Attractions and Places To See around Bazainville - Top 20

Built at the end of the 12th century by the Counts of Montfort and listed as a Historic Monument since 1889, the Houdan Tower was used to watch for enemies and defend the territory. The Keep consists of a 15 m diameter and 21 m high tower, flanked by four turrets of the same height located at the four cardinal points. From the 16th century until the French Revolution, the Keep served as a prison, and executions took place at the foot of the Tower. The first water reservoir was installed in the tower in 1880. The second, built in 1952, is still visible. Tours are available on certain days.

"Joseph-Maurice Ravel (* March 7, 1875 in Ciboure; † December 28, 1937 in Paris) was a French composer and, alongside Claude Debussy, the main representative of impressionism in music. His best-known work is the orchestral piece Boléro, which was originally conceived as ballet music." (Source: Wikipedia) There are numerous films with the Bolero on the video portal YouTube. I have selected a recording by the WDR (West German Radio) Symphony Orchestra as a suggestion for anyone who wants to listen to it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmNEvSFWftc

Many houses of worship in France bear the title “Notre-Dame” (in German “Our Lady”) and are therefore dedicated to the Blessed Mother Mary. Sometimes the specific patronage is made clear by an additional name, such as “Assumption of Mary” or “Immaculate Conception”. Here in Les Mesnuls, the church or chapel bears the suffix "Notre-Dame du Chêne", i.e. "to the oak". This means that it is not an event in the life of the Mother of God that is referred to in the patronage, but rather a tree that gave the immediate surroundings of the church a formative shape. In fact, you can see a tree on the left and right of the building.

Cemetery set with a magnificent Cloister. There are many famous stars there, Maurice Ravel among others. Diagonally opposite the Cloister, nestled in a corner near a discreet exit is the family vault of the unforgettable Charles Aznavour.

Monument dating from the end of the 12th century

Here at 36 rue de l'église, an old house different from the neighboring buildings. This is the "Tric" villa acquired in 1915 by Henri Désiré Landru to commit his macabre crimes. Within these walls, 7 women were murdered between 1915 and 1919 among the 11 officially recorded victims. The choice of the Gambais villa was motivated by its isolation, as it was 300 m from the nearest house (this is obviously no longer the case now), and by its outbuildings and the basement. Here were found supposedly human remains in a heap of ashes discovered in a shed, in the fireplace, and in the stove; one will also find clasps, pins, pieces of corset, partly burnt buttons. In all, the police found 4.176 kg of charred bone debris, including 1.5 kg undoubtedly coming from human bodies, as well as 47 teeth or tooth fragments. The medical examiner will announce to the press that these bones correspond to three heads, five feet and six hands. Having become a famous place on the occasion of the resounding trial, Villa Tric de Gambais was looted by the crowd, then sold to a restorer who renamed it "Au Grillon du Foyer" and converted part of the building into a museum. It even seems that the "Landru" rib steak was served there, grilled over a wood fire... The restaurant closed its doors in 1940 and the house was then sold to private individuals. The famous villa also gave rise to a series of postcards. Somewhat forgotten after several decades, the house came back into the news in 2018 when it was put up for sale with an announcement very discreetly stating "very beautiful house steeped in history"... The cook of the villa after a succession of transactions ended up being bought by Laurent Ruquier. Passionate about the character, he wrote a play on the subject, in 2005, with Régis Laspalès in the main role. No sign, no sign comes to announce the history of this house which undoubtedly wishes to fall back into oblivion.

The Tower (commonly called "The Dungeon"), built in the 12th century under the reign of the Counts of Montfort, and classified as a Historic Monument since 1840, had the function of watching out for enemies and defending the territory. But in reality, it mainly had a dissuasive role since it was reputed to be impregnable. Built on the site of an old Merovingian necropolis, it originally consisted of an enclosure and a main tower. The enclosure, which has now disappeared, had a circular turret intended for the defense of the gate. The access door, located 4 meters from the ground then raised in the 15th century to 6 meters, was the only access to the large room on the 1st floor reserved for the military chief. It was accessed via a drawbridge.

Located at an altitude of 154 meters1, the pond covers an area of 0.8 hectares. The “Ponts-Quentin stream” flows into the Rompu pond — coming from the Holland ponds located about 1 km upstream to the east — and comes out to flow, about ten kilometers further to the west, in the Vesgre, having previously changed its name twice: first under the name of “Etang-Neuf stream” then under that of “Grapelin”. The Ponts-Quentin stream passes under departmental road 138 before flowing into the pond, which justifies the undulation of the road and its bend. The pond is part of the Rambouillet national forest, a private state domain. As such, its management is ensured by the National Forestry Office (ONF). Wikipedia