EXPLORING THE CHEVREUSE VALLEY Follow me on instagram @grainedepirate SOMMAIRE 4 The Chevreuse Valley Culture & Heritage 6 13 Nature & Wildlife Local Products 14 Abbaye des vaux de Cernay 2 | EXPLORING THE CHEVREUSE VALLEY Large areas of nature at the gates of the Parisian agglomeration, the Chevreuse Valley, the Yveline forest and the Hurepoix plateau remain some of the most remarkable rural and forest areas in the Ile-de-France region. Around the villages of character, the countryside and the woodland still dominate; fauna, THE CHEVREUSE VALLEY flora, old stones, landscapes and history can be discovered during a walk in the forest or a very bucolic weekend. Heritage Walking and outdoor activities The Chevreuse Valley has the makings Hop on the RER and escape to the of a great region. Many princes and lords countryside ! Whether you are looking for a have lived here over the centuries, leaving gentle ramble or a long hike, there are 300 precious evidence of their passage with kilometres of way-marked paths for you to chateaux, manor houses, parks and explore. Some routes are also accessible to gardens, hunting lodges, mills and farms. cyclists and horse riders. Montfort-l’Amaury From the Vaux-de-Cernay abbey to the And for a spot of culture, you can also walk Medieval village chateau of Dampierre, from the chateau of in the footsteps of Jean Racine, Elsa Triolet Saint-Jean-de-Beauregard to the national or Aragon. museum of Port-Royal des Champs, and Port-Royal des Champs Abbey Magny-les-Hameaux the houses of Maurice Ravel or Jean Monnet, there are plenty of opportunities Farms and local products to discover those who have marked history Chevreuse in the region. Here in the Chevreuse Valley, we pride Madeleine Castle Bucolic village ourselves on the quality of locally Chevreuse produced food. There are a number of RER B train station L’alchimiste Saint-Rémy-les-Chevreuse places you can visit such as an apiary, Chevreuse Valley Brewery Vaux de Cernay Abbey Chevreuse Le Perray-en-Yvelines Cernay-la-ville Coubertin Farm farms rearing cows, goats or even snails, Breteuil Castle Saint-Rémy-les-Chevreuse and “pick-your-own” farms. You might Choisel have a chance to sample freshly baked bread, delicious honey, cheese made with Saint-Jean de Beauregard Castle The Little Mill Saint-Jean-de-Beauregard unpasteurized milk, and old-time apple of Vaux de Cernay Cernay-la-Ville Molières Bakery Apihappy Apiculture varieties. Les Molières Les Molières La Celle-les-Bordes Bucolic village Paysage Les Clos Farm The identity of the Park refers to its name: Bonnelles the High Chevreuse Valley. It has a great Courson Castle reputation and off ers a picturesque Courson-Monteloup mosaic of green landscapes. Many FREE ADMISSION painters represented these valleys with PAID ADMISSION Rochefort-en-Yvelines wooded hillsides. However, a variety of Old seigniorial city atmospheres also make up this territory; LOCAL PRODUCT the wet undergrowth of the forest massifs, the sandstone screes on the hillsides, or VILLAGES the agricultural horizons of the plateau. EXPLORING THE CHEVREUSE VALLEY | 5 CULTURE & HERITAGE A journey through time The Chevreuse Valley has the makings of a great region. Many princes and lords have lived here over the centuries, leaving precious evidence of their passage with chateaux, manor houses, parks and gardens, hunting lodges, mills and farms. From the Vaux-de-Cernay abbey to the chateau of Dampierre, from the chateau of Saint-Jean-de-Beauregard to the national museum of Port-Royal des Champs, and the houses of Maurice Ravel or Jean Monnet, there are plenty of opportunities to discover those who have marked history in the region. Castle of la Madeleine Chevreuse The castle is situated at the top of the hill pillaging. From this time, probably nothing future Pierre de Chevreuse. Royal to the center of the village, passing above Chevreuse, and offers a superb remained. The current tower was probably by the Château de la Madeleine. The keep Pierre de Chevreuse, an ennobled burgher, panoramic view of the Yvette Valley. This made of wood. was partially restored during the 19th magnificent fortress is closely intertwined transformed the castle into an urban In the 12e century, the “aula”, great hall century. with the history of France and of the most citadel. He began the reconstruction of the which hosted demonstrations of lordly noble families. The castle was at the height northern part of the battlements with three The road that goes to the castle is official power, was built by Milon the 3rd. All of it’s influence between the 11th and 15th towers surmounted by machicolations and called “road of the vine’s hill” because the that remains today is a wall with two centuries. It is one of the rare medieval build a terrace for cannons at the entrance. south oriented side of the hill was covered windows separating the higher and lower fortresses to remain in a good state of of vines until the phylloxera in 1860. (Ile- courtyards. The existing fortifications were largely preservation in the Ile-de-France. de-France was the first wine-producing improved under the reigns of Charles V One century later, probably under the reign region during Middle Age in France). The Maison du Parc (head office of the and Charles VI; they financed the outworks of Anseau de Chevreuse, the castle was Park), of modern architectural design, was with royal taxes. The modifications were The last modifications were in the 20th modified, notably with the construction built inside the castle walls, symbolising completed under Louis XI (1461 – 1483). century. The heart of the castle now of the machicolations. The gatehouse the Parc’s desire to “lean on the past to Along with the castle, the village was also houses the park headquarters for the was protected by a moat; the water was build the future”. fortified: a crenelated rampart, 3.5 m (11 regional natural park of the valley of retained by a dam for domestic use. ft) high with turrets, was built. The defence Chevreuse The lords of Chevreuse dedicated the The castles changed hands in 1356: was completed by a 15 m large ditch (50 castle chapel to Saint Madeleine and the Ingerger le Grand, lord of Chevreuse and feet). word spread out to the castle itself. Amboise, was taken prisoner by England Circa 1661, Jean Racine supervised The building started between 1030 and during the Hundred Years’ War. He was modifications of the keep; his name was 1090. Ordered by Guy the 1st, Lord of constrained to sell his domain to pay his given to the road from the convent of Port- Chevreuse to protect the city, victim of ransom; the castle was bought by the 6 | EXPLORING THE CHEVREUSE VALLEY EXPLORING THE CHEVREUSE VALLEY | 7 Vaux de Cernay Abbey Cernay-la-Ville Vaux-de-Cernay Abbey was a Cistercian Evreux. In 1148 Vaux-de-Cernay, together monastery from 12e century. with the entire Congregation of Savigny, entered the Order of Cîteaux and became an affiliation of Clairvaux Abbey. From this The abbey was founded in 1118 when time on they prospered, building a church Simon de Neauffle and his wife Eve in the simple Cistercian style. Over time, donated the land for this foundation to the additional buildings were constructed, as monks of Savigny Abbey, in order to have well as a mill, and a fish farm. a monastery built in honour of the Mother Many of its abbots became well known. of God and Saint John the Baptist. Vital, Andrew, the fourth, died as Bishop of Abbot of Savigny, accepted their offer, and Arras. Guy of Vaux-de-Cernay, the sixth, sent a group of monks under the direction was delegated by the General Chapter of Arnaud, who became their first abbot. to accompany the Fourth Crusade in Besides the founders, others of the nobility 1203. Three years later he was one of came to the aid of the new Savigniac Vaux de Cernay Abbey the principal figures in the Albigensian community. Crusade, which fought against the As soon as the abbey was well established, Cathars. In recognition of his service he many postulants were admitted, thus was made Bishop of Carcassonne (1211) de-Cernay, also a monk of the abbey, Casimir, King of Poland. The monastery making possible in 1137 the foundation of and is commemorated in the Cistercian accompanied him on this crusade, and was suppressed in 1791 during the French Le Breuil-Benoît Abbey in the Diocese of Menology. His nephew Peter of Vaux- left a chronicle of the Cathars and the war Revolution and its members (twelve against them. priests) were dispersed. Vaux de Cernay Abbey It was under Thomas, Peter’s successor, The buildings, after passing through that Porrois Abbey, a Cistercian nunnery, various hands, were partly restored after later renamed the Abbey of Port-Royal, was the site was bought by Charlotte de founded and placed under the direction of Rothschild in the 1880s,[4] who saved the abbots of Vaux-de-Cernay. The ninth the ruins of the church and part of the abbot, Thibault de Marley (1235–47), a buildings, fully restoring the abbey. descendant of the Montmorency family, Today the buildings are used as a hotel was canonized. Towards the end of the with a capacity for 1,200 persons, fourteenth century the monastery began complete with restaurant and heliport, but losing its fervour, both on account of its still using the nearby spring as the monks wealth and because of the disturbed state did centuries before. of the Île-de-France during the Hundred Years’ War. After the introduction of commendatory abbots in 1542 there was little left of the monastic community beyond the name.