Ile de France - East Attractions

Jouarre Abbey is one of France's oldest sacred buildings, founded in 630. It preserves a Merovingian crypt containing a number of sarcophagi and a tower of the Romanesque abbey church. The present conventual buildings, occupied by Benedictine nuns, date from the 18th C.

Jouarre is 50km east of Paris.

Hiding behind the Epsicopal palace, that is north of the Cathedral of St Etienne, is this miniature summer garden.

Longpont, northeast of Paris, is a beautifully situated little town with considerable remains of a 12th C. Cistercian abbey (fortified gatehouse, magnificent ruined church).

The old town of Meaux (pop. 49,348), situated on the Marne to the northeast of Paris, has been the see of a bishop since 375, its most celebrated incumbent being the great preacher and historian Bossuet (1627-1704). In the old town is the Gothic cathedral (12th-16th C.), with a 76 m/250ft high north tower and a fine five-aisled interior. In the old Bishop's Palace (17th C.) is a museum mainly devoted to Bossuet.

Villers-Cotterets, northeast of Paris, was the birthplace of Alexandre Dumas the Elder, who is commemorated by a museum. There is a fine Renaissance Château (1520) with a park designed by Le Nôtre.