Of the constellation of formerly royal towns that now stand for genteel living in the western suburbs of Paris, Versailles naturally grabs the lion’s share of attention due to its chateau. But Saint-Germain-en-Laye, its predecessor as an official residence of the Court of France, is also a likeable town for an afternoon stroll-about. One feels less an intruder—i.e. less of a tourist—here than in Versailles.
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is a self-confident town of 40,000, far enough from the capital for an easy escape into the country, close enough for an easy commute (13 miles west; 30 minutes by RER line A1), and central enough among the western suburbs to attract well-heeled shoppers.
The train station spills out directly in the heart of town, within a few steps of its chateau, an imposing, largely 16th-century structure with hardly a hint of elegance. The chateau incorporates earlier foundations, a 14th-century tower, and a chapel that was built beginning in 1238 on orders of Louis IX. Ten years later Louis IX had the same architect, Pierre de Montreuil, design what would become the crown jewel of French royal chapels, the Sainte Chapelle in Paris. Walled in with a later expansion of the chateau and naked of stained glass, the most dramatic feature of Saint-Germain’s chapel is the skeleton of its rose window that lords blindly over the room.
The chateau houses the Museum of National Archeology, which presents a major collection of Paleolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age art and craftsmanship along with other objects dating up until the Early Middle Ages. Visit it or not, no pressure here.
The chateau’s general lack of French panache is explicable by the fact that this is actually the Old Chateau. The New Chateau, built in the latter half of the 16th century (Henri II, Henri XIV) overlooked the terrace at the far end of the garden-park that once stepped down in a mix of French and Italian grace toward the Seine a few hundred yards away. All that remains of the New Chateau is the corner room where Louis XIV was born, now part of Pavillon Henri IV, the appealing hotel described further below.
The birth of the Sun King at Saint-Germain-en-Laye continues to be the town’s marker of historical pride. The king’s bassinet, a fleur de lys, and castle towers decorate the town’s logo, along with an oak leaf indicating the forest nearby, while the hotel uses an older, more kitsch version of the same themes, with the words Ici Naquit Louis XIV, Here Was Born Louis XIV.
To stand in the footsteps of the king, however, you need only stop at the terrace overlooking the plain that spreads across the winding valley of the Seine to Paris. The terrace is part of a redesigning of the royal park by Andé Le Notre, who was then also working on the gardens at Versailles. The view now leads to La Défense, the business zone rising just west of the capital though on a clear day the upper half of the Eiffel Tower can be seen poking out of the horizon to the right of the towers. The view from here is pensive rather than majestic, but subtract the distant tours and the lights at night and add a terraced garden leading down to the Seine and you’ve got the all-mine view of French sovereigns prior to the great perspective through the gardens at Versailles.
High royal times in the New Chateau at Saint-Germain-en-Laye lasted for only about 60 years, until Louis XIV turned his palatial ambitious to Versailles in the 1660s. Unwilling to invest in repairing the leaks in the New Chateau he actually moved back into the Old Chateau for a time, before abandoning the town altogether in 1682 and allowing the New Chateau to fall into ruin.
The Old Chateau nevertheless managed to maintain some of its royal airs when Louis XIV allowed his first cousin James II Stuart, king of England 1685-1688 (and, as James VII, of Scotland scarcely longer), to live out his exile here. James II is entombed inside Saint-Germain Church, across the street from the chateau. A marker in English surprisingly refers to the Sun King as Lewis XIV, which may be payback for the French calling James Jacques.
English—the language at least—has a strong foothold in Saint-Germain-en-Laye nowadays in part thanks to the highly respected international school that opened in 1951 for the children of military officers and noncommissioned officers of NATO’s Supreme Headquarters who were stationed here. Since NATO’s departure in 1966 the school has catered to the children of local globalists and foreign businessmen and functionaries.
In addition to reminders that Lewis was born at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the town honors two other favorite sons. Claude Debussy (1862-1918) was born in the building now occupied on the ground floor by the Tourist Office. A museum dedicated to the composer is located upstairs in the apartment that belonged to his family. The artist Maurice Denis (1870-1943) lived a few blocks from away, and a museum dedicated to and other painters of the Nabis group and their post-Impressionist friends occupies his former home.
The Tourist Office provides a brochure outlining a walk-by of historical streets, sites, and homes through the center of town. With or without any museum visits, and with or without the map for that matter, zigzagging through the town center makes for an attractive shop ‘n stroll. Add lunch, a café stop, and decent weather and you’ve got a sweet and easy daytrip, even half-daytrip, for the leisurely return traveler.
Overnighting
Saint-Germain-en-Laye will speak to the oft return traveler to France, and it will whisper sweet nothings to the those in search of a romantic night, a confidential meeting, or even a heartening bit of solitude. To those, take note.
The grand old hotels of Europe that long ago melted from fashion are among the most atmospheric finds in the continent’s hotel landscape. I’m referring to those grand hotels found in what now seem like unlikely towns whose names once resonated with aristocrats, celebrities, well-heeled travelers, and the occasional politician.
No longer representing high luxury yet holding their head high, no longer abundantly staffed yet able to offer a guest an honorable nod in the hallway, no longer catering to aristocracy yet not quite overrun by groups, able to promote their history without tirelessly promoting the logo of an international chain, the grand old bypassed hotels of France are at once romantic, wistful, comfortable, soothing, and eerie—on a cold or empty night one invariably thinks of “The Shining”—as well as relatively affordable.
Pavillon Henri IV is one such hotel. Having suffered the indignities of being used exclusively for banquets and meetings in the 1980s and 1990s, Pavillon Henri IV has in the past few years been raising its head. With only 42 rooms and 3 suites, even a group of business travelers can’t eradicate its odd, spacious note of warmth. So what if it doesn’t all sparkle with luxury, it’s got that undeniable, grand old hotel feel.
Its wide gallery lounges, its squeaky parquet floors, its long hallway rugs, its vast rooms, its expansive, old-fashion dining room with a nonstop view over the Seine Valley, and its mixed air of lost grandeur and not-quite revival offer a whiff of the grand tour of yesterday, which can, for some, be just the right spice for a European night. All that—plus the historical remnant where Louis XIV was born and summarily baptized—for the price of a cramped if charming 3-star hotel in Paris.
I can easily imagine an off-season overnight here: touring and shopping in the afternoon, a sunset view from the terrace, a tender hour of drinks in the gallery lounge, a gracious dinner in the hotel restaurant, another hour in the gallery lounge (cognac, armagnac, calvados?) before going up to your bedroom for one last gaze out the window at that wide, yearning view toward Paris, reminding you that you’ve traveled far and that soon enough you’ll be back in the world.
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Links and information
Pavillon Henri IV, the hotel described above. 19-21 rue Thiers, 78100 Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Tel. 01 39 10 15 15.
Cazaudehore La Forestière is a second notable hotel and restaurant in Saint-Germain-en-Laye. It’s a Relais & Chateau offering countrified luxury within the forest on the edge of town. Its situation is less practical for those traveling by train but is worth considering for those exploring car. 1 avenue Kennedy, 78100 Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Tel. 01 30 61 64 64. .
Town of Saint-Germain-en-Laye: www.ville-st-germain-en-laye.fr.
Tourist Office: 38 rue au Pain. www.ot-saintgermainenlaye.fr.
Musée Claude Debussy: 38 rue au Pain. Tel. 01 34 51 05 12. Open afternoons Tues.-Sat. Entrance through the tourist office. Free.
Musée Départemental Maurice Denis: 2bis rue Maurice Denis. Closed Mon. www.musee-mauricedenis.fr.
Department of Yvelines: www.tourisme.yvelines.fr. Yvelines is the area comprising Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Versailles and other notable chateaux or parks, including Rambouillet, Marly-le-Roi, Dampierre, Maisons-Lafitte, Thoiry, Breteuil (in Choisel), Chevreuse. It’s possible to spend several days exploring the area both for its history and for its sporting possibilities: golfing, hiking, biking, tennis.
Information on Saint-Germain-en-Laye’s relationship with its sister city Winchester, Massachusetts: www.jumelage.org.
Museum of National Archeology: www.musee-antiquitesnationales.fr. Closed Tues.
International School of Saint-Germain-en-Laye: www.lycee-international.com.
Getting there
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is 13 miles directly west from Paris. Suburban trains, RER line A1, leave every 10-15 minutes from Paris, arriving in the center Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 25-30 minutes.
Saint Germain en Laye is 9 miles north of Versailles. Public transportation between the two towns is possible by bus (40 minutes) or by RER via La Défense (1 hour).
Saint Germain en Laye, like Versailles, is just off the highway for those driving to/from Giverny and Normandy.
Historical endnote: France’s first train line, opened in 1837, was the Paris-Saint-Germain-en-Laye line, making Saint-Germain and points en route the country’s first escape destinations of train age. RER line A1 follows the same path today.
© 2007 by Gary Lee Kraut