Tourist Attractions & Monuments Val-D'Oise

The pink house with green shutters on the banks of the Seine in Argenteuil was home to Claude Monet and his family in the 1870s. Renovated and fitted out to welcome the public around the Impressionist theme, it offers visitors an immersive, playful tour, combining antique furniture and digital tools that bring to life the paintings of the Impressionist leader.

Conceived as a treasure hunt, the tour takes in the whole house, inviting visitors to open closets, drawers and shutters, right through to the newly refurbished garden. Enhanced by narrative films and reproductions of paintings, visitors can discover Monet's life in Argenteuil, in a house whose architecture is characteristic of the ^19th-century "villégiature" style.

The highlight of the experience is a recreation of Monet's workshop boat, immersing visitors in the atmosphere of a floating studio. In terms of his pictorial output, Monet's period in Argenteuil was a prolific one. He painted 259 pictures, over 150 of which were of Argenteuil and the surrounding area. Town or country, nature or industry: the painter's canvases cover a wide range of themes.

For a short break, don't miss the winter garden, offering a breathtaking view of the garden. It has been replanted with the flower species of the period, also faithful to the painter's paintings and drawings. The garden was also used as a studio by the Impressionists, including Édouard Manet, who set up his easel here.

This farm is, to say the least, original: by launching her farm in 2021 on the agricultural plain, Lisa Luchier has chosen a niche that is unheard of here. Here, she produces medicinal plants, of course entirely organically, in different varieties grown on a dozen hectares. Make an appointment to find them, or check out the local events calendar to get your hands on some!

Inaugurated in 2022, this wooded park was completely refurbished before opening to the public. This small forest, located right in the heart of the city (near the Patte d'Oie shopping area), includes a number of pathways, as well as a vast children's play area of over 1,000 m². Numerous events are organized here, and the complex also includes several allotment gardens. Parc Launay is closed to the public in the evenings, and is one of the city's many woodlands: a short detour here is highly recommended!

It's part of the Ile-de-France green belt, yet its chaotic history has almost led to its disappearance. The Bois des Aulnaies, which straddles the border between Taverny and Saint-Leu-la-Forêt, is an orderly natural area that has gradually been nibbled away by urbanization and communications networks. Fortunately, the public authorities have decided to restore some of its lustre. After extensive work to improve its links with the neighbouring Boissy wood and, above all, to plant a large number of trees, the project is now complete!

Opening in 2023, this park is located on the heights of the Buttes du Parisis, close to the Parc Schlumberger. Developed by Île-de-France Nature after decades of closure, Parc Chabrand-Thibault welcomes you with a beautiful avenue of hundred-year-old oaks, followed by 180 steps, at the end of which you'll enjoy an incredible view of the surrounding area. A local curiosity: the white masonry arches under which you pass are, for the moment, of unknown origin. A second section of the park will eventually be opened to the public.