Saint-Germain-en-Laye, a suburb of Paris, has a long, rich history. Home to 29 French Kings and Emperors since the 12th century, and birthplace of King Louis XIV, just 25 minutes by Metro or train from the centre of Paris, it’s well worth a visit says Janine Marsh.
It’s astonishing how little-known Saint-Germain-en-Laye is outside of France. So close to the world-renowned Versailles, arguably its rival, this suburban town enjoyed fame and fortune for centuries, and may have gained further recognition and appreciation were it not for the fate that saw it abandoned by Louis XIV, the last king born there.
A little bit of history
Like many of the most marvellous chateaux in France, it all began with a love of hunting, when in 1122, Louis VI, AKA Louis the Fat (he was reputedly so large he couldn’t mount a horse in his middle age) had a fortified castle built in this forested part of France just 20km west of Paris – the seat of royal power. At that time, Saint-Germain-en-Laye was just a small village set around a monastery, and vineyards covered the slopes that swept down to the edge of the river Seine. Subsequent Kings lived here and over the centuries the castle was burned down, rebuilt, renovated and expanded. A second castle was built a short walk away, called the Chateau Neuf to distinguish it from the Chateau Vieux (the old castle. More hunting lodges were built, aristocrats built mansions here, and a thriving town developed.
It was all looking pretty good for Saint-Germain-en-Laye (named after the 6th century Bishop of Paris who is said to have lived in the forest). But then Versailles happened.
Chateau Neuf, Saint-Germaine-en-Laye
Louis XIV, the Sun King, was born in the Chateau Neuf in September 1638, and though not much of the building remains, the pavillion he’s said to have made his appearance in is still there, part of what is now a hotel. In its heyday, up to 3000 people lived in the hilltop castle. Contemporaries described the gardens as the “8th wonder of the world” with galleries, flower gardens, and shell-lined grottoes built into terraces leading down to the Seine, and clockwork figures, worked by water pumps, in the garden.
But all the water caused structural damage. Louis declared that he couldn’t stand living there and, in his twenties, moved into the Chateau Vieux. He commissioned work to renovate and expand the old castle and had his favourite gardener Le Nôtre design the gardens. But he still wasn’t happy, and in 1682 Louis moved permanently to Versailles. In 1689, he invited his exiled cousin King James II of England to stay at the Chateau Vieux and the ‘Jacobite King’ stayed until his death in 1701.
What to see and do in Saint-Germaine-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is just 25 minutes from the Arc de Triomphe by RER train line A, bringing you to the doorstep of the Chateau Vieux. It’s a monumental building which houses an incredible chapel in its grounds. A masterpiece of gothic style, it was built between 1235 and 1239, commissioned by King Louis XI (AKA Saint Louis), to hold precious relics including fragments of the True Cross of the Crown of Thorns. It was the first chapel of its kind, and forerunner of the famous Saint-Chapelle in Paris where the relics were moved to before finally being housed in Notre-Dame Cathedral. The royal chapel is not furnished but its beauty shines through, and if you look up, you’ll spot sculpted heads thought to be King Louis XI and his family – looking down from their heavenly perches through the centuries.
The castle itself is now the National Museum of Archaeology, with a vast collection of European artefacts ranging from Palaeolithic to the Middle Ages. Nip up to the roof on good weather days to get a bird’s eye view over the city. And next door, wander the grounds of the park Le Nôtre designed, now known as the Domain National (the huge forest begins here). You can definitely see why the Kings loved this place so much – from the Grand Terrasse the views over the Seine and Paris are astounding.
Pop to the Church of Saint-Germain-en-Laye opposite the old castle and you can’t fail to spot a plaque dedicated to the English King James II. It’s a curious story. When he died in 1701 his body was, for want of a better word, ‘shared’ amongst various institutions in Paris – his heart went to a convent, his brain went to a Scottish college, skin from his right arm was given to the English Augustinian nuns, the rest of him went to the Church of the English Benedictines, apart from his intestines which were decanted into two urns – one went to the church of St-Germain-en-Laye and one to the Jesuit Chapel of Saint-Omer in Pas-de-Calais.
The French Revolution, which saw the remains of nobles pulled from their coffins (often lead lined, the lead was used to make bullets), meant he was further dispersed, but in 1824 some remains were authenticated and laid to rest in the church at Saint-Germain-en-Laye. When Queen Victoria was invited to Paris by Napoleon III in 1855 to visit the Universal Exhibition, she requested to go the place where her royal ancestor once lived. She stayed at the castle and paid for a tomb and plaque honouring James II in the church.
The historic streets of the Saint-Germain-en-Laye are lined with magnificent mansions. At 23 Rue du Vieil Abreuvoir is the Hotel de la de la Marquise de Maintenon, mistress and, later the second wife of Louis XIV. Madame de Montespan, another of his mistresses, founded a hospital for the poor which became the home of artist Maurice Denis and is now a fabulous museum dedicated to his remarkable art and that of Les Nabis, post-impressionist French painters.
In 1862, musician Claude Debussy was born in the town, and his former home is now a small museum.
The town has a huge range of shops, restaurants (Les Fistons, 20 Place Charles de Gaulle, opposite the castle, has a super menu and friendly service), and bars, plus one of the biggest markets in the region (Tuesday, Friday and Sunday mornings). And don’t miss Patisserie Grandin in Rue au Pain which has been serving amazing cakes since 1822, I recommend Le Saint-Germain – a delicious almond and rum concoction.
So close to Paris – St-Germain-en-Laye makes for a fabulous day trip or base to visit the wider area including the Chateau de Malmaison where Napoleon and Josephine lived, the Chateau de Monte Cristo, home of Alexandre Dumas, and Chatou and the Ile des Impressionists where Monet, Manet, Renoir and Degas loved to set up easel and capture the local beauty.
Find more informatin at: seine-saintgermain.fr/en
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