The Church of Notre-Dame de l’Assomption (the Assumption of Our Lady) was built during the first half of the 12th century and was restored at the end of the 19th century by Lucien Magne, one of the architects of the Sacré-Coeur in Montmartre. Its 12th century bell tower is a listed building. The church has […]
The Tourist Office of Bougival organizes exciting guided tours for groups Tour 1 : In the footsteps of the Impressionists Tour 2 : Vestiges of the “machine de Marly” Tour 3 : Along the river Seine… Tour 4 : Bougival, a village through the centuries We can also organize customized private tours upon request. Do […]
At the beginning of the 20th century, Bougival was a major centre for cleaning and washing laundry. An abundant water supply, aristocratic customers and the closeness of Paris led to the growth of a laundering business, documented as far back as the 18th century, which led to a particular type of architecture. When the weather […]
Bougival is embellished with a number of public fountains, which differ depending on their location. This particular one, surmounted by a carved bracket and lodged in a retaining wall when the church and its surroundings were being rebuilt, shows the importance of springs in the town and it collected water as it resurfaced after flowing […]
The prestigious history of Bougival’s great organ began when it was built in the workshops of the famous firm of Cavaillé-Coll, which was then in the hands of his successor Charles Mutin. It was here also that the magnificent organs of the Basilica of St Denis, Perpignan Cathedral and even Notre-Dame were built. The great […]
The building of the present Town Hall is a beautifully designed town house, which was built in 1863 for Madame Alexandre. In 1963, the former town hall was becoming too cramped owing to the increase in the number of inhabitants so the Municipal Council bought Madame Alexandre’s property and converted it into a Town Hall. 126 rue […]
This statue represents a wounded eagle, lifting a wing riddled with grapeshot, holding a broken flagpole in one claw on which the names of Austerlitz, Iéna (Jena), Friedland and Eckmühl can be read. […] With its beak open, the eagle seems to be crying out in despair and anger. One of its wings is beating […]
A monument erected in memory of François Debergue, a gardener from Bougival, who was shot by the Prussians on 6 September 1870 for having cut the telegraph lines connecting their headquarters to Versailles on three occasions.
The locks of La Loge Island The purpose of building a second “Marly Machine”, undertaken under Charles X and later under Napoléon III, was to restore river traffic, by building a lock. Situated between the Island of La Loge and Gautier Island, Bougival’s old lock is 113 m long and 12 m wide (on the Gautier […]
This monument, in the shape of a column, was erected in 1818 by the writer and politician Boissy d’Anglas, in honour of his friends, the Montgolfier brothers. It is all that remains of a magnificent property of 27 hectares (about 67 acres) called “Le Val d’Anglas” (the valley of Anglas), owned by the former Deputy of […]
The Countess Thal de Lançay, who operated some quarries known as “Le Blanc Du Barry à Bougival” owned the château of the Du Barry. At this time, the land went back as far as the château. The grand entrance flanked by 2 lions was built from stone and wrought iron in 1862 and 1884 by […]
The Marly Machine, which is in fact situated in Bougival, was the first link in a range of machinery for bringing water from the Seine to Versailles to deliver water to the many ornamental lakes and fountains in the gardens of the château.Water was transported 163 metres above the level of the Seine by a […]
Le Coq Hardi was for a long time, since around 1880, a restaurant famed for its food and galleries of cellars dug into the hillside. A place frequented by celebrities attracted by both its refined cuisine and its many welcoming terraces and lovely flower-filled gardens. It has since been taken over by “Le CoQ de Bougival” […]
The town of Bougival’s location on a hillside led to several wash-houses being built close to the springs. The picturesque wash-house in the hamlet of St-Michel, a place of local heritage, was already mentioned on a plan dated 1858. It is built of stone, tiles and wood and was restored in the 21st century (June […]
The Pavillon de Blois is a miniature house built in the grounds of the property of Mademoiselle de Blois, the legitimate daughter of Louis XIV and Mademoiselle de la Vallière. She stayed in Bougival from 1711 to 1716. Today all that remains is this little pavilion in the garden of a private residence. The building looks […]