Pont-Sainte-Maxence France
9
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
CroisiEurope (9 Cruises)
MS Déborah
9 Cruises
| 28 April | 6 days | One-way from Paris City to Pont-lEveque-Oise |
| 28 April | 7 days | One-way from Paris City to Pont-l'Eveque-Oise |
| 21 July | 6 days | One-way from Paris City to Pont-lEveque-Oise |
| 21 July | 7 days | One-way from Paris City to Pont-l'Eveque-Oise |
Frequently Asked Questions
Along the landscaped banks of the Oise, in the heart of the small town that spreads across both shores around its bridge. Only modest river vessels call here, and the town centre begins at the end of the gangway.
Yes, easily. An interpretive trail follows the riverbank and tells the story of barge traffic, fortifications and trade. Walking from the quay into the centre you pass remains of old defences and an elegant Art Deco facade. Allow an hour to wander.
Visit the royal abbey of Moncel at nearby Pontpoint, minutes from the quay. Founded in 1309 by Philip the Fair, it housed Poor Clares until the Revolution and ranks among the best preserved monastic complexes in the region: Gothic buildings, remarkable timber roofs, vaulted cellars and a six-hectare walled park on the Oise.
You go inside. The tour covers daily life in a medieval monastery, with gardens recreated in medieval style, a kitchen garden and squares of medicinal herbs. Period film shoots use the site often, which says a great deal about its condition.
Yes. Senlis is about twelve kilometres away and worth the excursion if the call is long enough: a Gothic cathedral with a striking spire, cobbled lanes, Gallo-Roman ramparts and fine townhouses. The contrast with the working river valley you just left is striking.
Yes. The Halatte forest begins just south of town, oak and beech rolling toward Senlis. Nearby Mont Calipet gives a view over the valley and has trails short enough for a port call.
Yes, and it is something of a local speciality: the cycle-cruise. You go down the Oise by boat and return along the bank by bicycle, between Compiègne and Pont-Sainte-Maxence, passing the Pontpoint ecological reserve. The path is flat and shaded.
The euro. Cards work in shops and restaurants, but bring cash for market producers and small sites where a card terminal is not always available.
French, almost exclusively. This is a small Picardy town that lives off its valley, not a port call practised in English.
Straightforward country cooking: forest game in season, Picardy cheeses, rustic tarts. At the markets, growers from neighbouring villages sell honey, fruit and vegetables that reach the barge tables the same evening.
