Palace of Versailles evacuated over bomb threats

France's iconic and historic Palace of Versailles has reopened after it was forced to close because of a bomb threat.

The lavish palace on the outskirts of Paris that was home to King Louis XVI before his execution in 1793 during the French Revolution is one of France's main tourist destinations and attracts around 15,000 visitors a day. But the authorities closed it on Tuesday following the latest in a series of bomb threats.

The palace confirmed the closure on its social media accounts, writing: "For security reasons, the Palace of Versailles is evacuating visitors and closing its doors today, Tuesday October 17. Thank you for your understanding."

The venue, which will host horse-riding events during next year's Paris Olympics, was also forced to close on Saturday amid heightened fears across Europe that terror attacks linked to turbulence in the Middle East could flare.

A bomb threat also forced the closure of France's Louvre Museum on Saturday.

And Reuters reported on Wednesday that Lille airport in northern France had been evacuated because of a bomb scare.

"State security teams are on site," the airport said on its social media accounts.

So far, all of the threats have turned out to be false alarms and no devices have been found, police told local media.

France's culture minister, Rima Abdul Malak, insisted the nation will not let the terrorists win, saying: "Maximum security is in place; we will not give in to terror. There are wonderful exhibitions everywhere and it has always been France's strength to maintain a cultural life. It's a way of affirming our attachment to the values of the republic."

France is on its highest alert level following the fatal stabbing of a teacher at a school in Arras on Friday and the wounding of two others in an incident linked to Islamist extremism.

And France's neighbor, Belgium, has also been blighted by terrorism in recent days, with a self-proclaimed Islamic State supporter killing two Swedish football fans in Brussels on Monday before being shot dead himself by police the following day.

France's President Emmanuel Macron said the incidents, including the shooting in Belgium, were having repercussions across the continent.

"Brussels was hit again by an Islamist terrorist attack ... our Europe is shaken," he said.

Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the terror attack in Belgium looked to have targeted "Sweden and Swedish citizens", possibly because of Quran-burning incidents there earlier this year.

"Sweden and Belgium mourn the victims of (this) attack together," he wrote on social media before traveling to Brussels on Wednesday to attend a service commemorating those who died.

In the wake of the heightened tension throughout Europe, France's interior minister, Gerald Darmanin, has announced a nationwide ban on demonstrations.