- History of Rambouillet
- Rambouillet nowadays
- What to visit in Rambouillet?
- Chauffeured car service from the airport to Rambouillet
Located in the south-west of Île de France region, Rambouillet is a town location at about 45 km southwest of Paris. Rambouillet is currently known for its castle. Book a Chauffeured car service from the airport to Rambouillet
History of Rambouillet
It all starts with “Rumbellito”
It was around 768 that the name of Rambouillet in the form of “Rumbellito” was mentioned for the first time. Pepin the short, in an act of donation of the forest Yvelines to the abbey of Saint-Denis mentioned the limits of the forest estate, “Rumbellito”. This act of donation inscribing Rambouillet in the dependence of the abbey of Saint-Denis was not followed by effect, and Rambouillet remains in the royal domain since the 9th century. In the eleventh century, Rambouillet depends on the lords of Montfort. Under the Montfort, Rambouillet has known various acts of donation. Under Amaury I, or Amaury IV, the lands located at Rambouillet are donated to the leprosarium of Grand Beaulieu, near Chartres.
Evolution of Rambouillet
Around 1280, Beatrix de Montfort received the homage of her vassals from the County of Montfort to the death of her husband. At the death of Beatrix, her two daughters share the county and Jeanne de Beaucourt sells the manor-accommodation and rights to the village to Jehan Bernier. Become lord of Rambouillet, Jehan Bernier turns the manor into Castle. Subsequently, Regnault d’Antennes acquired the domain, its objective is to constitute a large domain.
However, his heir Guillaume went against this vision and exchanged the Castle for a hotel in Paris named “the ostel or hotel of Bouzonval”. In the 18th century, King Louis XVI bought the Rambouillet estate. He built the dairy there for Queen Antoinette. Under Napoleon III, the railway linking Rambouillet to Paris was built and allowed rapid development of the city. If you want to know in detail the history of the city, we offer a day rental service.
Rambouillet nowadays
The town of Rambouillet is rich in ponds, fauna and flora, hiking and mountain biking trails. The Château de Rambouillet has recently hosted several international conferences. Let us quote among others G6 meeting, negotiations on Serbia and Kosovo. The castle hosted several notables, including the Duke of Edinburgh and Colonel Muammar El-Gaddafi, who hunted there. Today, the presence of the Château de Rambouillet and its park slows down urbanization to the west. The town runs north to south along National Highway 10. It consists of a forest area and currently runs south along Highway 10. The downtown area has many traditional townhouses . Rambouillet is served by a rail network. The semi direct route “Paris Montparnasse Rambouillet” lasts about 30 minutes with 28 return trips per day.
As lily of the valley grows abundantly, Rambouillet celebrates a feast, the lily of the valley, in the forest. The latter is celebrated with a parade of floats. Since 1911, the party begins with the coronation of the Queen of lily of the valley. Moreover, the fair of Saint Lubin, patron saint of the city has been celebrated since 1399. The celebration takes place in March and September and it continues for centuries until 1913. Since 1988, the Saint Lubin is celebrated every 2 years by a big market with animations, costume parade and a cattle fair. The National Sheepfold has become a national genetic conservatory of the merino breed. It also provides training at national or regional level in horse racing, breeding and artificial insemination. Even if you are in the region for a business trip, you can still enjoy a moment of relaxation and discovery while enjoying tours guided by your driver guide.
What to visit in Rambouillet?
The Castle of Rambouillet
Listed as a historic monument, the Château de Rambouillet was built between 1368 and 1384. Famous people were received including François I, who likes to hunt there. He died there in 1547 in a tower that has kept his name since. The castle was acquired by Louis XVI in 1783 who built the park of the Queen’s dairy to please Marie Antoinette, Queen of France. After the revolution of 1789, the castle was rehabilitated by Napoleon I. In 1896, President Felix Faure made the castle a residence of the President of the Republic until 2009. After, the castle was mainly used to host international conferences and foreign heads of state.
The Saint Lubin Church
The church of Saint Lubin and Saint John the Baptist was built from 1868. Three years later, it was inaugurated in 1871 and is registered as a historical monument. Located on the Place Jeanne d’Arc, it was built to replace the church of the same name, built in the Xth. This new church houses a reliquary called “Holy Cross” in which is embedded a piece of the true heart, brought back from the Holy Land.
The Palace of the King of Rome
Built in 1784 by order of Louis XVI to serve as a government hotel, the palace was transformed by Napoleon I who made it the residence of his son, the King of Rome. Also classified as a historical monument in 1993, the palace houses, under its west wing, a space of exhibitions and cultural events.
The National Sheepfold
Created under Louis XVI, the Bergerie du mouton, in the heart of the park of the Castle, shelters the museum of the sheep. Currently, it has become a research center on zootechnics. It is an educational farm that also includes dairy cows, horses and a pigsty. This museum traces the history of sheep and shepherds since antiquity and presents ancient objects used for sheep farming.
The Monument of Remembrance and Recognition
The American Monument of Remembrance and Recognition, for the former soldiers who participated in the fighting in 1944, was erected at the exit of the town of Rambouillet. Two American patrols perished in an ambush of the Second World War in 1944. In 1945, a commemorative committee did everything possible to create it and the monument was inaugurated in 1947.
The Rambolitrain
Devoted to model railroading, the Rambolitrain is one of the museums in the history of the railway. This museum, inaugurated in 1984, traces the history of the railway from its origins to the present day. Toy trains are on display as well as the faithful reconstruction of a 1930s toy store.
The Rambouillet space
The space Rambouillet is a place of observation of the animals and the forest for the public. The forest of Rambouillet which extends over 200 km ² is the vestige of a larger whole that is the forest of “Yvelines” but which was separated after clearing done during the Middle Ages. To be able to discover everything during your stay, choose our car service always on time.
Chauffeured car service from the airport to Rambouillet
Rambouillet is in the department of Yvelines. It is less than 31 km from Thoiry ZooSafari and 35 km from the Arboretum of Versailles-Chèvreloup. The city is at CDG Airport and at Orly Airport.