Fay-Les-Étangs brings together equestrian activities, routes through the countryside and a church built in several phases. When choosing your stay, you can first decide what interests you most: horse-riding activities and competitions, hiking or mountain biking routes, or the architecture of Saint-Vaast. This makes it possible to plan your stay around a specific activity or the history of the village.
Horse Riding and Competitions
The Haras des Étangs equestrian centre welcomes riders of all levels. Its offerings range from pony rides for young children to competitive riding; the Haras also offers trail rides and horseback treks. When planning, it is worth distinguishing between riding activities and competitions as scheduled events. Several times a year, the Haras holds equestrian competitions featuring events in the Pro, Ama, Club, Ponam and young horse categories. If a competition is important to your travel plans, check the specific event dates.
On Foot and by Mountain Bike
The municipality suggests numerous hiking and mountain biking routes for discovering or rediscovering the region’s landscapes. You can therefore choose between two different ways to explore: on foot or by mountain bike. A description of the “Balade autour de Fay-les-Étangs” route, produced in 2024, gives the cemetery as the starting point and mentions a parking option. About two-thirds of the route passes through the Vexin’s plains and forests. With its starting point and the proportion of the route through different landscapes, this individual route description offers more specific guidance than the municipality’s general selection of routes. Since the description dates from 2024, check the current route status before setting out if you plan to follow this route.
River and Former Pond Landscape
The La Troesne River runs through Fay-Les-Étangs. There were once ponds in the south, but these have since been drained; wells for growing watercress were dug in the area of the former ponds. The two water features belong to different periods: the river runs through the village, while the ponds and watercress cultivation are part of the area’s former landscape and agricultural history. If you would like to understand the character of the village as well as its leisure activities, this offers a glimpse into the area’s former use.
Saint-Vaast: Building Phases and Chapel
The nave of the church of Saint-Vaast dates from the late 11th century. In the 16th century, the church received a new choir with two bays and a straight termination; the windows that light it are in the Flamboyant Gothic style. The two parts therefore represent different building phases: the older nave and the later choir. A bay is a section of the spatial layout; two bays thus describe the division of the choir. The straight termination describes the shape of its end. On the south side of the bell tower’s base there is also a chapel dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, which was probably used by the lord of the manor.
Discover more destinations: Bury, Cressonsacq, Hannaches, Plailly, Montjavoult, Milly-Sur-Thérain, Ermenonville, Martincourt
For the regional travel overview: Oise.
