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The Ile-de-France region is full of sublime places to discover. Fontainebleau is one of the most attractive places to live in Ile-de-France. Between its royal castle and its sublime forest, the commune is at the crossroads of culture and nature. The mayor of Fontainebleau, Julien Gondard, talks to Sortir à Paris about his vision of this verdant Seine-et-Marne commune.
My name is Julien Gondard, I'm 49 years old, married with two daughters. I first worked in Fontainebleau in 2005 before moving here in 2008. At the time, I asked some young parents how they felt about living here, how their children felt, and they replied: "It's a magical place to start a family and raise children". That was the trigger. Since then, I can only confirm that I'm very happy. It's a very family-friendly town, and since Covid it's been welcoming more and more families in search of space, greenery and peace and quiet.
For me, it's sport: I run a lot in the Fontainebleau forest. You won't believe it, but this forest is truly magical. Once you start walking, running or cycling through it, you're hooked! It has a unique power of attraction, whatever the season. It stretches over 25,000 hectares, and is ideal for hiking and climbing. Some say it's one of the most beautiful forests in Europe. We're currently working with Château de Fontainebleau and theOffice National des Forêts on its UNESCO listing.
First and foremost, the forest, which is very easy to get to. It's just 40 minutes from Paris by public transport. You get off the train and 100 metres from the station, you can start climbing. The Château Park and the Jardin de Diane are another exceptional and free heritage site, offering a first glimpse into the town's history and heritage.
Fontainebleau is a small town close to Paris - you could even say provincial - but with 500 shops: food shops, restaurants and bars that are busy all day and sometimes late into the evening. Here, quality of life, tranquility, history and heritage all come together.
There are so many, it's hard to choose. I really like Le Viandard, on Place de la République: this establishment offers a tapas menu based around meat, with an aperitif option and a quick dinner option, featuring excellent products and homemade dishes. If you're looking for a value-for-money experience that the whole family can enjoy, there's Il Primo Baccio, an Italian restaurant with homemade dishes.
If you're looking for a more gastronomic experience, there's a Michelin-starred restaurant in Fontainebleau, L'Axel, with a truly inspiring Japanese chef. And another good address for lovers of Japanese cuisine: the Fuumi restaurant. I'll give you four, because you're making me choose, but there are many more I could mention.
Fontainebleau Loisirs Culture (FLC) is a major player in the community. It's a structure that develops all kinds of activities through associations, be they dance, music, art or social activities. It's a multi-faceted association that brings together a huge number of people, and it's also one of our biggest associations. The Théâtre de l'âne Vert is an association that encourages the practice of theater for young and old alike.
On the music front, the Sam Sam Festival offers an electro event, and theDjango Reinhardt Festival association, which is more jazz-oriented, plans four days of outdoor concerts in the Château park in June and a winter sequence at the municipal theater.
Our own July 13 national holiday is a unifying event that attracts young and old alike. We have our own military parade which, while not as large as the one on the Champs-Elysées, is nonetheless a source of pride, with many representatives of the armed forces marching through the town center, as Fontainebleau is fortunate to have a large military presence. After the parade, there's a picnic atmosphere in the main square, with everyone arriving with their own dishes and sitting side by side in a shared buffet.
We also have the Naturiales, our spring nature festival, which brings together plant lovers with a plant market and stands to raise awareness of nature and environmental protection. It's a message we feel very strongly about at Fontainebleau - I'm not saying we're perfect, but we're in the heart of a forest so inevitably, we're mobilized on the subject.
At Christmas time, Fontainebleau - which is a family-friendly town - transforms itself with numerous events, including a lantern parade through the streets of the town that brings everyone together, from grandparents to grandchildren. Generally speaking, there's always something going on in Fontainebleau.
As in other towns, we have a Maîtrise at the Conservatoire where young people come to practice singing; a project initiated ten years ago. The Maîtrise-Voix de Fontainebleau was at the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Stade de France, with Phoenix, Angèle and Kavinsky. We gave our young people, who were there as choristers, the means to experience an exceptional moment. I wasn't there, but I watched with passion and emotion on television.
If we could do anything better, it would be to make culture and entertainment more accessible to our families and young people, who may have fewer opportunities. I'd like to find and develop a concept that would bring together all social categories. It's not true that Fontainebleau is a town for the upper classes. It's a town that also needs to be present in terms of solidarity. I'm not talking about national initiatives like the Fête de la Musique, in which we take part, but an initiative specific to the town of Fontainebleau.
I lived in Paris for a long time, and today I'm lucky enough to be able to "forage" the capital, which means that I "choose Paris" in terms of what I want to do, rather than being subjected to it. I have very fond memories of the 2nd arrondissement, where I lived on rue Vivienne, not far from the old Bourse. Back then, the Virgin Megastore was still open until 1am. So some of my days consisted of going to work, going out for dinner, then going to Virgin to listen to CDs, in a sort of permanent hustle and bustle. I really enjoyed those times.
Fontainebleau is the most sporty town in Seine-et-Marne. In addition to the facilities and infrastructure of the forest, you can enjoy a wide range of sporting activities. We have developed a policy called Sport-Santé, which aims to support people who have had an accident, are ill or convalescing. We support them through adapted activities to restore their taste for physical effort. Since its inception, the initiative has met with great success, with practitioners and doctors referring their patients to the Maison Sport-Santé.
In the Fontainebleau region, there's also a nautical base, with a sailing and rowing club. As for climbing, the forest is world-renowned for bouldering! Some of the sport's greatest athletes come to Fontainebleau, notably to the Karma site - the Federation's indoor and outdoor climbing walls, which were used to train the French team for the Olympic Games. It's quite remarkable in terms of level and expertise.
There's a 10-hectare area on which we plan to create a new district, with services and economic development. We have the idea of creating a third-location center. It's a project we're currently considering. We want to create something we'll be proud of in 50 years' time.
In September, we'll also be inaugurating the Maison des Artisans d'Art de Fontainebleau , which will showcase local craftsmanship with workshops for the general public. We're also working with Fontainebleau Tourisme on a French Fontainebleau championship (the dessert!), because after all, Fontainebleau has a dessert to its name!
