There are lots of Middle-Age remnants in Paris, but the Yvelines department is packed with them too! The city of Houdan is a great example, within one hour by train from the city, leaving from the Gare Montparnasse train station. Within easy reach, this medieval city and its multiple vestiges are still well kept and provide a great stroll between the city, wilderness and History of France. Although one can enjoy traces from the Antiquity in Houdan, most of the monuments were built in the Middle Ages.
Furthermore, the Houdan area started to get inhabited from the 5th century and becomes a major area from year 1000. The shape of the city and location, higher than the surrounding countryside, give it a strategic position, used by lords of Montfort-l’Amaury, another Yvelines city. At war with the King of England, Lord Amaury III has a stone dungeon erected with a fortified city wall. From this moment on, Houdan becomes a major city and a renown merchant place. In the 16th century, the city’s fortification is extended and these are the ones you can still enjoy today.
At the French Revolution, the Houdan country becomes the capital city’s wheat basket and one of the greatest wheat markets in Île-de-France is held there.
If you drive to Houdan, via N12, you can start your stroll with the city hall and the church of Houdan. But if you come by train, it would be more pertinent to start with the Tour Guinant and the hospital. A lot of narrow streets, looking like secret passageways, allow to go to some places quicker and discover surprising places. Allow two hours to enjoy your tour. Here we go!
The Houdan city hall is set in a former notable’s house from the 17th century.
Famous for its unique Cliquot organs from 1734, the church was listed as historic monument in 1840, and is now going under major renovations of the original 1582 mural about Houdan inhabitants’ pilgrimage to Montserrat, but is still open. A surprising and very rare sentence is written on the lintel of the gate and dates back to the Revolution: “le peuple français reconnaît l’existence de l’être suprême et de l’immortalité de l’âme” which could be translated as: “The French people acknowledge the existence of the supreme being and the immortality of the soul”. Built in the 13th century, it enjoys reconstruction works until 1777, which explains the originality of its architecture.
This first inn, set at 64 rue de Paris, tells about the Houdan’s past as a stopover town. The wooden façades date back to the 17th and 18th centuries. It is very special as it is adorned with fleurs-de-lys, reminding of Louis XVI’s visit on June 21, 1786.
The Ecu de France inn was the oldest and biggest inn in Houdan – according to archives dating back to 1569. The charming hotel used to involve an ensemble of buildings set at 37, 39 and 41 rue de Paris. Sculptures representing ears of wheat and bunches of grapes on the façade were to encourage travelers to stop by.
Still working, the hospital replaced the former general hospital that was raised to replace the leper house set in the north of the city and that closed down in 1560 after leprosy disappeared.
Set rue des Remparts, the Tower is especially well-kept and blends in the urban background, near housings. It is placed in the city’s center more than the other two towers.
At 65 rue de Paris, enjoy one of the oldest inns, which name is featured on the blueprints from 1692. Inn in the Middle-Ages, then the city’s administrative center, the place was also used to house troopers and the tax office. On the outer façade, the city’s coat of arms reminds the double affiliation of Houdan to the Kingdom of France and the duchy of Bretagne. Renovated in 2018, the courtyard is open to the public, with walkways made of genuine wood. It also features a secret passage, created to go to rue des Fossés more easily.
This inn, set at 94 rue de Paris, is marked by the Seznec case – that made its fame. On May 25, 1923, Guillaume Seznec and Pierre Quemeneur go to Paris and stop by to eat as their car broke down. But at night, Quemeneur calls and takes the train at almost 10 p.m. The latter was never seen again and his friend would be charged for murder and fraud, as he kept on claiming he was innocent.
This is the highlight of this tour! Built between 1125 and 1132, under the reign of Amaury III, the dungeon was used to watch out for enemies and defend the city. Consisting of a 15m-wide and 25m-high tower, it enjoys 4 turrets. In the 16th century, the monument is used as a prison and executions are conducted at the foot of the Tower. In 1880, a first water storage is settled there, replaced in the 1970’s by another one. After major renovations, it is now open to tours on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and on Sunday per month, and provides exhibitions for the youngest and panorama on the city at the top. Allow €5 for the full rate, and €3 for children aged 6 to 18.
The building covered in a surprising color used to house a factory between the 19th and 20th centuries, that produced the famous Boldoflorine herbal tea. Pierre Fouché created his own liquors there, including Guignolet Houdanais, cider and absinthe. The latter was forbidden in 1915 and production changed for pharmaceutical goods and herbal teas. Boldoflorine was a huge marketing success, played on the radio, but production stopped in 1999. The former factory now houses accommodations and offices, in the original building, between rue du Mont-Rôti and Passage de la Boldo.
They can be seen on the way to the Croix aux Pèlerins, surrounded by walls. Their construction was allowed by Francis I in the 16th century, for the former walls were too narrow.
This cross was raised to pay tribute to the first pilgrims who left Houdan for Montserrat in 1582. This pilgrimage left from the medieval city to Spain, in the center of Catalonia, where – since the Middle Ages – a wooden statue of the Black Virgin attracts pilgrims. The place – housed by the only two trees around – provides a lovely view and another point of view on the medieval city.
Today, the city of Houdan provides multiple entertainments including a contemporary art center, the Tannerie, lots of eclectic stores and a yearly celebration, the Saint-Matthieu Fair, taking place the last weekend of September.
Shall we go and visit the Yvelines department, then?
Dates and Opening Time
Starts August 24th, 2022
Location
Houdan
houdan
78550 Houdan
Average duration
2 h
