skipboat

Discover the town of Chaumont-en-Vexin, a small town of character, by following in the footsteps of Jacquot, the little boy from Chaumont who walked around it a thousand times in the 1950s. After a long absence, he returns to the place of his childhood and invites you to follow him.

This walk will introduce you to this small town, which has just been awarded the title of "Petite Cité de Caractère" (Small Town of Character). Before leaving the town hall, where the tour starts, discover the Raymond Pillon Museum of Archaeology and Palaeontology and its rich collection. The town, crossed by numerous waterways, is centred around the Place de la Foulerie, so named because, in the past, flax harvested in the surrounding countryside was fulled there. Throughout the tour, you will have numerous views of the magnificent 16th-century church, which resembles a small cathedral. If you wish, you can take this tour with a guide on thethird Sunday of each month at 3pm.

The destination of this hike is an imposing Neolithic dolmen and a small menhir. The hike takes you through fields and woods, with the charming village of Chambors halfway along the route. The commune of Chambors is part of the Vexin-Thelle Community of Communes. It has 314 inhabitants, known as Camborsiens and Camborsiennes.

Discover the Domaine de Bertichères, whose magnificent Renaissance-style château has been listed as a historic monument since 1999. It houses a hotel. Its grounds include a very popular golf course. It belonged to the Counts of Chaumont, then to the Dukes of Longueville, then to the Princes of Conti. It was the residence of Monsieur, brother of King Louis XIV. On the way back, you will visit the Chapel of the House of the Sisters of Compassion to admire a 13th-century bas-relief before strolling through the small cemetery of the Sisters adjoining it.

Starting from Place de la Foulerie in Chaumont-en-Vexin, this is a pleasant walk with no particular difficulties. You can explore (with dry feet) the wetlands that stretch across this area crossed by the Troësne, channelled by the digging of the Marquemont Canal from 1784 onwards. You will walk along the Bois de la Brosse, where there is a fountain where you can refresh yourself and fill your water bottle before continuing towards the hamlet of Le Vivray. With all your senses awakened, you will be able to appreciate the diversity of this wetland plain. In Loconville, you can see the church where Sylvie Vartan and Johnny Halliday were married. Your route will then take you back via the Château de Rebetz and its magnificent golf course.