Visiting Nogent-le-Roi
Nogent-le-Roi sits in the Eure valley in the Centre-Val de Loire region, hugging the banks of the Roulebois river. The town was long under the thumb of the now-demolished l'abbaye de Coulombs. Once a royal stronghold anchored by a massive fortress, the town is also the birthplace of Jeanne de France, daughter of King Louis XI, who was beatified in 1743. You can still see remnants of this golden age in the local parish church and several 15th and 16th-century half-timbered houses.
The medieval legacy of Nogent-le-Roi
At the center of the old town, the église Saint-Sulpice features stained glass windows designated as historic monuments. In the 15th century, the church was attached to the fortress and served as part of the town walls. Since those defenses were destroyed, the church's south-facing exterior walls have remained unfinished to this day. The building holds the relics of Saint Jeanne de France, who was born here. Louis de Brezé laid the first stone of the church in 1494. The town had previously belonged to his grandfather, Pierre de Brezé, who received the estate directly from King Charles VII.
Beyond its religious history, Nogent-le-Roi saw the construction of several chateaus. The most recent was built by Alfred Chapelain at the request of Eugène Mesquite, a 19th-century mayor and senator. The home is a classic Second Empire style structure with high French-style roofs, cornices, and dormers. The park was designed by the landscape architect Aubray. Today, this green space includes sports equipment, a golf practice area, tennis courts, and an animal park housing chickens, rabbits, goats, ponies, and a herd of over a hundred deer. For families, Lutinopark offers a ropes course experience.
A scenic town in the Eure valley
Nogent-le-Roi retains much of its history, including a collection of 15th-century mills. These have been converted into private homes and remain a common sight alongside the town's many half-timbered houses. The manoir de Vacheresses, a former seigneurial estate, is now used for events and weddings.
If you enjoy the outdoors, there are plenty of hiking trails along the Eure or through the bois de Ruffin. Less than 10 kilometers (about 6 miles) away, you can visit the château de Maintenon, a grand estate that belonged to Françoise d'Aubigné, mistress of the Sun King, Louis XIV. The formal French gardens were designed by Le Nôtre, and the ruins of a Vauban aqueduct still stand nearby. At the time, the Sun King had a massive, ambitious project to divert water from the Eure all the way to Versailles.
When to go
Nogent-le-Roi is best visited during the warmer months, between May and September, to take full advantage of the outdoor spaces, as the chateau itself is closed to the public.
How to get there
The town sits at the junction of the D983, D929, D4, and D26 roads. It is served by line 89 and line 8 of the TransBeauce bus network. The closest train stations are in Maintenon and Epernon.
