Chevreuse: A Family Sunday Trip

This marks our second to last weekend weekend in Paris.

For this family day trip we decided to go to Medieval town, Chevreuse. It was easy, we hopped on the RER B train, and road the train to the end of the line. The ride only took about 50 minutes. Insert a 30 minute walk along the countryside road, and boom, we were in Chevreuse!

Canal de l'Yvette and the 22 little bridges

I must say, out of all the day trips we've done, this was my favorite. From the ease of the train ride, the delicious crepes, and the family-friendly Chateau, this town had everything that suites our family needs. Oh, and did I mention it's in the middle of a park? This medieval town is inside the "Haute Vallée de Chevreuse Regional Natural Park", and had plenty of natural beauty and scenic viewpoints. Just the walk to the town center was so serene and pleasant, with plenty of cows and flowers to keep even Baby G entertained.

Our scenic walk towards Chevreuse village center. We were surrounded by forest and could even see the Chateau.

Right as we got into town, there was a children's park complete with an adjacent pond called 'The Sea of Ducks'. That being said we didn't actually see any ducks, but there were geese... tons of geese (white, gray, Canadian). Being as big as the baby, she was happy to stare at them from a distance while I fed them leftover bread from my sandwich.

Upon entry to the village, around the foot of the hill, we entered the Canal de l'Yvette. It's the part of the village where a canal runs along, which used to supply the town's old mill. The canal flows underneath arched bridges, giving "petite Venice" sorta vibes. From what I understand, Chevreuse was founded in the 10th century, but the canal passages were used in the 17th and 19th centuries for different types of operations linked to 'water-related activities' and hygiene practices: goatskin tanneries, fraying of hemp, and public and private wash houses. Basically it was a busy and bustling spot in the past, and now it's open for tourists. It was a joy to explore the buildings on foot, taking a peak at what it was.

Old tanneries and wash rooms

After playing at the park and exploring the canal, it was time for food. Being rural France on a Sunday, most of the shops were closed and it was almost siesta time, so we had to find a place quickly. And there she was, probably the best creperie in town, Les Bannieres. Crepes, dessert, and drinks all around, this place was delicious! We started with savory crepes and ended with sweet crepes (well, for hubby at least...Baby G had ice cream and I got coffee). The service was great, they were baby-friendly and had a high chair, the menus were in English, the food was delicious. Need I say more? No wonder they're highly rated. Needless to say I made sure to give them a good review, they certainly earned it.

Baby G enjoying glace framboise, and hubby with his crepe

Once fed, we commenced the hike towards the town's crown jewel, Le Chateau de Madeleine. The walk up was quite scenic and, although it was lined with bumpy cobblestone, it was stroller accessible. Hubby and I took turns pushing the stroller up hill, him doing most of the work. All in all, it only took about 10 minutes to walk from the restaurant to the Chateau, not a bad walk through a sleepy village!

The cobblestone path to the Chateau

Le Chateau de Madeleine is a castle from the 11th century yet, instead of making it into a museum, the area was cleaned up and turned into a park! People are able to climb the castle, have picnics on the grounds, and enjoy the view of the village from up high.

11th century ruins

They had a few interactive art(?) installations for kids to play with, inspired by the upcoming 2024 Olympics in Paris, and it was a hit. Once we got to the castle grounds, we unleashed the beast! Baby G had free range to roam and we were happy to sit back and watch her play with the other children; of course, daddy had to show her how to ride her 'horse' (and yes, I took videos!). I absolutely loved these installations for the kids. In my opinion, these are the are the best sort of setups and reuses of old and ancient structures: to interact and use these buildings as they had been used in the past.

When Baby G saw they had horses, she wouldn't let it out of her sight!

They certainly make the best family outings and memories. It's such a pleasant hike from the train station and village center, and you get a perfect view of the village and natural forests surrounding the area. The park was very clean, probably one of the few places in France that didn't smell of urine! It brought me joy to see how well the park was maintained, and there weren't any crowds. Peaceful, beautiful scenery, a place for the children (and adults) to play, and surrounded by nature (see slideshow). It doesn't get better than this!

The kid's activity were a hit. Youngsters of all ages had something to play with

As we were leaving, I actually recognized Nathaniel Drew, one of the YouTubers I watched to help me acclimate and acquire knowledge about Paris living. He's a travel vlogger who makes a living as an artist and digital nomad. He was hiking along the chateau paths, when I randomly asked how the trials were down below, it dawned on me that he looked familiar. The entire family got to meet him and we had a brief exchange of words about where we were from (I didn't know he was from Los Angeles), and traveling with a toddler (to which he seemed impressed by). Hubby later mentioned to me that he had seen Nathan at the same restaurant, at the same time, as we were (although I hadn't recognized him at that point). Funny, I was told by one of hubby's coworkers that it's common to run into someone famous in Paris, but I wasn't expecting on a hike in Chevreuse!

Absolutely loved the view of the landscape from up high

With that, our family day trip came to an end. Baby G had just dozed off for her second nap, so hubby and I got to enjoy a nice quiet walk back to the train station, admiring the views one last time before we took off.