Normandy, France
Château de Boucéel
An 18th-century château in Normandy near Mont-Saint-Michel: guest rooms in a historic house with a 16th-century chapel.
Castles & palaces
Photos: Lionel Allorge, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0); Fathzer, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0); Coyau, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Around Paris, France
Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay
A hotel in a former 12th-century Cistercian abbey in the Rambouillet forest, 40 km from Paris. The ruins of a Gothic church stand right in the park.
The Abbaye des Vaux-de-Cernay is a former 12th-century Cistercian monastery in the communes of Cernay-la-Ville and Auffargis (Yvelines), about 40 km south-west of Paris. It stands in the Rambouillet forest, within the Haute Vallée de Chevreuse regional nature park.
After the French Revolution the abbey was abandoned and partly destroyed. In the late 19th century Charlotte de Rothschild restored most of the buildings, apart from the church. It has been a hotel since 1988; after a complete renovation it reopened in October 2023 as a five-star country hotel (about 145 rooms). Since 1994 the abbey has been a French historic monument.
History
The abbey was founded in 1118 on land given by Simon de Neauphle and his wife Eve; the first monks came from Savigny Abbey. In 1148 the community joined the Cistercian order.
Views from the rooms
A park with ponds, church ruins and the forest of the Chevreuse Valley.
Who it suits
For weekends away from Paris, romantic trips and lovers of medieval architecture.
What to see nearby
- Château de Rambouillet and the Rambouillet forest.
- Versailles — about 30 km.
Location
Route d’Auffargis, 78720 Cernay-la-Ville, France
Open in Yandex MapsChecked by our editors: 29 October 2026.
Sources:
Wikipedia (EN); Wikipedia (FR); Official website; photos — Wikimedia Commons (free licences, authors credited under the photos)
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