Wednesday 22 September at Maintenon

Château de Maintenon

The Château de Maintenon and the Eure River Valley

In 1674, Françoise D’Aubigné, widow of the poet Scarron and future wife of Louis XIV (1684) bought the chateau of Maintenon and the lands around it. She enlarged and embellished the chateau, giving it a more modern and less medieval look. Our hike this week will end at this castle and those who wish to visit it can do so for 6,50 euros.

In the 1670's, Louis XIV was formulating a grand plan to bring the waters of the Eure River to Versailles for his fountains. He needed a lot of water! The work was gigantesque, but was interrupted by war in 1688. The only remains that we will see are a canal and part of the aqueduct.

Our hike will be about 15 km. on mostly flat terrain around Maintenon,  along the Canal XIV, the river and lakes, and through villages and countryside of the Eure Valley.

We will take the 9:33 SNCF train, 62477, direction Chartres at the Gare Montparnasse which arrives at Maintenon at 10:22. This train makes a stop at Versailles-Chantiers at 9:46 where I will board. Those who board at the Gare Montparnasse can meet as usual at the head of the quay and board the first car (last one going out). 

Return: Trains leave from Maintenon at 16:17, 16:47 and 17:17.

You will need a picnic lunch, good walking shoes, etc.

If you wish to be informed of any eventual changes/cancellations, please r.s.v.p. tomlfich@yahoo.com  with your cell phone number if you have one and your home phone if not.

Mary Lynne’s numbers: 01 47 41 98 20 and 06 70 88 18 59

See you Wednesday!

Maintenon, the modernized château