Heritage curiosity secret guide

The Bois des Arts in Heaulme: an outdoor sculpture trail in the French Vexin

Craving an offbeat outing in Île-de-France? Head to Épiais-Rhus in the Val-d'Oise department to wander through the Bois des Arts, the monumental sculpture park by artist Arnaud Kasper.

In the heart of Val-de-Marne lies a farm that once belonged to Louis XVI’s brother.

At the edge of Val-de-Marne, Monsieur’s Farm preserves the proud look of the great Briard estates of the 18th century, with its cobbled courtyard surrounded by high walls and its monumental dovecote. It’s here, in Mandres-les-Roses, that the Count of Provence — the future Louis XVIII — would escape to pastoral retreats away from court intrigue. Easily reachable by bike from the La Végétale greenway, the site offers a peaceful, freely accessible heritage stop, even if its historic barns only open their doors to the rhythm of municipal and community exhibitions.

Picpus Cemetery, a quiet corner where a bloody chapter of the Revolution lies buried.

The Picpus Cemetery in Paris is an overlooked site that nonetheless embodies a chapter of the capital’s history. A listed historic monument, it houses the bodies of those executed by guillotine during the Reign of Terror.

Saint-Louis Church in Fontainebleau, the other royal landmark in Seine-et-Marne

Saint-Louis Church in Fontainebleau watches over the town center, right beside the château, since the reign of Henry IV. Commissioned by Marie de Médicis and later redesigned under Napoleon III, this parish church in Seine-et-Marne is being rediscovered in 2026, after a long restoration campaign.

In Vanves, these quirky, semi-subterranean 18th-century buildings, long off-limits, are now open to visitors.

Here is an extraordinary heritage that the general public will soon be able to discover! After major renovation works, the glacières‑chapelle of Frédéric‑Pic Park in Vanves will open its doors to the public as early as September. More details to come!

This unassuming chapel in Paris’s 6th arrondissement conceals a magnificent Italian Baroque interior.

Behind a rather restrained façade on Rue de Vaugirard, the Church of Saint-Joseph-des-Carmes holds a surprise: a painted dome, trompe-l’œil, gilding and richly decorated chapels transport visitors to 17th‑century Italian Baroque.

This splendid pink palace in the Paris region was the home of an eccentric Belle Époque marchioness.

In Le Vésinet, in the Yvelines, the Rose Palace fascinates as much with its Versailles-inspired architecture as with the incredible fate of one of its most famous inhabitants: the Marquise Luisa Casati, an eccentric figure of the Belle Époque.

This Renaissance-era château, renowned for its striking architecture, almost vanished.

With its moats, its soaring towers, and architecture inspired by the Loire Valley castles, the Château de Vigny has plenty to surprise explorers eager to discover the treasures of Île-de-France. Here’s the story of a historic masterpiece in peril and its rescue!

This hotel-restaurant in Saint-Germain-en-Laye hides a secret room—the birthplace of Louis XIV.

A royal cradle tucked away in a hotel-restaurant! In Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the Pavillon Henri IV houses the oratory where Louis XIV was born in 1638. Discover the secrets of this exceptional historic residence and the conditions for visiting its centerpiece.

Near Notre-Dame, this astonishing medieval-looking house is actually a 1950s-era creation.

On Île de la Cité, just a stone’s throw from Notre-Dame, a residence regularly catches the eye of passersby, especially when seen from the Seine on a cruise. With its turret, mullioned windows and medieval vibe, it seems to have traversed the centuries. Yet this house on Rue des Ursins is the work of architect Fernand Pouillon, completed in the late 1950s.

This keep is the last surviving vestige of an ancient castle in Essonne: here is its story!

À Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois, a mysterious circular tower still rises over a domain steeped in history. It is all that remains of the vanished château of Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois: among lords, grandiose projects and local legends, a look back at the little-known history of one of the most remarkable monuments in Essonne.

A washhouse over 500 years old, restored and brought back into use in the Paris region.

In Cormeilles-en-Parisis, in the Val-d’Oise, the Chenêt washhouse has just been restored and put back into service. This small treasure of Île-de-France heritage, fed by a spring known since the 16th century, tells a story of village life, of washerwomen, and of rediscovered memory.

Tucked away in Paris's 15th arrondissement, a neo-Byzantine crypt houses the father of modern medicine.

In Paris’s 15th arrondissement, hidden beneath the buildings of a renowned research institution, lies a little-known spot for the general public: the spectacular crypt of Louis Pasteur, whose discoveries revolutionized modern medicine. Inspired by Neo-Byzantine art, this distinctive mausoleum houses the tombs of the famed scientist and of his wife and collaborator, Marie Pasteur.

In Paris, the Marie and Louis Pasteur apartment-museum is gearing up for its public reopening.

Closed for several years for major restoration work, the Marie and Louis Pasteur apartment-museum, at the heart of the Pasteur Institute in Paris, is gearing up for its public reopening. Here, a slice of scientific heritage nestled in a 19th-century setting awaits visitors.

This rare clog washer is one of the last of its kind in Île-de-France.

For a long time used by locals and by passing horses, this boot-scrubber testifies to a daily life now vanished in the Île-de-France countryside. Behind its apparent simplicity lies a rare structure, where rural history, traditional know-how, and memory of water-related practices intersect.

This ruined castle is a striking remnant of the early Renaissance to be admired in the Paris region.

In Seine-et-Marne, ruins contribute to the charm of the town of Nantouillet. These are the remains of a Renaissance-era castle: here is its history.

This historic greenhouse in the Paris region is one of a kind in France—and here’s why.

In Essonne, there stands an astonishing glass-and-steel greenhouse. Often mistaken for a 19th-century relic, this greenhouse, one of a kind in France, actually hides a far more surprising story.

This Pompadour-era château in the Yvelines hides a superb estate and a Japanese garden.

Few people know the Château de La Celle-Saint-Cloud, in Yvelines, which hosts a 23-hectare estate featuring a Japanese garden, contemporary sculptures, and a classified park. For Rendez-vous aux Jardins 2026, we headed out to discover this hidden historical treasure that’s well worth a stroll.

In the Île-de-France region, this exceptional archaeological site unveils a Gallo-Roman sanctuary.

In Genainville, in the Val-d’Oise, the Gallo-Roman sanctuary of the Vaux-de-la-Celle reveals the remains of an ancient Francilien place of worship, where visitors can glimpse a temple, basins and treasures straight from antiquity!

Near Paris, the mystery surrounding this underground "cathedral" remains intact — you can visit it.

In the Paris region, many secrets still lie buried beneath our feet. In Hauts-de-Seine, the network of underground cellars that runs beneath the town of Sèvres unveils a host of mysteries, including a peculiar chamber nicknamed the cathedral, about which we still know almost nothing.