Montjavoult offers a variety of reasons to stay: trails through woods and fields, an equestrian centre, and art and cultural history. The hamlets of Hérouval and Valécourt also have their own points of interest. You can plan your trip around whether you’d most like to spend time outdoors, discover historic sites or explore the area’s natural features.
Trails and outdoor activities
The “Paysages de Montjavoult” trail is included in the PDIPR and marked in yellow. The municipal “Autour de Montjavoult” circular trail starts in the church forecourt, passes through woods and fields to Beaugrenier, then returns via Le Vouast. The difference is clear when choosing a route: “Autour de Montjavoult” has a specified starting point and circular route, while “Paysages de Montjavoult” is identified by its inclusion in the PDIPR and its yellow markings. These provide two different ways to navigate walking excursions.
The Centre Ă©questre des Nonains in Montjavoult offers another activity. It is open to riders of all ages and experience levels. Horse riding adds a separate way to spend time in Montjavoult, alongside the trails.
The Church of Saint Martin and local history
The Church of Saint Martin is a protected historic monument and houses a 14th-century Madonna and Child. The first Church of Saint Martin was built in the 11th and 13th centuries. The building thus brings together evidence of its long history and a specific work of art. If you’re interested in cultural history, the church offers more than a single historical point of interest.
The church is open to the public on Saturday mornings from February through the end of October. Check these opening hours again before your trip to make sure they fit your plans.
Artists and cultural traces
Several artists, including visual artists, currently live and work in Montjavoult. Several artists’ studios can also be visited; visits may depend on opening arrangements. If you’d like to visit a particular studio, check in advance what options are available. This helps you distinguish between the town’s art scene in general and a visit to a specific studio when planning your trip.
Local art history also has several points of reference. The painters Dado and Hessie lived at the Moulin d’Hérouval until their deaths. In 1881, Montjavoult hosted the Œuvre des Trois Semaines, considered France’s first holiday camp. This history adds older cultural traces to the artists and studios of today, without conflating the two.
Hérouval and Valécourt
The hamlet of Hérouval is home to a 17th-century dovecote. The hamlet’s woods, which it shares with the municipality of Gisors, are also home to a leisure park. Hérouval thus has both a historic building and woods with a leisure park. Valécourt has a small stream and a diverse bird population. These natural features give Valécourt its own distinctive character among local places to explore. Together, the two hamlets offer different points of interest: Hérouval combines historic features with woods and a leisure park, while Valécourt is known for its stream and birdlife.
Discover more destinations: Senots, Maignelay-Montigny, Gouvieux, Saint-Étienne-Roilaye, Tillé, Grandvilliers, Francastel, Courtieux
For the full travel guide: Oise.
