There are few places in the world which can claim to be more romantic than Paris.

A glance across the River Seine, a walk though the Jardin des Tuileries hand in hand with a loved one, 37 bridges to pause and take a breath at the beauty of an enchanting city.

Artists sitting at every corner beckoning you for a portrait, the music which fills the air, the sheer smell of history which touches every sinew.

There are the book markets which entice you with that precious thought of sipping a coffee at a trendy cafe, while you sit engrossed in a work of literary art.

Tourists flock from around the world to see the Eiffel Tower, to take in the Haussman renovation and to bend down on one knee and ask that question.

There's the Pont Alexandre III bridge, linking Les Invalides where Napoleon is buried, right through to Le Grand Palais and the shopping heaven of the Champs-Elysees.

Don't forget the Pont Des Arts, allowing you to walk between Louvre and the 6th Arrondissement without the constant noise of traffic. Why not stay a while? Enjoy a fine bottle of wine, a picnic perhaps?

Or maybe you'd rather save yourself for a jaunt across the Pont Neuf and steal a kiss?

This is Paris, the romantic capital of France and perhaps the world.

But on Sunday January 6 2013, Paris surrendered its crown, or at least for a few hours temporarily.

Away from the boutiques, the patisseries, the artists of Montmartre, Paris had been eclipsed by a group of men, who have taken the whole notion of romance to a new level.

Step forward the brave and hardy souls of Epinal.

In a small and sleepy town in the north-east of the country, around 311 kilometers from the capital, something has stirred.

There are no candle lit dinners or boutique bistros, instead it is a place known for three things -- the cold, the Epinal print and now, at last, its football team.

It was here that the romance of the French domestic Cup was realized, not through poetry, painting or drama. This grew out of passion.

Epinal, a third-tier side, which sits 19th out of 20 teams in its division, had dreamed of this day for many a year although that dream was tempered with more than a hint of apprehension.

The arrival of cup holder Lyon and its millionaire football players would have left even the most rose tinted of Epinal supporters reaching for a nice bottle of rouge.

Lyon, the seven-time league champion, a team playing at the pinnacle of European football in the Champions League, arrived at Stade de la Colombière second in the top division.

After holding a training camp in the luxurious surrounding of Monaco and all the glitz and glamor that goes with it, this game was supposed to ease the team back into the routine following the winter break.

While Lyon's players have been busy wiping the sweat from their brow and basking in the exotic temperatures of the Principality, Epinal's players were trying to fit the rigors of training into everyday life.

Epinal is an amateur team, its players work in all sections of society and train when their jobs allow. It is not the life their opponent endures.

For once, work took a back seat as the romance of the cup swept across the town and those who live there.

As the two teams took to the field, the millionaire international footballers of Lyon and the dreamers of Epinal, what chance would the home side have afforded themselves?

French football has seen fairy tales in the past. Only last season, Quevilly of the third tier reached the final where it was beaten narrowly by Lyon.

In 2009, Guingamp of the second division, defeated Stade Rennais, while other teams outside the top flight such as Chateauroux, Amiens, Calais and Sedan have all reached the final in recent time.