Le Raincy is a city of Seine-Saint-Denis, in the region of Ile-de-France, about ten kilometers east of Paris.
The town was created in 1869. Until then, its history was closely linked to that of the castle erected in the middle of the seventeenth century for a steward of the finances of Louis XIII, Jacques Bordier. Designed by Louis Le Vau for architecture, Charles Le Brun for interior decoration and André Le Nôtre for the French garden, the building is considered a reference. The property was acquired in 1769 by the Duke of Orleans who developed an English garden. The castle, manhandled during the Revolution, is acquired under the First Empire by the industrialist Ouvrard then returns to the royal family under the Monarchy of July. During the revolution of 1848, the castle is demolished and the park is ransacked.
A subdivision is created with more than 700 co-owners. A new city is born, with bourgeois style, and equipped with quality public facilities.
If there is nothing left of the domain of the past that made it a small Versailles, Le Raincy has remained an affluent enclave in a popular department.
With nearly 14,400 inhabitants, its cultural vitality, its leisure facilities and its living environment make it a stage of interest during a stay in the Paris region.
A walk in the form of discovery of the city makes it possible first of all to note one of its singularities: Le Raincy does not have streets but boulevards, avenues or alleys which take again essentially the route of the old park!
One can thus discover some vestiges of the domain which have been inscribed in the supplementary inventory of the Historic Monuments. These include the artificial pond at the Albert Schweitzer high school and its remarkable forest park, the Turrets housed in the castle's former kennel or the former barn of the estate's farm, which has become partly St. Louis Church.
In addition, at number 100 of the Avenue de la Resistance, a plaque was affixed to mark what was the heart of the original castle in the seventeenth century.
At the Place des Fêtes, see also, two white marble vases of 1.46 m height enhanced with rams' heads, vestiges of the ornaments of the castle.
We will also notice, still within the framework of a walk in the city, many mansions or buildings dating from the beginning of the urbanization of the park, then of Haussmannian style and finally of the beginning of the 20th century. This is the case of the old post office or the present city hall.
Finally, in terms of heritage, the jewel of the city for the twentieth century is the church Notre-Dame du Raincy, also called Notre-Dame-de-la-Consolation, built in 1922 and 1923 by architects Auguste and Gustave Perret. It is the first church built in France in reinforced concrete. Its style is of Gothic inspiration but the structure of the nave and the use of the apparent reinforced concrete, technique hitherto unpublished, have made its reputation. You will also admire its contemporary, partly abstract stained glass windows, one of which pays tribute to the Taxis de la Marne and a Pietà by Antoine Bourdelle on the tympanum.
For guided tours or documentation to explore and discover the heritage of the city, call +33 1 49 15 98 98.
The city hosts many shows (theater, dance) and offers rich exhibitions throughout the year. Information at the theater Thierry-Le Luron +33 1 43 02 09 35 and the center of Agora at +33 1 43 81 72 34.
On the sporting side, the swimming pool shelters two basins. Entry: 5 and 6 euros. Information +33 1 43 81 82 04. In addition, you can practice tennis, petanque and football at the Boulevard Nord complex. Contact the +33 1 43 02 33 46.
Hiking or cycling can finally be considered at departure or including the city. The opportunity to discover the aqueduct of the Dhuys, a tributary of the Marne that supplies Paris water from the Aisne. The river becomes underground at the entrance of the commune. Maps and information on +33 1 43 02 42 00 or +33 1 49 15 98 98.
In mid-September, forum of associations and opening of the cultural season with a festival of magic.
In mid-October, a 10-kilometer run of Raincy.
In addition, throughout the year, three markets make it possible to discover the riches of the Ile-de-France terroir. The Telegraph market is listed on Monday and Friday from 8am to 1pm, the Résistance covered market on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday from 8am to 1pm and the Thiers market on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8am to 1pm.
