LOS ANGELES

The city's original site, El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Angeles, has survived the test of time and history. The City of Angels has patiently invented its legend, much helped by the eternal sun and the blue of its rainbow sky. The city has a hypnotising aura that borders on excess. The famous neighbourhoods and the surrounding cities that make up Los Angeles County are known the world over. Malibu and Venice, the quintessence of seaside glamour that are Malibu and Venice Beach; Beverly Hills with its constellation of stars; or downtown L.A, the historical heart, where the first primitive huts were built...

Los Angeles is comfortable with its distinctiveness. Though it may champion tourism and plurality, do not be fooled by L.A.'s dazzle: L.A. is far from frivolous. With its 14-million inhabitants, this sprawling megalopolis is full of authenticity, treasures, and important cultural monuments. A rich mosaic of culture, art, and architecture, L.A. is committed to modernity. Vestiges of the past, like Art Deco and Spanish Revival masterpieces, rub shoulders with architectural behemoths, irresistible to those who fall under the spell of dream and fortune. Hollywood, the movie capital, though a simple neighbourhood in a big city, is unique, with a name that rings out. Like Los Angeles, Hollywood excels in paradox.

From the Getty Center to Disneyland, the second-largest city in the United States attracts talents as glittering as its theme parks and the museums dedicated to the arts and science. Nowhere else on the planet has a place been blessed with as much grace and opportunity for pleasure. Unspoilt nature and the great outdoors, fine dining and shopping, culture and urban development... The Riviera across the pond wants to share the American way of life with you, a concept of society and happiness that comes truly into its own here in sunny California.