The 10 most beautiful villages in Ile-de-France

From 3 May 2021, travel restrictions will be lifted, allowing travellers to visit France's most beautiful villages for a holiday or a weekend. A guided tour of charming towns with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants in the Ile-de-France region.

La Roche-Guyon and its troglodyte remains

It is in the Val d'Oise that you will discover La Roche-Guyon and its majestic castle, clinging to a chalk cliff, built on the remains of the old troglodytic castle and dominated by a medieval keep. After climbing the steps of the troglodyte staircase that lead to the top of the castle, enjoy the panorama of the one and only "most beautiful village in France" in the Paris region, set in the Vexin landscapes on the banks of the Seine.

Barbizon, art in the heart of the forest

It is impossible to think of Barbizon without thinking of the artists, and in particular the painters, who took up residence here, on the edge of the forest of Fontainebleau, at the beginning of the 19th century. In particular, it was at the Ganne Inn that those who became the pre-impressionist painters came to seek inspiration in a natural setting. Today, the town pays homage to them in its cobbled streets, with museums and art galleries.

Vétheuil, the bucolic

Before settling in Giverny, it was in Vétheuil, a small village nestled in a loop of the Seine, that the painter Claude Monet and his wife spent several years. The house where they lived for three years can be visited on request. At weekends, don't hesitate to take the free ferry from one bank of the Seine to the other. If you want to get some height, the bravest can take the GR2: the hiking trail has a pleasant section between Vétheuil and La Roche-Guyon.

Haute-Isle and its chalk cliffs

Between the Vexin plateau and the Seine valley, this commune in the Val d'Oise, about sixty kilometres from Paris, has a unique curiosity in the Île-de-France region: a church entirely dug into a cliff. Almost entirely troglodytic from prehistoric times to the 19th century, it is now a village where it is pleasant to stroll. You can enjoy beautiful views of the Seine from the heights of its chalk cliffs.

Montchauvet and its medieval past

In the heart of the Vaucouleurs valley, in the Yvelines, this pleasant village to stroll through has preserved many traces of its medieval past, starting with its bridge. Admire the old fortified gateway "de Bretagne ", as well as the church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, with its square tower and its Romanesque gateway. In the centre of the village are also the remains of an ancient keep.

Samois-sur-Seine, a rural village

In the south of the Seine-et-Marne, discover a village nestled in the heart of the Fontainebleau forest, on the banks of the Seine: Samois-sur-Seine. Built around the river, the village is dominated from its entrance by large villas, built between the end of the 19th century and the inter-war period. One of the houses in Samois was the last residence of jazz musician Django Reinhardt. He was not the only artist to be seduced by the peaceful surroundings: painters Berthe Morisot and Edouard Manet as well as Victor Hugo, for example, succumbed to Samois' charm.

The picturesque charm of Rochefort-en-Yvelines

Rochefort-en-Yvelines, a small village in the south of the Haute Vallée de Chevreuse Regional Nature Park, is worth a visit for its 12th-century church, the ruins of its fortified castle and its cobbled, flower-filled streets. The central Place des Halles is a good starting point to discover the Rue Guy le Rouge, where you will discover - if you keep your eyes open! - that the village is on the route to Santiago de Compostela.

Flagy, the village with bridges

This 12th century village in the Seine-et-Marn region is characterised by the numerous bridges and footbridges that span the Orvanne, one of the tributaries of the Loing. Built on a Gallo-Roman site, Flagy is full of things to discover, such as its mill, the Bellefontaine castle (from the 13th century) and the Notre-Dame-de-Pitié church.

Cernay la Ville and its abbey

Famous throughout France for its Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay, Cernay la Ville is located in the Chevreuse valley, in the Rambouillet national forest. The abbey is indeed one of the largest Cistercian abbeys of the Middle Ages! The village is also worth a visit to take a look at the church of Saint-Brice, dominated by its bell tower in the form of a high square tower, dating from the 16th century. This building is listed as a Historic Monument, as is the cemetery "du champ à la belette".

The castles of Villeconin

It is an understatement to say that the village of Villeconin, in the Hurepoix region of Essonne, south-west of Paris, has a rich historical heritage: in addition to its 13th-century church, the church of Saint Aubin, Villeconin is home to no less than three French castles: the best known is the medieval castle of Villeconin, which dates back to the 14th century, but there are also the castle of Saudreville (listed as a historical monument) as well as the castle of La Grange, built in the 13th century.