostar's latest service takes you straight to the heart of foodie France. Andy Lynes climbs aboard.

Gay marriage has been legalised by Parliament - but it is still banned by most of New Zealand's 10 main religions, a new Herald survey shows.

The no-holds-barred sex appeal for Anthony Vaccarello is not for the faint-hearted. The third Belgian designer to show on Paris fashion week's first day served up a black-and-white ode to the early '80s in a show that featured micro skirts, chainmail, a lot of skin and lashings of sensual leather. Strong retro shoulders, asymmetrical, diagonally cut skirts, upturned lapels and cowl collars set the fashion time dial firmly back to the era of the New Romantics. This was fused with the innate sexiness of his variations on the Little Black Dress. The best look was a black kimono-style top, which billowed in great contrast to the tight, bright shiny black mini. Subtle this was not, but then, subtle isn't glam-loving Vaccarello's thing.

When you’ve strolled around the City of Love visiting icons like the Lourve, Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and eaten more than your share of fresh baguettes and gooey cheese, here are five off-the-beaten-track things to write home about.

A number of doctors had been killed, some of them deliberately. The burned bodies of three were found a few days after their arrest by the Mukhabarat, Syria's secret police, a month previously in June.

Swimming 20km through alligator-infested rivers and killing an anaconda are just part of the job for a young New Zealander who ran away to join the French Foreign Legion.

Even in the event of a no-show, one might have expected some fireworks, some apocalypse-grade hallucinations, as the credulous coaxed their fevered brains to provide what the universe had so signally failed to.

Considering a shopping excursion to Paris? It's a good idea to plan ahead.

Here are some of the world's key doomsday destinations and other places marked by fear and fascination.

The southern port of Marseilles is unlike other French cities. That becomes apparent as soon as the visitor steps from the train at Saint-Charles terminus, high above the city.

If you're keen for a shopping fix overseas this holiday season here are the best streets around the world to fill up the suitcase with goodies.