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:
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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.
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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.
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MARSEILLE:
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.
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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.
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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.
Local dish: Fresh oysters from the 315 farms in pristine waters of the nearby Arcachon basin, enjoyed with a squirt of lemon or dash of red-wine vinegar.
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TOULOUSE:
Quick facts: Population 466,000, in France's rugby-loving southwest; home to France's most successful rugby union club, Stade Toulousain; Toulouse Football Club is a three-time champion of League Two but has never finished higher than third in League One.
Stadium: Stadium de Toulouse; 33,000 capacity; built for 1938 World Cup; extensively repaired after nearby chemical factory exploded in 2001; renovations for Euro 2016 completed in January.
Matches: Spain vs. Czech Republic; Italy vs. Sweden; Russia vs. Wales; one round-of-16.
Claim to fame: Headquarters of aerospace giant Airbus .
Local dish: ''Foie gras,'' flavorsome pate from the livers of force-fed geese.
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LILLE:
Quick facts: Former industrial center near France's northern border with Belgium; population 238,000; former garrison town was besieged multiple times; famed flea-market on first weekend of every September claims to be Europe's biggest, attracting 2 million visitors; Lille's team - known as LOSC, initials for Lille Olympique Sporting Club - last won League One in 2011.
Stadium: Stade Pierre Mauroy; capacity 50,000; opened in 2012.
Matches: Germany vs. Ukraine; Russia vs. Slovakia; Switzerland vs. France; Italy vs. Ireland; one round-of-16; quarter-final.
Claim to fame: Birthplace of Charles de Gaulle , World War II leader who later was president from 1958-1969.
Local dish: ''Carbonade,'' rich stew of beef marinated and slow-cooked in beer.
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LENS:
Quick facts: Smallest Euro host; stadium can hold town's entire population of 32,000; former coal-mining center.
Stadium: Stade Bollaert-Delelis; capacity 35,000; built by unemployed miners, extensively rebuilt ahead of Euro 2016.
Matches: Albania vs. Switzerland; England vs. Wales; Czech Republic vs. Turkey; one round-of-16.
Claim to fame: Razed during World War I and again severely damaged in World War II.
Local dish: Pungent Maroilles cheese extensively used in regional cuisine.
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NICE:
Quick facts: Balmy vacation spot and port on French Riviera; population 346,000; artist Henri Matisse moved to Nice in 1917 to treat a bout of bronchitis; wowed by the climate, light and surrounds , he stayed and died in his Nice studio in 1954; stadium houses National Museum of Sport.
Stadium: Stade de Nice; 35,000 capacity; opened 2013.
Matches: Poland vs. Northern Ireland; Spain vs. Turkey; Sweden vs. Belgium; one round-of-16.
Claim to fame: Rolling Stones recorded chunks of ''Exile on Main St .'' at Nellcote villa that Keith Richards rented in Villefranche-sur-Mer on Nice's outskirts.
Local dish: Aptly named ''Socca'' pancake made from chickpea flour.
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SAINT-ETIENNE:
Quick facts: South-central city of 175,000; former center of heavy industry and mining ; AS Saint-Etienne was France's dominant club from mid-1960s to mid-1970s, winning seven League One titles and five French Cups from 1967-1977.
Stadium: Stade Geoffroy Guichard; capacity 42,000; opened in 1931; built on old mine tunnels.
Matches: Portugal vs. Iceland; Czech Republic vs. Croatia; Slovakia vs. England; one round-of-16.
Claim to fame: Hasn't won League One since last title in 1981, with Michel Platini in midfield.
Local dish: Grated potatoes mixed with eggs and fried.
