Two medieval villages in Île-de-France classified among the most beautiful in France according to the Routard

undefined 17 juillet 2023 undefined 18h39

The Editor

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Feeling like taking a bucolic escape close to Paris? Well, you're in luck because Le guide du Routard has just released its selection of the 50 most beautiful villages in France to celebrate its 50th anniversary, and two of them are located in Île-de-France. Let's head to Seine-et-Marne and Val-d'Oise to discover two medieval gems.

In 2023, Le Routard celebrates its 50th anniversary! To celebrate this half century of travels and adventures in France and around the world, the famous travel guide has decided to unveil its selection of the 50 most beautiful villages in France. Among them, two are located in Île-de-France, in Val-d'Oise (95) and Seine-et-Marne (77): La Roche-Guyon and Moret-sur-Loing. La Roche-Guyon, a village amidst rocks "A bucolic atmosphere, beauty of the buildings, traces of history, and sumptuous local products..." The Routard guide invites us to (re)discover the gems of French heritage and way of life with its selection of the most beautiful villages in France where you can venture all year round. The first on the list undoubtedly meets all these criteria. The only municipality in Île-de-France classified by the association of "Most Beautiful Villages of France," La Roche-Guyon is located in the Val-d'Oise department.It is from France, La Roche-Guyon has an undeniable charm. Its main strength: an imposing medieval castle backed by a chalk cliff, with a view of the Seine, and whose orchard-garden is likely to charm you. It once belonged to François de La Rochefoucauld, the author of the Maxims, but it has also seen kings of France such as Henri IV and François I, as well as poets, including Victor Hugo.
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Located in the heart of the Vexin Regional Natural Park, just 1 hour away from Paris, the village is also home to many troglodytic houses and charming dwellings nestled at the foot of the castle. With their bright facades and timber frames, these houses showcase a blend of influences from the Ile-de-France and Normandy, making the village irresistible. The best part? A hiking trail allows you to discover all these treasures in one itinerary.


Moret-sur-Loing, a piece of the Middle Ages in Seine-et-Marne

The second village, located in Seine-et-Marne, is Moret-sur-Loing, a place that could almost be described as "perched on the water". If its name sounds familiar, it's because it has inspired many artists, especially the painter Alfred Sisley, who contributed to its fame. V&Truly a set straight out of a swashbuckling film, Moret-sur-Loing promises a complete change of scenery and most importantly, a real journey back in time to the Middle Ages: ancient houses, remnants of fortifications, old stone bridges, medieval churches, old mills and wash houses... Everything here takes us back to the era of knights, so much so that we almost feel like dressing up to enjoy a period banquet.

For lovers of sweets, the municipality of Seine-et-Marne also houses the candy cane factory and its museum, for over 300 years. Formerly made by nuns, it is still produced in Moret-sur-Loing, following the same method, without adding any coloring or flavoring agents.

Are you ready to take the stroll a little further? In the department of Oise (60), in the Hauts-de-France region, another village has been elected among the 50 most beautiful villages in France: Gerberoy, another village of painters located less than 2 hours by car from the capital.