Courcouronnes offers a range of perspectives for a stay: Parc du Lac combines recreational activities with a wetland, while protected monuments and the history of La Dame du Lac provide cultural and historical points of interest. There is also music and theatre at Ferme du Bois Briard. This makes it easy to shape your stay around your own interests.
Green spaces and paths at Parc du Lac
Parc du Lac is a place for walks and also a refuge for birds. Its expansion in the Courcouronnes-Centre district, completed in December 2024, added six hectares to the existing eleven hectares. The expanded area includes cycle paths and safe footpaths, a playground, quiet areas with picnic tables, and a pétanque court.
The expanded park therefore brings together various ways to spend time: cycling, walking, taking a break at a picnic table, or playing a game of pétanque. The wetland within the expanded area also serves ecological and water-management functions. It acts as a refuge for biodiversity, a retention basin during heavy rainfall, and a filter for rainwater runoff. The park is therefore not only a place for activities, but also a landscape with a specific role in rainwater management.
Historical traces in Courcouronnes
The Bornes à fleur de lys n° 19 et 20 in Courcouronnes are protected as historic monuments. A decree dated 22 March 1934 placed them under monument protection. The Église Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativité dates back even further: its origins go back to around the end of the 12th century. It remains in its original location in the centre of Courcouronnes’ first cemetery.
Work was carried out on the small church and its cemetery to enhance them. Together, these places reveal different aspects of local history: the protected Bornes are defined by their monument status, while the church stands out for its founding period and original location. Courcouronnes can thus be explored not only through its parkland, but also through specific historic sites.
La Dame du Lac: climbing history and heritage protection
La Dame du Lac was commissioned in 1975 as France’s first artificial climbing structure. Its historic climbing installation includes ten climbing routes and almost 300 holds, installed by Guido Magnone. In September 2019, the sculpture was awarded the “Patrimoine d’intérêt régional (PIR)” label.
Important for planning: La Dame du Lac has not been open for climbing for several years because it no longer meets safety standards. Its routes and holds are therefore part of the sculpture’s history, not a current climbing offer. Its pioneering history and current use status should be clearly distinguished.
Music and theatre at Ferme du Bois Briard
The cultural venues also offer different experiences. The Centre des Musiques Didier Lockwood (CMDL), a school for jazz and improvised music, moved to Ferme du Bois Briard in Évry-Courcouronnes in September 2023. At Ferme du Bois Briard, the Salle culturelle Decauville hosts theatre performances, concerts, and receptions. This cultural venue thus brings together musical education and an event space for a variety of formats.
Courcouronnes therefore offers clear contrasts to help you choose the themes of your stay: an expanded park with paths and a wetland, historic sites with different stories, and activities centred on music and theatre. Those interested in culture will find not only historical connections, but also a school for jazz and improvised music and an event venue. Outdoors, Parc du Lac offers both recreational activities and the wetland’s functions.
Discover more destinations: Draveil, Boutigny-Sur-Essonne, Gometz-le-Châtel, Soisy-Sur-École, Boissy-Sous-Saint-Yon, Etampes, Brétigny-Sur-Orge, Montgeron.
For the regional travel overview: Essonne.
