Saint-Germain-en-Laye: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
English|
EUR 133 - 365 Relais & Châteaux-Hotel Cazaudehore - La Forestière
 Situated on the edge of St Germain forest, this hotel in the style of a country house offers rooms and apartments. Each one is unique and offers a cos… MoreEUR 65 - 85 Residence Serena
 The Residence Serena is located in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, 1.5 kilometres from the expansive town forest. It offers en-suite studios and apartments wit… MoreEUR 95 - 290 Pavillon Henri IV
 Set in Saint-Germain Castle’s park, the Pavillon Henri IV offers 4-star accommodations with amazing views of Paris and the Seine Valley. Guest rooms… MoreEUR 55 - 95 Le Château Du Val
 Le Chateau du Val is located in the forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, 30 minutes from Paris. It offers rooms with a view of the park and free Wi-Fi and… MoreEUR 70 - 155 Ermitage des Loges
 Situated on the edge of the woods, facing the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the Ermitage des Loges is located 500 metres from the train station, … MoreEUR 49 - 86 Hôtel Du Coq Saint Germain
 Hotel du Coq Saint Germain is located in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, 20 km northwest of Paris and 3 km from the town centre. The hotel offers free Wi-Fi an… MoreEUR 55 - 99 Campanile Saint-Germain-En-Laye
 Situated in the peaceful surroundings of Paris, the Campanile Saint-Germain-En-Laye offers easy access to the city centre and all its famous monuments… More | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Saint-Germain-en-Laye: Guide
:For treaties with this name see Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (disambiguation)
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is a commune in France|commune in the western suburbs of Paris in France. It is located 19.1 kilometre|km (11.9 miles) from the Kilometre Zero|center of Paris. Inhabitants are called Saint-Germanois.
It is a département, being the seat of the line A of the RER.
History
Saint-Germain-en-Laye was founded in 1020 when King Robert the Pious (ruled 996-1031) founded a convent on the site of the present Church of Saint-Germain.
Prior to the French Revolution in 1789, it had been a royal town and the Château de Saint-Germain the residence of numerous French monarchs.
The old Saint Louis. François I of France|François I was responsible for its subsequent restoration. In 1862, Napoleon III set up the Musée des Antiquités Nationales in the estwhile royal château. This museum has exhibits ranging from Paleolithic to Celtic times. The "Dame de Brassempouy" sculpted on a mammoth's ivory tusk around 23,000 years ago is the most famous exhibit in the museum.
Kings Henri IV of France|Henri IV and Louis XIII of France|Louis XIII left their mark on the town.
Louis XIV of France|Louis XIV was born in the château (the city's coat of arms consequently shows a cradle and the date of his birth), and established Saint-Germain-en-Laye as his principal residence from 1661 to 1681. Louis XIV turned over the château to James II of England|King James II after his exile from Britain after the Glorious Revolution in 1688. King James lived in the Château for 13 years, and his daughter Marie-Louise Stuart was born in exile here in 1692. King James Stuart is buried in the Church of Saint-Germain.
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is famous for its 2.4 kilometre long stone terrace built by André Le Nôtre from 1669 to 1673. The terrace provides a view over the valley of the Seine and, in the distance, Paris.
During the French Revolution, the name was changed along with many other places whose names held connotations of religion or royalty. Saint-Germain-en-Laye became Montagne-du-Bon-Air.
In the 19th century, Napoleon I established his cavalry officers training school in the Château-Vieux.
During the occupation from 1940 to 1944, the town was the German Army Headquarters.
Transport
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is served by Gare de Saint Germain-en-Laye|Saint-Germain-en-Laye station on Paris RER A|RER line A.
It is also served by two stations on the Transilien Paris – Saint-Lazare suburban rail line: Saint-Germain – Bel-Air – Fourqueux (SNCF)|Saint-Germain – Bel-Air – Fourqueux and Saint-Germain-en-Laye – Grande Ceinture (SNCF)|Saint-Germain – Grande Ceinture.
Finally, Saint-Germain-en-Laye is also served by Achères – Grand Cormier (SNCF)|Achères – Grand Cormier station on Paris RER line A and on the Transilien Paris – Saint-Lazare suburban rail line. This station is located in the middle of the Forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, far away from the urbanized part of the commune.
Miscellaneous
Births
Saint-Germain-en-Laye was the birthplace of:
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is twinned with:
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikipedia article "Saint-Germain-en-Laye". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
Henry II of France|Henri II (1519-1559), France|King of France
Charles IX of France|Charles IX (1550-1574), King of France
Louis de Buade de Frontenac (1622-1698), France|French courtier and Governor of New France
Louis XIV of France|Louis XIV (1638-1715), King of France
Claude Debussy (1862-1918), composer of European classical music
Maurice Denis (1870-1943), painter and writer and a member of the Symbolism (arts)|Symbolist and Les Nabis movements
Albert Dupontel (born 1964), actor
Amélie Mauresmo (born 1979), tennis playerTwin towns
Aschaffenburg, Germany - since 1975
Temara, Morocco - since 1982
Ayr, Scotland, United Kingdom - since 1984
Winchester, Massachusetts, United States of America - since 1990
Konstancin-Jeziorna, Poland - since 1992External links
(in French)