The city is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-et-Marne département.

It is a popular tourist spot on account of at least the following:

• The Royal Palace of Fontainebleau, commissioned in the 16th century by Henry II and Catherine de Medici.
• The Fontainebleau forest is a beautiful place and is often visited by walkers, horse riders, and climbers.
• The graves of G. I. Gurdjieff and Katherine Mansfield in the cemetery at Avon.

See also: