And here I take you again back to my nostalgic sentimental Yvelines. This is a very small village off the beaten path of my road warrior trails, and worth a detour for its unique aspect of the real French way of life. I found me pictures in my cd rom vault that should be in my blog for you and me, Therefore, let me tell you on this is Villiers le Mahieu !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The village of Villiers-le-Mahieu is located in the Yvelines department no 78, in the Île-de-France region of my belle France.The village is 14 km from Épône, 32 km from Saint-Germain-en-Laye, 36 km from Rambouillet, 32 km from Versailles, and 435 km from my current home, The road access is provided by D45, which connects Orgeval to Richebourg via Thoiry, I took Avenue de l’Europe in Versailles on the D10 crossing avenue de Paris onto the Rue Royale took right into Rue du Général Leclerc . Turn left into Rue du Maréchal Joffre or D91 past Parc Balbi into the N12 highway past Montfort l’Amaury turn right into the Route de Boissy dir Boissy sans Avoir, continue into the village of Antouillet and take the Route de Villiers le Mahieu to the village.
This is something not to see per se as it is a lodging establishment and did not stayed but wonderful to see from the outside passing by it was nice, The Château de Villiers le Mahieu was, according to legend, built by the English in the Middle Ages. Built in the 13C and was extensively remodelled in the 17C, In 1642, the Marquis Claude d’Attilly built the present Renaissance style structure on the remains of the original. After being the property of the Caruel de Saint-Martin family throughout the 19C , It was restored in 1965 by the Comte de Rohan Chabot and was the home of the French Expressionist painter, Bernard Buffet, from 1971 to 1979. In 1980, a young hotelier, Jean-Luc Chaufour, began a process of establishing a top class hotel within the castle and its grounds Today it is a relatively renowned 4-star hotel.
A bit of their own description tell us that Les Maisons de Campagne has created top-notch all-inclusive packages. From generous cuisine geared toward conviviality to numerous activities for young and old, everything is included and, above all, unlimited. The estate’s 98 rooms are available in two versions: the Tradition Rooms, ideal for bucolic getaways for two. The more spacious Evasion Rooms are perfect for families. A crib, changing table, bathtub… everything is provided for little ones too! The Table at Château de Villiers-le-Mahieu, the gourmet heart of the house. From breakfast to dinner, including gourmet breaks throughout the day, the kitchen team will delight every taste bud. Here, the cuisine is gourmet, local, generous, and above all, unlimited.
And the above part of a greater group Les Hôtels (très) Particuliers, A bit of history I like tell us that Matthieu Evrard, president of Les Hôtels (Très) Particuliers, offers them his maisons de campagne or Country Houses formula. A former consultant at PwC, he chose to dive into the hotel development by joining the Louvre Hôtels group (where I met him in business luncheons), where he spent more than 9 years expanding the portfolio of properties. In 2019, he decided to launch his own company to express his vision of hotel concepts. The name of his company is an explicit summary: Les Hôtels (Très) Particuliers. To date, the “group” has several establishments (see webpage), The first Maison de Campagne opened at the Château de Villiers-le-Mahieu in Yvelines. As for meals, the package includes a hearty breakfast, a buffet lunch, a break for afternoon tea and even an aperitif with friends or family. The evening meal is free, taken in the restaurant or outside the property. In terms of entertainment, each House plans its own program for the weekend, including a guided tasting of natural wines, a classical concert in the lounge, an introduction to Qi Gong in the garden, and even an introduction to Stand Up or a floral design workshop. A nice concept that is welcome by the French and visitors alike.
Other things to see here me think is the Church Saint-Martin ,it dates back to the 12C. Pieces of stained glass from the period, various paintings, and a wooden statue of its patron saint can still be seen there. The first bell was christened in 1762. The current bell was blessed in 1826. Part of the Thoiry Zoo extends across the village (see post).
A bit of tiny history I like tell us that the village’s evolution through the history of the different families of the lords of the place with families such as the Maselant, Mesnil-Simon, Bullion, La Haye, Vaultier, etc. The archives of the different abbeys which owned properties in Villiers ,such as the abbeys of Saint-Germain des Prés, Saint-Denis or Neauphle-le-Vieux, also provide valuable information. Agriculture was for a long time the main activity of the village. The countryside was covered with vines and the winegrowers were numerous, as evidenced by the civil status registers. The population remained stable for a long time around 200 inhabitants.
The village of Villiers le Mahieu on its heritage : https://villiers-le-mahieu.fr/curiosites-et-monuments/
The official maisons de campagne on the Château de Villiers le Mahieu : https://www.lesmaisonsdecampagne.com/villiers-le-mahieu
The official Les Hôtels (très) Particuliers on the maisons de campagne Château Villiers le Mahieu : https://en.lhtp.fr/home-addresses/villiers-le-mahie
There you go folks, another dandy off the beaten path small village in my sentimental Yvelines. Nice memories of my road warrior trails in the area with the family and always looking forward to be back, eventually. Again, hope you enjoy this post on this is Villiers le Mahieu !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels , good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 