Discover Vauciennes

National Route 2 runs through Vauciennes. It was once a strategic road towards Flanders; today it is a transport route between Paris and Belgium. Manoir du Plessis-au-Bois lies near the village. Church architecture and the forest landscape of the Forêt de Retz add to the themes of a stay. Vauciennes and its surroundings therefore bring together a range of historical and scenic features.

Churches with distinct architectural features

Église Saint-Léger was built largely from the late 12th century onwards and completed in the 1230s or 1240s. Its façade features a deep Gothic porch, a finely moulded portal and a large rose window with diamond-point tracery. The construction period and completion date provide two distinct chronological reference points: building began in the late 12th century, while its completion is dated several decades later.

At Église Sainte-Geneviève, the oldest part dates from the last quarter of the 12th century: a single-nave church. Access is through a later porch and a carefully crafted round-arched portal. In the seigneurial chapel, a door and another opening lead to the choir. Its vault has eight ribs radiating from a heraldic keystone. The two churches thus have different features in focus: at Saint-Léger, chiefly the porch, portal and rose window; at Sainte-Geneviève, the nave and chapel vault.

Manor and garden spaces

Manoir du Plessis-au-Bois lies near Vauciennes. It belonged to Philippe d’Orléans, brother of Louis XIV, and later to the Regent. The manor has been listed as a historic monument since 1999. The estate includes an old residence, a keep, a Renaissance wing and walled gardens. The architectural forms and history of ownership offer different points of interest: the buildings reflect architectural development, while the recorded owners establish a political and dynastic connection.

The Jardins du Manoir du Plessis-au-Bois have been continuously laid out since 2003. Their design reimagines the atmosphere of the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance through a sequence of seven green spaces. Garden areas include berry bushes enclosed by beech hedges, a boxwood bosquet and a fishpond surrounded by irises and wisteria. There is also a flower-filled kitchen garden with vines, espaliered apple and pear trees, a water channel, climbing roses and a boulingrin. The grounds are still evolving, so the planting and layout may change.

Self-guided and guided visits are available for individuals and groups; visits can be arranged year-round by appointment. Arrange your visit in advance. This makes it possible to include the gardens, their historical interpretation and their specific planting and design features in your travel plans.

Forêt de Retz and walking routes in the wider region

Within the commune of Vauciennes, Forêt de Retz includes the eight-hectare Champ Familier enclave. Across the wider region, the forest has 60 kilometres of forest roads and 560 kilometres of forest rides and woodland paths. These figures describe the extent of the forest; there are also specific routes: twelve signposted themed walking routes, the Parcours des Cotrets discovery trail, designed and laid out by the O.N.F., and the long-distance trails GR 11 and GR 11A.

For walkers, this makes it possible to distinguish between the broad figures for the trail network and the named routes. The Parcours des Cotrets is designated as a discovery trail, while GR 11 and GR 11A are described as long-distance trails. Together with the Champ Familier enclave and the clearing where Église Sainte-Geneviève stands, Forêt de Retz can be viewed at several scales: as a forest in the wider region, an area with designated trails and a landscape with specific places.

Discover more destinations: Hondainville, Liancourt-Saint-Pierre, Delincourt, Thourotte, Beauvais, Creil, Fontaine-Lavaganne, Litz.

Go to the main travel overview: Oise.