Everything you need to know about Euro 2016 host cities
PARIS (AP) -- The 51 matches of Euro 2016 are spread across 10 French cities and towns, from Lille in the north to Nice in the south. Here, at a glance, is the low-down on them:
---
PARIS:
Quick facts: French capital, seat of government; so-called ''City of Light;'' France's largest city; population 2.3 million; famed for romance, museums, gastronomy, architecture, Eiffel Tower and other landmarks.
Stadium: Parc des Princes; home of French League One champion Paris Saint-Germain; built on former royal hunting ground; architect Roger Taillibert's distinctive concrete structure opened in 1972; capacity expanded to 45,000 and renovated for Euro 2016.
Matches: Turkey vs. Croatia; Romania vs. Switzerland; Portugal vs. Austria; Northern Ireland vs. Germany; one round-of-16 knockout game.
Claim to fame: Engineer Gustave Eiffel's 324-meter (1,063-foot) tower of wrought iron was the world's tallest man-made structure when it opened in 1889.
Local dish: With thousands of restaurants, including 92 with coveted stars in the famed Michelin Guide, Paris promises culinary adventure for all tastes.
---
SAINT-DENIS:
Quick facts: Multi-cultural northern suburb of Paris; 42 kings, 32 queens and 63 princes or princesses were laid to rest on the site of its magnificent cathedral ; in 1793, four years after the French Revolution, workmen crowbarred open the coffins and tossed royal remains into mass graves; Abdelhamid Abaaoud, a ringleader of terror attacks that killed 130 people and wounded hundreds in Paris last Nov. 13, hid out afterward in a Saint-Denis apartment and died during a police raid.
Stadium: Stade de France; capacity 80,000; built for 1998 World Cup; hosted final where France beat Brazil 3-0; November terror attacks started with three suicide bombings outside the arena.
Matches: France vs. Romania; Ireland vs. Sweden; Germany vs. Poland; Iceland vs. Austria; one round-of-16; one quarterfinal; the July 10 final.
Claim to fame: Stadium will host first and last matches of Euro 2016.
Local dish: Saint-Denis' market, open three days a week and with 300 stands, is a colorful riot of dishes, flavors and ingredients.
---
Quick facts: Mediterranean port; France's second-largest city after Paris; population of 864,000; had a sulfurous reputation in the 1970s for "French Connection" heroin-trafficking mafia; local team Olympique de Marseille won the first edition of the Champions League in 1993.
Stadium: Velodrome; built to host 1938 World Cup; capacity increased to 60,000 for 1998 World Cup; capacity further increased to 67,000 and modernized for Euro 2016; France's second-largest stadium, after Stade de France.
Matches: England vs. Russia; France vs. Albania; Iceland vs. Hungary; Ukraine vs. Poland; quarter-final; one semi-final.
Claim to fame: Childhood home of Zinedine Zidane , former star turned coach of Real Madrid.
Local dish: ''Bouillabaisse'' stew made with at least seven different varieties of fish, served with garlic-flavored toasts called ''croutons'' and ''rouille'' mayonnaise with saffron.
---
LYON:
Quick facts: France's third-largest city; 509,000 people; straddles Rhone river, in east-central France between the Alps and Massif Central mountains; founded by the Romans; UNESCO World Heritage site.
Stadium: Stade de Lyon; 59,000 capacity; newly built; opened in January; replaced Gerland stadium, Olympique Lyonnais' home since 1950.
Matches: Belgium vs. Italy; Ukraine vs. Northern Ireland; Romania vs. Albania; Hungary vs. Portugal; one round-of-16; semi-final.
Claim to fame: Lyon won a French-record seven consecutive League One titles from 2002-2008.Local dish: ''Quenelles ,'' soft-dough dumplings shaped using two spoons, served with creamy sauce.
---BORDEAUX:
Quick facts: World-renowned wine industry traces roots back to Roman times; southwestern city of 248,000 people; straddles Garonne river that flows into the Atlantic; stunning architecture, with more protected buildings than any other French city outside Paris.
Stadium: Stade de Bordeaux; newly built; inaugurated May 2015; capacity 42,000; home of FC Girondins de Bordeaux, which last won League One in 2009.
Matches: Wales vs. Slovakia; Austria vs. Hungary; Belgium vs. Ireland; Croatia vs. Spain; quarter-final.
Claim to fame: Wine industry produces 720 million bottles annually and says that every second, 22 bottles of Bordeaux are sold around the world.
No comments: