Auffargis

Auffargis is located upstream of the Vaux de Cernay river, at the heart of the Yvelines valley.

It is an extremely charming small market town, with narrow lanes lined with flowers and shops.  You should also visit the Vaux de Cernay Abbey, the domain of Saint-Benoît and an exceptional natural environment.

Bonnelles

The market town of Bonnelles has preserved its identity as a rural village with a prestigious past in its ancient castle walls, the gate of honour to the Duchess of Uzès, and the blacksmith's shop (the Maréchalerie). It is surrounded by a plateau full of fields and forests. 

Bullion

A charming and lively small village, Bullion is made up of many small rural hamlets which hold a remarkable cultural and natural heritage: churches, wash-houses, chapels, manor houses, remains of windmills, and ecological sites. 

Cernay-la-ville

At the junction of the roads going north to south through the Park, between deep valleys and extensive cultivated flatlands, the village with its triangular village square surrounded by inns is the ideal place to stop-off to visit the abbey and the shaded waterfalls. Landscape painters and quarry workers used to meet up here in the past.

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Châteaufort

Châteaufort was built on a spur which dominates the Merantaise valley.

Its ancient centre has remained picturesque. The plateau is still agricultural, whilst the bottom of the valley is home to a nature reserve, small castles and charming old mansion houses. 

Chevreuse

Dominated by its imposing feudal castle, this market town located in the valley along the Yvette River gave its name to the Chevreuse Valley. The Château de la Madeleine, the ancient houses, the cobblestone squares, the church, the priory of Saint-Saturnin, the shops and the Promenade of the Little Bridges (Petits Ponts) all add to the character of this small town.

Choisel

Choisel is nestled at the bottom of the valley.  In the past, the wealth of the village came from agriculture and there are farms on the plateau which are still working today.

You can visit the medieval church and, in the heart of the forest, the famous Château de Breteuil.

Clairefontaine en Yvelines

At the heart of the small Rabette valley, Clairefontaine is a rural village dominated by forest. The village's name is today well-known because it is home to the French Football Federation's National Technical Centre. 

Dampierre-en-Yvelines

The castle has brought life and renown to Dampierre for several centuries. Its imposing size contrasts with the narrow streets of the village, which are always bustling with life and trade.  In the surrounding hamlets, the town hall and church, paths into the marshland and the conserved nature bring originality to the village.

La Celle-les-Bordes

With its two castles, ornate (rocaille) façades and long millstone walls, Celle-les-Bordes, which was once a meeting place for hunters, is nestled at the heart of bountiful nature.  The panoramas open out across the plateaux, the steep hills at the bottom of the valley, and the straight royal hunting tracks through the enormous forests.

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Le Mesnil-Saint-Denis

At the heart of a cultivated plateau, this large market town has a modern feel, whilst its hamlets and dependent farms retain a rural character. The local heritage is extensive: religious monuments, castle, town house and nature sites. The remarkable ecological site of the Noës Lagoon, home to many different birds, is well worth a visit.

Lévis-Saint-Nom

The village extends along the Yvette River valley and the small Pommeret Valley. Punctuated by secluded farms, it retains a rural character. The dovecote at the Recette (castle) bears witness to the stately origins of this village. The windmills, converted into houses, the bourgeois houses and the castles combine to create a holiday destination loved by town and city dwellers. 

Longvilliers

Located on the edge of the Rambouillet forest, the village extends along the Rémarde and Gloriette valleys. There are many windmills, wash-houses, and wells here. The massive church bell tower is a local landmark in the rural landscape.  There is great craftsmanship in the village (producers of shoes, earthenware, tiles and bricks). To find out more...

Magny-les-Hameaux

The prestigious site of Port-Royal-des-Champs, extensive agricultural areas, small hamlets with manor farms and old churches surround this market town, which is the most modern in the area.  Business and housing have developed here whilst protecting and preserving the environment. This is a true town in the country.  To find out more...

Milon-la-Chapelle

A small village nestled in the bottom of the Rhodon valley, Milon-la-Chapelle is named after Lord Milon who died in battle and for whom the King built a chapel.  The houses are scattered across fields and meadows.  To find out more...

Rochefort-en-Yvelines

An ancient stately town, Rochefort is a village in the forest, nestled at the foot of a hillock under the protection of the church.  Remains of fortifications, ancient bailiwick and ancient houses all bear witness to the village's feudal past. Lanes paved with sandstone and lined with flowers, and small picturesque squares planted with lime trees add to the village's charm. /p>

Saint-Forget

Composed of three hamlets and numerous dependencies with different environments (valleys, agricultural plateau, etc.), Saint-Forget has an authentic and prestigious heritage, enriched by the stay of Cyrano de Bergerac at the Château de Mauvières.

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Saint-Lambert-des-Bois

Made up of a market town at the bottom of the valley and of hamlets on the plain, this village of craftspeople and farmers worked in the past for the Abbey of Port-Royal.

The pastures at the bottom of the valley which are grazed on by cows give the village a rural, pastoral image. 

Saint-Rémy lès Chevreuse

Set in green surroundings, this town marks the entrance to the Park. As you leave the station, the landscape opens out onto the meadows of Coubertin and their dairy cows, plunging the walker deep into the countryside.

Numerous castles and large millstone villas dating from the start of the century bear witness to the interest the bourgeois had in this holiday resort.  To find out more...

Senlisse

The village is completely nestled in the forest and vegetation which win out over the housing. In the small hamlets, you can find, here and there, a manor house dating from the 17th century, the Malvoisine stud farm, a fortified farm dating from the 13th century, and varied natural sites, such as the Maréchaux walking trail.

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Vieille-Eglise en Yvelines

Located between the two sections of the Rambouillet forest, Vieille-Eglise occupies a vast glade, intersected by the ancient royal hunting routes. On the Tour Lagoon, water sports and the preservation of a fragile natural site combine.  The aqueduct and its network of lagoons and channels which are connected to the ponds created by Louis XIV at Versailles are also well worth a visit.