Oise Treasures: Abbeys, Châteaux, Parks, Villages

[French Mystique Tours]

It was to be the last warm and sunny day in and around Paris before cooler autumn weather arrived and I knew this would be the last great day of the season to get in a bike ride. Today I decided I would head north of Paris into the Oise region to do some exploring. I picked the Oise because I always seem to be going further and further out from Paris on my bike rides and I realized I had been neglecting some pretty good undiscovered territory that was much closer. I took a train from Gare du Nord to the town of Nanteuil-le-Haudouin. You've all heard of that town, right? Yeah, neither had I. But it was near enough to some interesting places to go biking and since it had a train station it was also my starting point.

This town is on one of those rail lines with extremely infrequent service and the schedules seem to change daily. It might take you 36 minutes to get there from Paris, or, it might take 3 hours and a train and two buses to get there. Maybe your train is listed on the SNCF website, or maybe the Transilien website. Who knows? Everything about this train seemed weird and mysterious. I got to Gare du Nord not much before the train was to depart and once I got my ticket I went to look at the sign board for departing trains to find mine. I checked main line trains, local trains and pretty much any departing train sign board I could find but my train didn't seem to be listed anywhere. It was 5 minutes before departure so I went to an info booth to ask what track my train would depart from. The woman at the info booth said ''That train leaves from track 32''. I was standing right next to track 32 and noticed there was no train there. I said ''But there's no train there''. She said ''It's late''. I said ''Can you tell me how late it will be?''. She said ''Yes, I can do that. It is 15 minutes late''. It seems there's a hierarchy of questions you need to work through at these info booths to get the complete answer. No clues are provided so have your questions in order. Once I had unraveled the mystery of the missing train I had to clear the next obstacle. I had one of those large billet train tickets and the entry to my train was through a turnstile that only accepted the métro/RER size tickets. I knew I was going to have to ask the info lady another question so I got my thoughts in order to see if I could remove a few steps from the question game this time. I held up my ticket and smiled at her. She smiled back and pressed a buzzer to open the gate behind me. Question game avoided.

My train came rolling in, or perhaps creaking in would be a better description. It was not the oldest train I've seen rolling on the tracks around Paris but it was probably the oldest double decker still in service. The train was nearly devoid of passengers, maybe 25 or 30 of us to share 9 or 10 cars. My car had three or four other passengers, me and my bike. The whistle blew, the doors closed and I pulled away from Gare du Nord on the mysterious ghost train that was going to stop in a bunch of anonymous towns where no one seemed to get on, or get off the train. When the train pulled into Nanteuil-le-Haudouin I was surprised to step off the train and not wake up thinking this had all been a dream.

The train station is on the outskirts of town and I was feeling like I needed a coffee to get me going so I decided to ride into town and look for a café. Besides, it was such a mystery getting to this town I was curious as to what other adventures I might find there. Well, it was a pretty ordinary looking town typical of lots of other anonymous towns I've seen near Paris. I did some research on the internet to see if there was anything interesting I could tell you about this town but they have no tourist office website and the official town hall website has no link to history about the town, which one may find on some other small town websites. The only thing I could find out was that Nanteuil-le-Haudouin played a rôle in the Taxis of the Marne saga from the First World War. If you're not familiar with this story it relates to an episode during WWI when the Germans were not far from Paris and French troops needed to be transported to the front line ASAP. A few fleets of several hundred taxis were organized and over the course of a couple of days they transported about 5,000 troops in stages to their positions close to the Germans. Nanteuil-le-Haudouin was one of a few towns that were the final destination for troops heading to the front. As a footnote to this story, when the taxis returned to Paris they collected the fare they had rung up on their meters, just like any other fare.

Let's look at Nanteuil-le-Haudouin for a minute. Here's the main town square.




Here's the town church.




Here's my favorite place to get a drink in any small town or village, the bar tabac.



If you want to meet the locals in town then the bar tabac is the place to go. One thing I like about these places is that the folks there never see foreigners and if they realize I'm a foreigner they often strike up a conversation. There are often some unusual experiences one might have in one of the small town bar tabacs. I'm sort of thinking of the bar I frequent that has the walls decorated with calendars where each month has a photo of a beefy, studly looking man completely naked with their hand (or perhaps soap bubbles) in a strategic position so as to maintain some decorum and modesty. You know, so it would still be appropriate to display such a picture in a public place, or your own restaurant. Or several pictures just like it. But that's a different story and nothing out of the ordinary happened in Nanteuil so I finished my café and got on the bike to head out of town on a dirt track.






Once I passed the outskirts of town I was in the vast agricultural plains.








It's interesting to note the various cycles of crop harvest where some fields have been harvested and replowed while others already have the winter crop. The scene changes throughout the year as various crops are planted while others are harvested. I think my favorite crop cycle is when the rapeseed is in full bloom in May. The purple lavender fields of Provence are indeed lovely and tough to match but the vast stretches of yellow carpet blanketing the fields in May is a beautiful site in its own right. As an example, here are a few pictures I took in May this year of the rapeseed in full bloom.










Although there was no rapeseed blooming today that was more than compensated for by the fact that I happened to be riding at the beginning of peak foliage season. Peak foliage season starts sometime around mid to late October but I find the last week in October and the first week in November to be the best times.








After leaving the agricultural plains behind and entering my first town I could tell there was going to be some sort of spectacular château ahead, as evidenced by the stunning park grounds I saw to my left.












The town I was in is called Versigny and above you are obviously looking at the Château de Versigny, which is designated a historic monument. It's privately owned but the grounds are open free to the public in the afternoons in July and September. They do appointments for groups by reservation April 15 through October 15.

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A bit of history about Versigny and its château. Versigny is in a historic region known as the Valois, named after the dukes of the region who had been powerful since medieval times. The region became attached the the royal crown in 1213 and not long after would have a profound impact on the history of France as the Valois dynasty produced thirteen kings of France starting with Philip VI in 1328 and ending with the reign of Henry IV in 1589. A medieval fortress stood on grounds not far from the present château in the XIVth and XVth centuries when the region was under the control of Louis d'Orléans, who had several other places in the region strengthened as protection for his rivalry with the Dukes of Burgundy. The original château was destroyed under the order of Cardinal Richelieu in 1635 and nothing remains but the donjon and pigeonnier. A new château was constructed shortly thereafter and in 1660 the gardens were designed by Le Notre. The château achieved its present form in two stages, during expansion in 1770 and again between 1836 and 1844. The château played roles in the First and Second World Wars and at the end of the latter was heavily damaged by the Germans. It has been restored over the past 60 years. If what I'm reading on the Versigny website is true (it's not very clear) it appears that the château/domain has remained in the same family (through marriage) since 1401. Today Versigny is designated as one of the remarkable parks and gardens (a tourist board designation) of the Picardy region. I happened to be riding in an area where there were several other such parks and gardens and they are all open to the public. We'll get to some more of those later but for now, let's take a little ride around Versigny.
















The gardens were closed today but I went up next to the château to see what I could see of them from the street.

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I finished up in Versigny and moved on.








The next village I rode through was called Baron. I was unable to uncover any interesting or noteworthy information whatsoever in regards to Baron and I'll bet you can't either.












Baron does have a noteworthy church classified as a historic monument.....






…...and the ever present monument to the war dead.

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Baron also has a noteable manor dating from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries but I could barely catch a glimpse of it from the street.






I pedaled on and next entered the village of Fontaine-Chaalis.




The town name has changed a few times over the centuries but has its roots when the village was known as Funtunas in its earliest written form. In 1255 the village was the property of a knight named Thomas le Cornu, who was thus the Seigneur Cornu de Fontaines. Later in 1380 the village was known as Cornu les Fontaines but this somehow later transformed into Fontaines les Corps Nudz, as attested in 1634. But then in 1780 it was known as Fontaine le Cornu again, a slight deviation of the 1380 name. But the name changed again in 1793 because under the Revolutionary Doctrine places names must be rid of any reference to a former seigneur so the village became known as Fontaines. Then in 1801 with the cancelation of name changes during the Revolution the town reverted to the name it had for the longest time, Fontaine les Corps Nus (meaning Fontaine, the naked bodies). This indignation lasted until 1921 when out of respect for the inhabitants the name was at last changed to Fontaine-Chaalis, since the residents suffered the jokes of their neighbors.

That's about all the interesting stuff I can tell you about Fontaine-Chaalis so let's have a look around town.






The weather in the morning had been pretty foggy but the sun just needed time to burn it off and that happened just about this time, which coincided with my arrival where the fall colors were showing their best.

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It was about this time I left the once embarassingly named Fontaine-Chaalis and entered the adjacent village of Montlognon, whose name to the best of my research doesn't appear to be the butt of any embarassing toponomy related jokes.



















Here's the local church, which has a 12th century portal.




Then it was out of town and into some pretty, rural country on quiet country roads. The temps were rising and the sun was shining as I moved onward.

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I was now at the front entry of one of the rich patrimonial treasures of the area, the Abbey of Chaalis.




There's an enormous château on the grounds associated with the abbey but it is hidden behind trees and not visible from the street. The Abbey is open to the public and a 7€ admission gets you entry to the parc, the abbey and its chapel, rose gardens and museum. It's a designated historic monument and is worthy of several hours of exploration in its own right. Parts of the original abbey have renowned gothic frescoes and the museum has notable art and sculpture collections, including works by Giotto and Boticelli. I'm going to copy a paragraph from the Abbey website to provide a glimpse of its historic origins:

''Louis VI founded the Cistercian monastery of Chaalis on 10 th January 1137 in memory of Charles the Good, Count of Flanders who had been massacred at Bruges.

This abbey's church was consecrated in 1219 by the illustrious brother Guerin, then Bishop of Beauvais. Almost immediately after its foundation, the abbey became incontestably renowned largely due to the quality of its priors or abbots. It was certainly during the 14th century, however, that the monastery celebrated the period of its greatest splendour. The scrivener and secretary to the king, Jean de Montreuil wrote "The Abbey of Chaalis is a kind of earthly paradise inhabited by saints. It is surrounded by fountains, streams and small torrents, whose clear waters murmur softly as they flow. There are ten great ponds, very profitable, filled with an infinite number of fishes, which have such an exquisite flavour that I do not believe I have ever eaten better. I admire the beautiful forest that nourishes a quantity of wild boars, stags, hares and rabbits which emerge constantly from their lairs and burrows in great numbers.The abbey was surrounded by ditches and walls. The church was approached via a portico, and the author declares that the interior, with its 25 chapels, surpasses all those he had seen elsewhere, in beauty and brightness. The refectory, almost 55 meters long, occupies a whole wing of the cloister. The magnificent guest houses lodge visitors from the outside world. As for the abbot's house, he said that if he described it, he would seem to be evoking the palace of some prince of royal blood. The place is so conducive to study that it is easy to believe the muses have chosen to reside there and have often held their assemblies at Chaalis."

Some frequent visitors to Paris may be familiar with the Jacquemart-André Museum in Paris and the Abbey has a connection. The Abbey estate was purchased by Madame Jacquemart-André in 1902. She was the widow of a rich banker and great collector of the arts and once her hotel in Paris was full she purchased the abbey estate to expand her collections. Her will bequeathed it to the Institute de France and she herself is buried in the abbey chapel. Among the numerous treasures can also be found the Collections of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, one of the most extensive collections of writings and documents associated with the philosopher/writer. The abbey, park and museum are worthy of a few hours exploration in their own right but I had other things to do. If you are interested in a visit here is the official website address, where you can also learn more about its history: www.chaalis.fr/nouvelle7.htm






Just down the road from the abbey is an accidentally created geological oddity known as La Mer de Sable (The Sea of Sand). I couldn't see much from behind the fence but it's a large area of sandy terrain that was created by removal of the topsoil, which was sold in Parisian markets. The area has since been turned into a child oriented theme park of the same name, La Mer De Sable. In 1963 it was the first ''parc d'attractions à thème'' ( theme park attraction) in France. It has all kinds of desert themed stuff (camel safaris, wild west and such).






It was at this point that I had to get on the only busy stretch of road for the day. It was the main trucking route through the area and it was essentially a steady stream of 18 wheelers. There was no paved shoulder on the road, only a strip of grass about a meter wide next to the pavement. I knew there was another place of patrimonial heritage just down the road that I wanted to see so I sucked it up and rode the 2km to the nearby town and château of Ermenonville. I know this could make a lot of people nervous but my observations of riding in the countryside around Paris are that drivers are very respectful (for the most part, there's always a few jerks) of bikers and will usually slow down behind you and wait to pass until it appears safe to do so. Each and every truck that came up behind me slowed down and for my part each time this happened I pulled off to the side and rode on the grassy shoulder, allowing them to pass by. It's all about cooperation. Bikers want to bike and truckers want to get to where they need to go and each side understands the other. It wasn't actually non-stop trucks and there were intermittent periods of no traffic at all and soon I was in Ermenonville anyway and glad I had come.






Ermenonville is noted for its château, its park and its association with Henry IV and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The history of Ermenonville is inextricably linked to its château. In 987 a defensive fortress is built by the Lords of Senlis as Ermenonville lies on the road between Senlis and Meaux. A bunch of stuff happened before the next notable event of King Louis XI's sojourns starting around 1474. The notable history starts when Henry IV buys the château and then sells it to one of his loyal knights and trusted friends Dominique de Vic, who had lost a leg in battle and was referred to as The Knight with a Woden Leg. He and his successors began transformation of the château. Henry IV is a frequent guest where he enjoys the company of his famous mistress, Gabrielle d'Estrées.

The Vic family had the château for about 100 years, then other people owned it, then in 1754 it is purchased by one of Louis XV's richest financiers René Hatte, who is responsible for major transformations although prior renovations in 1725 had sort of given it its present appearance. His grandson, René de Girardin, inherits the château in 1762 (or maybe 1766) and does more work. In the 1770's he leaves a lasting impression on the château by creating what is today known as Le Parc Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The garden was revolutionary for the time as it didn't have alleys and wings nor expansive lawns and massive flower gardens. It was inspired by the writings of Rousseau and reflected a theme of harmony with nature. The park attracted visitors from all over the world. It so inspired Rousseau that in 1778 he came and spent the last six weeks of his life at the château and park. His ashes were placed in an urn on the Île des Peupliers in the park's lake, but in 1794 were moved to The Panthéon in Paris.

The Park became a place of pilgrimage for those devoted to Rousseau and prominent visitors were Marie Antoinette, the King of Sweden, Benjamin Franklin, Robespierre, Danton, Mirabeau, Desmoulins and eventually Napoléon. In 1880 the domain was purchased by Polish Prince Radziwill from the heirs of Girardin. In 1902 part of the estate was sold to Madame Jacquemart-André, who as you know had purchased the nearby Abbey of Chaalis. The last Rudziwill dies in 1927 and the estate is broken up. The château passes through a few hands (Ettore Bugatti, an Italian auto manufacturer, bought the château in 1942) and in 1964 is sold to a financial company and goes through various stages of use: a retirement home, restaurant and headquarters for the Krishna cult. In 1991 it is purchased by the group Les Hôtels Particuliers and is transformed to its current use as a hotel and restaurant of prestige.

That's enough of the history stuff so it's time for the ride around town stuff. Coming into town it's obvious you're about to see some really spectacular stuff.




Here's my first look at the château.




And looking opposite the château at the Parc Jean-Jacques Rousseau.




Moving up closer to the château.




Looking back again towards the park.




And moving around the château.

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After admiring the various perspectives of the château I moved into the village. To this point in the ride I thought all the villages and hamlets I had visited ranked fairly high in the category of charm and Ermenonville did nothing to dispel this thought.






Here's the Jean-Jacques Rousseau statue, dating to 1908.










Here's the Eglise Saint-Martin, classed a historic monument and constructed at the end of the 12th century followed by flamboyent gothic renovations between 1534 and 1540 and a heavy renovation in the 1880's.








And that was all for Ermenonville so I headed back out on the road to ride with the eighteen wheelers for a couple of kilometers and then once again picked up the quiet country roads.

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I realized later that taking pictures while I was riding and in motion made them blurry.








The next village I entered was Borest. My first glimpses made me think it was going to live up to the charm standards set by the previous villages and it didn't disappoint.

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I've already mentioned how several of the area towns and villages have notable parks and gardens and Borest had such a place called the Parc et Jardin de Saint-Vincent. Some historians attribute the design of the park to the noted landscape designer Vare, who helped designed the Bois de Boulogne, Parc Montsouris and Parc de Monceau (all in Paris). Abandoned after WWII the present owners have opened the grounds of the estate, which has a late 18th century manor, to the public. It is open to the public June through mid October (6€ entry fee) and other times by reservation. Here's a slight glimpse of the gardens from the street.




Here's Le Manoir Saint-Vincent, the residence associated with the park.




In the next two pictures you can see the remains of the 14th century Priory of Sainte-Geneviève.


















Here is the 15th century Eglise Saint-Martin, which was built around an existing 12th century church.




Here is the towns oldest monument, dating from the neolithic period, a menhir known locally as La Queue de Gargantua (The Tail of Gargantua). The menhir also served as a polishing stone for stone tools.

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My visit of Borest was over so I headed to the nearby village of Mont-l'Evêque to see what I might find there.






It turns out that Mont-l'Evêque had a pretty awesome château.




There was a chapel and outbuilding adjacent to the château.






The château was the summer residence of the Bishops of Senlis starting in the 13th century and was almost entirely rebuilt in the 16th century after the devastations of The Hundred Years War. The château is a private residence but the owners have opened the grounds to the public, free of charge, to explore and wander.












Archery is still popular around here and the wild boars had best be careful.




Heading out of town..

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Arriving in the small village of Villemétrie.








In looking at my map it showed that there was an abbey nearby called Abbaye de la Victoire so I set out looking for it. Here it is.







The abbey was founded in 1222 on orders from Philippe Auguste to celebrate his military victory at Bouvines. It's private property and I was only able to view it at a distance from the road.






There is an extensive history of the abbey on French wikipedia that I don't feel like recounting but feel free to have a look if you'd like:

fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbaye_de_la_Victoire




Moving down the road I arrived at yet another historic site that doubled as a location for another of the region's notable parks and gardens, the Parc du Château de Valgenceuse.




The château and grounds are open for 10 days in July and throughout the month of September (entry 7€). If you want to learn more here is the website: www.valgenceuse.fr/

There are many notable parks and gardens to discover in this area, as you have seen, and if you are a parks and gardens lover you could easily spend a few days retracing my route and doing in-depth exploration of the parks and gardens I merely viewed in passing. Here is a link to the website for the Comité des Parcs et Jardins de France for those of you seeking info about such places anywhere in France: www.parcsetjardins.fr/picardie/oise/parc_du_ch_teau_de_valgenceuse-228.html


I moved on and spied one of my primary destinations of the day in the distance, the medieval town of Senlis. Here you can see the wonderful gothic spire and tower of its cathedral poking above the treetops and rooftops.



But I'm not covering Senlis in this report since I will cover my visit there and to the nearby town and château of Chantilly in my next report. So you can follow that adventure in another report as this one has come to an end.