Baillet-en-France offers several specific points of interest for a stay: Église Saint-Martin was consecrated on 14 September 1529, while the history of the Notre-Dame-de-France statue dates back to the 1937 Paris World’s Fair. There are also Soviet statues with a history of their own, the purple orchid in Parc du Bois de l'Étang, and a range of sporting activities. This makes it possible to tailor your visit to cultural history, nature or a particular club activity.
Church and Religious Art
Église Saint-Martin houses a two-sided painted wooden panel. One side depicts Saint Martin, and the other a saintly bishop. The double-sided format brings together two distinct images of saints on a single object. The choir may once have been the chapel of the Seigneurs d'O. The panel and its possible former function thus relate to two different questions: the church’s furnishings and the history of its choir.
The seven-metre-high Notre-Dame-de-France statue was created by Roger de Villers in 1937 for the Papal Pavilion at the Paris World’s Fair. About 50 years later, Edmond Fricoteaux installed it in Baillet-en-France. Compared with Église Saint-Martin, consecrated in 1529, the statue belongs to a later period in the town’s history.
The History of Sculpture and Nature
Another story in the history of sculpture concerns the Soviet statues. They adorned the Soviet Pavilion at the 1937 International Exposition of Arts and Techniques in Modern Life in Paris. The USSR gave them to the CGT; during the Popular Front period, they were installed in the grounds of the château. Later, they were broken up, taken to a remote location and forgotten in the château’s icehouse. The statues are attributed to Joseph Tchaïkov.
The purple orchid, also known as Orchis purpurea, grows wild in Parc du Bois de l'Étang. For nature enthusiasts, it offers a specific counterpart to the church and sculpture themes: the focus here is a named wild-growing plant at a particular location.
Sports and Getting There
Club Cycliste de Baillet-en-France offers weekly road cycling outings and invites cycling enthusiasts to join. Confirm the participation requirements before your trip. Paris International Golf Club is located in Baillet-en-France and is reserved for members and their guests. The two sporting activities differ in how people can take part: cycling is open to those invited to join, while golf is limited to members and guests.
For train travel, the municipality recommends taking a train from Gare du Nord in the direction of Luzarches or Persan and getting off at Montsoult/Maffliers station. Check the current train timetable before departure. Bus line 1309 connects Baillet-en-France with Montsoult SNCF station; check the bus timetable as well before your trip.
Discover more destinations: Saint-Prix, Enghien-Les-Bains, La Frette-Sur-Seine, Saint-Cyr-en-Arthies, Cergy, Taverny, Fosses, Herblay.
For the broader travel guide: Val-D'oise.
