A massive wildfire near Paris has torched swathes of a forest that has lured admirers for centuries, from royal hunting parties to impressionist painters, rock climbers and nature lovers.
Fontainebleau is no stranger to fire, but this inferno – fanned by strong winds and heat wave conditions – is among the worst in decades, destroying nearly five percent of the 25,000-hectare (61,800-acre) forest.
Prehistory, royalty
Fontainebleau attracts between 15 and 18 million visitors a year – nearly twice as many as the Louvre museum in Paris.
Most travel from the French capital, 60 kilometers (40 miles) away, but 30% come from outside France.
