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• Host FRANCE, a major industrialized nation, is Europe’s third largest country (after Russia and Ukraine), and the fourth most populous. The French Republic includes ten overseas possessions. Paris is the nation’s capital. France is a nation of varied landscapes, ranging from coastal lowlands and broad plains in the north, to hilly uplands in south central France, to lush valleys and towering, snow-capped Alps in the east. The country is highly urbanized. Three-quarters of the population (60m) lives in cities, including more than 10m people in the metropolitan area of Paris.
France is one of the oldest states in the Western world and its history is rich and varied. The Romans incorporated France in the 1st century BC and ruled the region until the Roman Empire collapsed in the 5th century AD. A series of royal dynasties followed but royal power declined in the Middle Ages with the spread of feudalism. From the 14th to 18th century the power of the monarchy grew steadily as French kings built a centralized bureaucracy and a large army. The French Revolution in 1789 toppled the monarchy, ushering in decades of political instability. Despite this turmoil, the revolution, and the subsequent rule of Napoleon Bonaparte, established a uniform administrative state. French strength and prosperity grew during the 19th and early 20th centuries, and France built a worldwide colonial empire. Much of World War I was fought on French soil, while Germany occupied northern France during World War II. After the war France rebuilt its shattered economy and emerged as one of the world’s major industrial countries. The French are among the healthiest, wealthiest, and best-educated people in the world. A comprehensive social welfare system is in place, guaranteeing all citizens a minimal standard of living and health care. The principal language is French, and the dominant religion Catholicism.
French culture, especially art and literature, has profoundly influenced the Western world. Paris, one of the world’s great intellectual capitals, has been at the center of cultural life since the Middle Ages. World-renowned French cultural figures include philosophers, writers, painters, sculptors, architects, composers, playwrights, and film directors. French literary and artistic contributions deeply influenced the path of cultural development. During the 20th century, French writers and artists were at the center of movements such as dada, surrealism, existentialism, and the theater of the absurd. France has a long reputation for excellence in cuisine, and French fashion styles are imitated throughout the world. • Visas Check with nearest French consular authority if a visa is required by any of the team members to enter France. If so, application should be submitted as soon as the names of the players are known. Letters of invitation will be issued by the French Bridge Federation.
• Venue The tournament will be played in the new headquarters of Fédération Française de Bridge (FFB), in Saint-Cloud on the outskirts of Paris. The building is beautifully situated right on the bank of the river Seine.
This is an excellent facility, especially designed to host high-level competitions. There are three large halls which will be used exclusively for the championship, a vugraph theater, studio for the transmission of matches, etc. Participants will be lodged in the Novotel Suresnes, a 4-star hotel situated in the adjacent suburb of Suresnes. The hotel is some 4 km away from FFB. Besides walking along the Seine, one could reach the venue using a bicycle, taxi or private car. The best way is probably to walk a few minutes from the hotel and pick up the tram which stops right at the FFB. There are no other convenient hotels closer to FFB. All rooms in Novotel Suresnes are similarly equipped, each with one double and one single bed (proper bed, not sofa). The rates per person are €69 in a double room, €109 in a single room and €56 in a 3-bedded room. These rates include full-board; breakfast and dinner will be served in the hotel, while buffet lunch will be offered at the venue between matches. The organizers will provide free transportation from Paris airports (Charles de Gaulle and Orly) to Novotel Suresnes on Sunday 17 and Monday 18 August, and vice versa on Friday 29 August, to all delegations who provide details of their travel arrangements in advance.
• Reserve Rooms Teams are requested to reserve accommodation at Novotel Suresnes at their earliest opportunity.
• Travel Plans Meeting teams at the airport will be by appointment only; therefore teams who do not announce their flight details to the organizers will have to find their own way to the venue. Information required:
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