The cultural park is a lively springtime venue for the Festival of the Performing Arts, and a year-round hub for the Château de Rentilly, which houses an intercommunal museum whose collections are regularly showcased in temporary exhibitions. Once the property of Édouard André, the great art collector who built the Musée Jacquemart-André in Paris, Château de Rentilly has been a work of art in its own right since its renovation in 2014, with its mirror façade reflecting the sky and the park.
What better place to discover a wide range of artistic and cultural offerings than this monument, which looks like something out of a science-fiction film. The site, originally built in the 16th century, is also home to a resource center specializing in art, architecture and garden design. So many subjects that one of Madame André's illustrious 19th-century guests would surely have been interested in.
After his visit in 1872, the author of Mme Bovary wrote to his niece:
I have been to Rentilly, and the luxury of this château
surpasses anything I have ever seen.
We don't know whether the castle's new visual identity would have appealed to the author of Mme Bovary, but this facade reflecting the surrounding nature is a fine way of illustrating the richness, this time natural, of the Parc de Rentilly. This 48-hectare green lung is home to a number of remarkable tree species, including:
In this English-style park, which also boasts a 19-hectare forest, 3 pretty mirror pools await photo enthusiasts.
This is another beautiful area to discover in the lush green Seine et Marne departement. A remnant of the Château de Chessy, the Parc des Frênes is 22-hectare park is, like some of its trees, several hundred years old. To the sound of birdsong and the fragrant scents of its rich and varied flora, you can stroll through the woods, ponds and streams in complete tranquility.
All these natural treasures can also be discovered through a great treasure hunt: along a 2 km route, all the secrets of this exotic site are revealed through riddles scattered by Baludik, the leader in the creation of tailor-made fun activities. Accessible all year round, just like the park located between the village and the new town of Montévrain, the trail is suitable for children aged 7 and over and can be downloaded free of charge onto your smartphone or tablet.
A sports course and children's play area are also available on site.
Play according to the rules of golf, but with frisbees instead of clubs and balls: welcome to disc golf in the Vallée de la Brosse, the 3rd largest green space (70 hectares) in the Marne et Gondoire region. In a group of friends or with the family, you'll follow a 9-hole course with the aim, at each start/finish, of getting the disc into the net in as few throws as possible.
It's a dexterous sport that requires precision, but that shouldn't prevent you from enjoying the many other points of interest on this natural site in Bussy-Saint-Georges:
Completed in 2004, the Vallée de la Brosse also houses the Russon mill, an authentic 17th-century water mill. An ideal opportunity to delve into the history of a natural and cultural heritage: flour and milling.
It's the perfect starting point for the fun and sport of disc golf (game kits are available in the mill), and for strolling through the green and inspiring Vallée.
Looking for culture, sport, entertainment or nature? Take a look at the Marne et Gondoire region and visit the tourist office website to plan your next getaway.
Among these, other good moments to share with the family are also offered (in addition to the track game in the Park of Frenes) by Baludik throughout the territory.
Valerie from Comme des Français
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Discover other great things to do in Ile de France :
Crédits photo : ©OTMG / ©nicolas_raquillet / Parc culturel de Rentilly - Château ©Veilhan_ADAGP, 2014