Saint-Leu-d'Esserent 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
At the landing on the Oise, in the valley between Paris and Compiègne. The abbey church is about ten minutes' walk away, up a gentle rise. You can already see it from the boat deck.
Because it was built as a priory of the powerful abbey of Cluny. In 1081 Count Hugues de Dammartin gave the local church to Cluny; around 1140 the monks began an ambitious project that continued into the early 13th century. The result looks like a cathedral mislaid in a town of a few thousand people.
Two options that do not combine on a short call. Either the abbey church and the Oise riverbanks, a calm two-hour programme. Or the excursion to Chantilly, about fifteen minutes by coach, which fills an entire half day.
A tall, luminous nave carried on vaults that were daring for their time, where morning light slides down bare piers. The older facade keeps Romanesque notes that tell of the transition between two generations of builders. Entry is free.
Partly: a cloister gallery, a fortified gate, vaulted cellars discovered while walking around the church. From the terrace beside the apse, the view drops to the valley, the river and the wooded slopes opposite.
The pale limestone quarried nearby, soft under the chisel and whitening with age. Carried by water for centuries, it built churches, townhouses and palaces as far as Versailles. The village literally supplied the material for part of France's monuments.
Yes, a managed natural area follows the river below: paths, wet meadows, bird hides. The full circuit takes about an hour at an easy pace, and looking back gives the finest views of the abbey church above the trees.
Yes if the call is long enough: the estate is only about fifteen minutes by coach. A chateau set on water, one of the richest painting collections in France, the Great Stables and their equestrian show, gardens by Le Nôtre. River lines include it regularly.
The euro. The town has only basic shops; the choice is far wider at Chantilly. Bring some cash if you stay in the village.
Yes, seasonally, along with guided visits. With luck you walk in while an organist is rehearsing, which is the best way to feel the acoustics of these vaults. Check on board before going ashore.
