A walk to the Vaux de Cernay waterfalls

A nice walk to the Cernay waterfalls in the Chevreuse valley park, 1 hour from Paris.

A nice Sunday walk in the Chevreuse valley to get some fresh air. The start of the walk is not difficult to find, there is a parking lot right next to the starting point. Then you just have to follow the path along the brook or go up on the top of the hill to discover this beautiful place. The walk along the creek is quite short. You can also take the opportunity to visit the Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay which is located a few kilometers away. Be careful, there is a big wall surrounding the abbey, to get inside you have to make a detour and walk on the road. It is better to take your car to get to the Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay.

Interest: ratinggood (1 user)
Difficulty: difficulty
Duration: 2 h.
Departure point (Google Maps)

The waterfalls chalet

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The waterfalls chalet
You can find a parking place easily. Then just cross the road and go down below. The start of the walk is easy to find. The chalet of the cascades on the photo does not exist any more at present because it was burned.

Catwalks

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Catwalks
At the beginning the descent is a bit rough but there are steps to make it easier.

The waterfalls

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The waterfalls
The term waterfall is a bit overused, it is not really a waterfall but a stream that winds between the rocks.

The rocks

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The rocks
Sandstone has been exploited in the area. The traces of the exploitation can still be seen. The sandstone was used to pave the streets.

The creek

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The creek
The path winds all along the stream. This is the most beautiful part of the walk.

The Little Mill of Vaux de Cernay

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 The Little Mill of Vaux de Cernay
After 10 years of renovation the mill is again accessible to the public. It has become a museum dedicated to the functioning of the mills and the geology of the site. The entrance fee is 4 euros.

The ponds of Cernay

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The ponds of Cernay
Right next to the mill is this small pond, there are several in the area.

The explanations

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The explanations
There are some explanations along the way, you are told that you are on the Maréchaux trail but you are not given directions.

The painters of Cernay

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The painters of Cernay
If you continue along the stream you will come to this stele in honor of the painter Léon-Germain Pelouse. Cernay, like Barbizon, attracted many painters in the 1880s. Unfortunately, if the painters of Barbizon are very well known, those of Cernay have been forgotten.

Attendance

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Attendance
The site is very popular in all seasons (more than 200 000 visitors in the year). One can see the traces left by the passage of the visitors.

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