Discover La Puisaye: church, pond and hiking trails

Three specific themes can help you plan a trip to La Puisaye: historical details at the Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste, the Étang de Rouge and marked hiking trails. If you choose the town for a hotel stay, you can use these themes as different starting points for planning your visit.

Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste and historical details

The Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste stands near the site of a former, now-destroyed castle. This location connects the church with the former castle site and provides a specific geographical reference point for the town’s history.

On the gable above the porch is a polychrome stone sculpture of John the Baptist with a lamb. Polychrome means multicoloured; as well as its subject, the sculpture’s colour and stone material are also notable details. The sculpture was installed in the 18th century and restored in the 20th century. The church also preserves two notable old tomb slabs, which were classified as historic monuments in 1908. The year refers to their classification; the tomb slabs add another historical aspect to the story of the church.

The Lavoir de La Puisaye

The Lavoir de La Puisaye offers a different perspective on the town’s history. The washhouse was built between 1912 and 1922 and had room for twelve washerwomen. Its construction period places it in the first decades of the 20th century; its capacity also gives a vivid sense of its former use by several women. In contrast to the church’s religious imagery and tomb details, this communal everyday facility takes centre stage. The lavoir thus adds the history of washing and shared work to the historical themes.

Étang de Rouge: size and origins

The Étang de Rouge is a seven-hectare pond in La Puisaye. Seven hectares equals 70,000 square metres, giving the pond’s surface area a tangible scale. The pond was created by monks around the 13th century. Its origins date back many centuries before the Lavoir de La Puisaye was built between 1912 and 1922, offering two distinctly different historical perspectives.

The Étang de Rouge is promoted as a destination for carp anglers. If you plan to fish during your trip, check the current access and operating conditions in advance.

Hiking in La Puisaye

La Haute Giboudiere and Bois des Scouts are marked hiking trails in La Puisaye. Hiking is therefore a distinct focus for trip planning, alongside the historical sites and the pond. If you plan to hike one of the trails, check the current route before setting out, as route details may change. The trails offer a different focus from the church and lavoir: here, it is about hiking; there, about historical architectural and functional details.

Discover more destinations: Boissy-Lès-Perche, Bleury-Saint-Symphorien, Chapelle-Guillaume, Chartres, Montireau, Senonches, Happonvilliers, Saint-Maixme-Hauterive

For the broader travel overview: Eure-Et-Loir.