Idea for a trip in yvelines

Château de Dampierre: we visited the Pompadour’s Enchanted Garden.

The Enchanted Garden of Pompadour, followed by the Masquerade, transformed the Dampierre-en-Yvelines estate into an 18th-century backdrop this Saturday, September 26, 2026. A costume-clad garden party, a horse show and a masked ball. Here are the images from this inaugural edition, a premiere that sent time traveling.

Free-admission castles and museums in Yvelines this Sunday, October 4, 2026 — the first Sunday of the month.

Free museums and monuments in Yvelines open their doors to the public for free on this first Sunday of the month. This Sunday, October 4, 2026, several cultural sites in the 78 can be visited without spending a penny. Here’s the rundown on the best free-access opportunities.

Endesumar Medieval Festival 2026 in Yvelines, photos of the Viking encampment

The Endesumar Medieval Festival transforms the grounds of Château de Rangiport, in Gargenville (Yvelines), into a full-scale Viking encampment and continues its journey this Sunday, September 13, 2026. We stopped by on Saturday—here’s what to expect on site.

Mid-Autumn Festival 2026 at Jardin Yili: a Chinese night-time event in Yvelines

Yili Garden, France’s only traditional Chinese garden tucked away in the Yvelines, opens its lantern-lit paths for a Moon Festival evening. Tales, a tea ceremony, mooncakes, and a live concert will shape the night of September 26, 2026.

Dynamik Parc, the multi-activity park in the Yvelines that’s going to blow you away

Installed quietly this summer at the heart of the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Leisure Island, Dynamik Parc unveils a unique, multi-activity park dedicated to sport and recreation. Electric Drift Kart, Laser Tag, Bubble Foot, Archery Game, Big Football, VR, Hado, and other self-guided experiences are on the menu for those eager to discover.

Val de Seine leisure island: swimming is open daily in Yvelines

The Val de Seine leisure island reopens its supervised lake in Verneuil-sur-Seine, in the Yvelines. Swimming is now allowed daily until August 30, 2026, alongside the beach, pedal boats, mini-golf, and the nautical center.

Hollande Ponds: the free riverside guinguette beach with no swimming in Yvelines has reopened.

The Étangs de Hollande beach reopens this Saturday, July 4, 2026, in Yvelines (78), after several days of closure caused by storms. We set out to explore the site, from hot sand to deck chairs, inflatable castles, a guinguette, and a free sunset concert that await you through August 30, 2026.

Cern'estival: the free Solidays-style festival from the 78 lands in Yvelines

Le Cern'estival brings its stages to Parc Pelouse de Cernay-la-Ville in Yvelines for its inaugural festival, pairing live concerts with a gourmet market and an eco-friendly ethos. See you on Saturday, July 4, 2026, with free entry.

The medieval fortress of Beynes, the jewel of the Yvelines, has been linked to Diane de Poitiers.

A medieval fortress of the Yvelines, Beynes Castle hides a centuries‑old history and an unexpected link to Diane de Poitiers. Just 30 km from Paris, in the heart of this Yvelines town, its ruins—listed as a Historic Monument—are open to visits year‑round in Beynes. We set out to explore the site on a short break and now reveal a portion of its secrets.

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.

Night of the Forests 2026 in Sonchamp and Clairefontaine, Yvelines

Nights of the Forests 2026 are returning to the Rambouillet area in Yvelines from June 5 to 21, 2026, with nature walks, artistic performances, and free evening outings for all ages. Be sure to book in advance to enjoy these free activities.

Le Chou de Chanorier, the restaurant housed in a château in the Yvelines, unveils its gorgeous terrace at the Top

The Non-Parisian Bistros, which delight us with their restaurants, mainly in Hauts-de-Seine, opened last year a restaurant in Yvelines! And not just anywhere, since it’s at Château Chanorier in Croissy-sur-Seine that you can now go enjoy a meal. And surprise, you can discover a menu signed by Charlie Anne, the Top Chef 2025 finalist. We tested Chanorier’s Chou restaurant, which unveils a short, indulgent menu and even a vast terrace in the heart of a verdant park, offering raclette in winter and barbecue in summer.

The Night of the Forests 2026 in the Forest of Versailles, featuring workshops, games, and free walks.

For Nuits des Forêts 2026, the Pachamama association invites you to a festive, nature-filled immersion in the Forest of Versailles, in Porchefontaine, featuring workshops, strolls, and free activities for everyone, from June 9 to 21, 2026.

Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines: the surprising origin of its name

The name of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, this vast agglomeration in the Yvelines about 20 km southwest of Paris, derives from a small medieval chapel dedicated to a 3rd‑century Roman martyr. A story that few Île-de-France residents know. Here's the story.

This town in the Yvelines department is celebrating the Fête de la Nature with a hedgehog theme.

Essarts-le-Roi, a town in Yvelines, will celebrate the Nature Festival on Sunday, May 24, 2026, with a hedgehog theme. Free activities, workshops, music and a market: all day at Market Square.

Nature Festival in a vast park in Yvelines

For the 20th anniversary of Fête de la Nature, the Parc du Peuple de l'herbe in Carrières-sous-Poissy, Yvelines, offers guided walks, naturalist discoveries, and the opening of the Insect House on Saturday, May 23, 2026.

Nature Festival 2026 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye: flower market, free workshops and guided walks

This weekend, Saint-Germain-en-Laye will bloom to the rhythm of the Nature Festival 2026, a day when the town opens up like an open-air garden. Repotting, seed exchanges, a flower market, themed walks, basketry, and sheepdogs: biodiversity is invited everywhere this Saturday, May 23. A green interlude where hands go into the soil and the senses come alive.

Plant Festival at Château de Dampierre: the 78's new event is unveiled

In the Yvelines, the Domaine de Dampierre-en-Yvelines is launching its very first Plant Festival on May 9–10, 2026, featuring about forty exhibitors, hands-on workshops and talks in an exceptionally verdant setting. We went to discover this new green rendezvous, tucked into a jewel-box of nature and heritage.

Yvelines: have you heard of this temple of love, a romantic kiosk-bridge set in a lush green haven?

In the Yvelines, at the heart of the Bonnelles pond nature reserve, a charming bridge-kiosk nicknamed the “Temple of Love” still bears witness to an 18th-century parc à fabriques—an elaborate garden of follies. Open to the public for discovery in 2026.

Yvelines: discover the Bonnelles Ponds Nature Reserve and its beautiful treasures

In the Yvelines, the Bonnelles Ponds Regional Nature Reserve offers a free, year-round nature and heritage stroll around two ponds, featuring diverse wildlife and charming 18th-century factories.