The second most populated city in the district of Raincy, Drancy is located in Île-de-France, in the department of Seine-Saint-Denis. It takes place about ten kilometers from Paris, as well as the international airport of Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle.
Village known since Antiquity, Drancy became property of seigneuries throughout the Middle Ages, before becoming a full-fledged commune following the French Revolution. Marked by the development of the railway in the nineteenth century, the city is experiencing an important economic development with in particular the implantation of numerous factories. Drancy saw the darkest hours of its history in the twentieth century, with the presence of the main internment camp of the Shoah in France, at the heart of the Second World War. Today, in the northern suburbs of Paris, Drancy has developed its cultural offer, but also tourism, through monuments to be discovered throughout the year, as well as festive events organized regularly.
If there are no longer any traces of the former internment camp of Drancy outside of part of the building, it is possible to discover the Shoah Memorial of the city of La Muette and created in 2012. Erected in the second half of the 1970s, the monument to the Deportees by Shelomo Selinger is there to recall the dark hours of Drancy. The sculpture consists of three blocks on a cobblestone mound forming the Hebrew letter, Shin, the symbol of God. The two side blocks symbolize the passage to death, while the center block represents figures in flames to show suffering and death. Alongside it, a commemorative witness wagon has been classified as a Historic Monument.
Built in the middle of the 16th century, the Château de Ladoucette was destroyed in 1870 during the Battle of Le Bourget. Reconstructed a few years later, the building served in particular as a convalescence center during the First World War and as a place of reception for children suffering from mental disorders. Today, the building serves as a cultural center and belongs to the town hall of Drancy which has opened its park to the public. Over more than five hectares, it is possible to admire an educational farm, a sports course, a pool, or even the mausoleum of Baroness de Ladoucette. It takes place on the mound of the park. As you walk around, you can also discover an ice house from the mid-18th century, which once served as a cold room, or the surrounding wall from the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Don't miss the entrance gate to the 18th century with its wrought iron hedgehogs.
Several churches take place in Drancy, all of them are relatively recent. Built in the 1930s, the Saint-Jean-l'Evangéliste church was never finished and only has a nave and a concrete bell tower covered in red bricks. In neo-Romanesque style, the Saint-Louis-du-Progrès church is also made of concrete. Inside, the semi-circular arcades reveal floral and geometric decorations. Finally, the Notre-Dame-de-Liesse chapel, rebuilt in the early 1960s, has the particularity of being buried underground, in a style inspired by brutalism.
When staying at Drancy, don't forget to pass by the town hall. Former Saint-Berthe asylum, the building was founded in the second half of the 19th century. Curiosity of Drancy, the large trompe l'oeil painting by Evelyne Quemeraye carried out in 2002 on a building in the city center to give a natural side to this street corner.
Several statues and other commemorative monuments are located in Drancy, like the monument in memory of slavery erected in 2006, or the statue of General De Gaulle on the town hall square.
The weekly Drancy market is held every morning, from Tuesday to Sunday. The city also offers a Christmas market at the end of the year with several activities.
The Drancy Shoah Memorial organizes a free guided tour every Sunday at 3 p.m. on the history of the Drancy Camp. A cultural and historical program (temporary exhibition, workshops, meetings, visits, etc.) is also offered throughout the year.
The Hors Limites literary festival is held in March throughout Seine-Saint-Denis. On the program, book events such as conferences, signings or meetings on specific themes.
An amateur theater festival offers different performances in May.
The Médard Ferrero accordion festival invites you to discover this little-known instrument in May.
In June, the town festival is held in Ladoucette park with several workshops and other very festive activities.
On June 21, Ladoucette Park welcomes groups and concerts for the music festival.
A festive evening, with a firefighters' ball and fireworks, is organized on July 14 for the National Day, at Ladoucette Park.
