Fontainebleau, located in the Paris metropolitan area of France, is a municipality southwest of Paris city center. It is the largest municipality in the Île-de-France region. Fontainebleau is famous for its historic Fontainebleau Palace and Fontainebleau Forest. The Fontainebleau Palace, a large palace built in the 12th century, is a castle and palace of French monarchs throughout history. In 1981, it was recognized as a World Heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The Fontainebleau Forest is famous for its large area and beautiful scenery. It is a national park due to its wealth of wild plants and valuable bird, mammal, and butterfly populations. Today, the forest is also popular among rock climbing enthusiasts. Fontainebleau has become a favorite weekend getaway for Parisians.