Stay : Along the Oise River, from Pontoise to Conflans-Sainte-Honorine
It is the blue thread of the territory: the Oise reaches its maximum size in the agglomeration of Cergy-Pontoise, and its course, which remains peaceful, winds its way through, forms a loop and runs due south until it reaches the Seine. This two-day trip, ideal for a weekend, will take you from Pontoise to Conflans-Sainte-Honorine. Let yourself be surprised by the beauty of remarkable spaces.
Summary of the stay
Best time to go
2 days
€ - Good and cheap
Detail of the stay : Along the Oise River, from Pontoise to Conflans-Sainte-Honorine - 2 days
Day 1: Pontoise the historical, Cergy the contemporary
Steps: Cergy, Pontoise, Saint-Ouen-L'Aumône
This first rich day will make you discover Pontoise. Royal city, the city has kept its splendid ramparts and the magnificent Saint-Maclou cathedral. The latter, which dominates the old town, dates back to the 12th century and was classified as a historical monument in 1840. Very commercial, the city is animated all day long: you have here the impression to be in a provincial city, whereas you are only 30 minutes from Paris. The city can also be discovered underground: guided tours allow you to explore the galleries, some of which are decorated and wonderfully illuminated, resulting from the exploitation of old quarries. Pontoise, finally, has beautiful museums: one pays tribute to impressionism, of which the city is one of the cradles: the Pissarro museum. The second, called Tavet-Delacour, offers several collections, the most important being that of the non-figurative painter Otto Freundlich. Across the river Oise from Pontoise, it is only a few steps to Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône. Here too, the city has a few wonders, starting with theAbbaye de Maubuisson, surrounded by a splendid park that is free to enter: we strongly recommend a guided tour to discover the history of the place. A little further on, in the heart of the city, you will find the Parc Le Nôtre, a splendid green lung of 10 hectares.
You then follow the Oise downstream, and walk along the towpath: the country walk allows you to admire the spectacle of the barges, numerous here, and to realize that the waters are full of fish, as the number of fishermen along the river testifies. Then you take the direction of Cergy-Préfecture. This is where the adventure of the new city began, in the early 1970s. Lovers of contemporary architecture, you will be spoiled here, since many names have spared no effort and inventiveness to imagine unique places. First surprise: the prefecture, in the shape of an inverted pyramid, was inaugurated in July 1970; you have to imagine that, at the time, it was the first achievement of the new city, and that it was then in the middle of the fields! Bordered on one side by an esplanade and on the other by an immense park, it is one of the symbols of Cergy. This is the starting point of the new town, and this first day of your stay will let you stroll in the district, between collective and individual housing. You will then head towards the François Mitterrand park, on a gentle slope, and discover a unique project along the Oise: Port-Cergy. Inaugurated in the 1990s, it is a real marina, with an architectural project reminiscent of the seaside resorts of southern France. The architecture, which is very well thought out, gives pride of place to so-called "village" buildings, with sloping roofs, dormers and balconies, while playing on the height of the buildings. Very lively, this district of the city has a good number of restaurants and bars. The Oise River is here the object of a development without equal in the Ile-de-France. Just next door, the old village of Cergy, dominated by the church of Saint-Christophe: old houses, the quietness of what was half a century ago a peaceful rural village. This is the end of your first day of discovery.
ABBAYE DE MAUBUISSON
Day 2: From the Axe majeur to Conflans-Sainte-Honorine
Steps: Cergy, Jouy-Le-Moutier, Neuville-Sur-Oise, Conflans-Sainte-Honorine
Your second day begins in the Saint-Christophe district of Cergy, at the Belvedere tower. The Belvedere Tower, the center of a complex of collective housing designed by Ricardo Bofill, is slightly inclined: it is the starting point of theAxe majeur. A monumental work of art of 3 kilometers in length, it stretches from the tower to the banks of the Oise River - and is nightly extended by a laser beam of more than a kilometer. You follow the beginning of the Axe, pass between two buildings, and continue to the esplanade of Paris, one of the stations of the work; at your feet, the Oise draws a loop, in the distance, the view on the capital is magnificent. Going down the Axe, on a regular slope, is like walking through the different architectural paintings intended by its designer, Dani Karavan: the twelve columns, the amphitheater, the basin, the footbridge with its recognizable red color, the astronomical island and the pyramid, placed on the water. The places deserve a long moment of contemplation, but the work is also a place of life: one makes sport there, one settles between friends to picnic there or drink a glass. Continuing along the Oise River, you will pass by the leisure island, a vast and well-known recreational and sports area, and cross Vauréal and Jouy-le-Moutier, nestled between the river and the Hautil massif. As you pass through Neuville-sur-Oise, a poetic place punctuates your route: the Pavillon d'Amour. Listed in the inventory of historical monuments, this one offers its classicism to your curiosity, and constitutes in itself a magnificent and unchanging picture.
Continue your itinerary, and you arrive at Conflans-Sainte-Honorine: the Oise River flows into the Seine, and there you will find animation, quays with many boats, and here again a beautiful heritage, between religious buildings, parks and beautiful houses. Your two days along the Oise end here: in a few kilometers, the diversity of landscapes, places and stories will certainly surprise you.
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