Yvelines, a unique living environment

Living in Yvelines means benefiting from an exceptional natural environment, an architectural and cultural heritage known throughout the world, several commercial areas, and an infrastructure of transport that connects you not only to the capital, but also to the Norman Coast and the west.

The most wooded department in Ile-de-France

The state forests (Rambouillet, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Marly le Roi, Dourdan) and private woods (l'Hautil Massif) cover 30% of the landmass in Yvelines and with the parks, gardens and agricultural areas this becomes 80%. The department is urbanizing progressively, but harmoniously and in keeping with its agricultural tradition.

In addition, there are two regional nature preserves, The French Vexin Nature Park in the northwest, and the Chevreuse High Valley Regional Nature Park in the south.

Water everywhere

The river Seine zigzags through the north of the department, sometimes meandering through beautiful scenery that appears to be suspended in time and sometimes through highly populated urban and tourist areas.

The Oise River flows to Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, the capital of inland water shipping.

Additionally, Yvelines is home to numerous lakes and ponds (such as Hollande, la Minière and Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines).

A beautiful area for out-door sport.

The surroundings offer nautical sports such as sailing, rowing, canoeing and kayaking as well as hiking, cycling, mountain biking, golf, horseback riding, fishing, and hunting.


An architectural and cultural patrimony known world-wide

Yvelines has outstanding castles and towns once inhabited by royals, antique churches, farmhouses with courtyards, washhouses and fountains.

It is linked to the history of France, with nine castles and six royal towns - Versailles, St Germain en Laye, Marly le Roi, Rambouillet, Poissy and Mantes-la-Jolie.


The best-known of these towns is Versailles, which welcomes six million visitors each year from all around the world who come to admire the architecture of its castle, gardens (jardins à la française) and fountains maintained as they were in the time of Louis XIV.

Many tourists also come to visit the castle of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.


In addition to these prestigious sites, there are many other points of interest in the department: Museum (a museum exhibiting antique toys, military uniforms, Jouy cloth, coaches, the Grenouillère,..), the homes of celebrated authors such as Zola and Dumas as well as architects' homes (villa Savoye designed by Le Corbusier). Yvelines is also the land of the impressionists with nine towns and villages in which to discover the environment and patrimony that inspired many impressionist painters such as Monet, Sisley and Renoir.

Strong regional commercial zones

Diverse opportunities for employment

Yvelines has one of the lowest unemployment rates in France. It is home to the largest population in the 'Big Ring' of Paris and the second largest in Ile-de-France.

In the east of the department there are several business parks where known companies and establishments have facilities, 80% of them in the service sector and, more precisely, in five industrial areas:

Telecom technologies and services,
The Electronic, computer and telecom equipment industries,
The Automotive industry,
The Aviation, aerospace and defense industries,
Biotechnology

They are developing in three major geographical areas:

Versailles-Vélizy-Saint Quentin, Saint Germain en Laye-Poissy and the Seine Aval area, from Mureaux to Mantois.

Quality of education

The University of Versailles-Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines has branches in seven towns: Versailles, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Le Chesnay, Mantes-la-Ville, Mantes-la-Jolie, Rambouillet and Vélizy.

Because of the wide range of its academic disciplines, in addition to offering a university education, the University also offers training for technicians,
engineers and specialized senior officers.

Jouy-en-Josas is home to renowned research and training centers such as HEC, INRA and CRC. Versailles is home to the Ecole Nationale Supérieure du Paysage.

Upriver, the International School of Saint-Germain-en-Laye is the only high school in France that offers twelve international sections.
It is well known for its outstanding success for students taking the Baccalauréat.

Shopping

The department has a wide range of neighbourhood shops and several regional shopping centers (Vélizy II, Parly II, Grand-Plaisir, SQY Ouest).

It is said that Saint-Germain-en-Laye shelters the biggest open air shopping center in Ile-de-France with 850 shops.

A well developed transportation infrastructure

The highway and railway systems, the executive airports, and the navigable rivers make the department easy to reach from the capital and the other regions in France.
Several projects in progress will improve accessibility including the enlargement of highway A13 and other works on the A86 and portions of the RN10 and the RN13.

The highway system includes the A10, A11, A12, the A13, to the Coast of Normandy (Deauville, Caen), and the A14 connecting Poissy to Paris via La Défense. There is also a network of smaller arteries such as the RN10 (that connects to the A11 via Rambouillet), the RN12 (from Vélizy to Houdan via Pontchartrain) and the RN13 (from Bougival to Orgeval).

The suburban rail network, the RER, also services Yvelines : The RER A (St-Germain-en-Laye, Poissy, Conflans-Fin-d'Oise), RER B (Saint Rémy-Lès-Chevreuse) and RER C (Versailles, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines).
The latter line provides connections to the national rail service (SNCF) station of Massy-Palaiseau as well as the shuttle to the Orly International Airport.

There are also several SNCF lines to Paris to the Saint-Lazare central station (mainly servicing the northern half of the department) and the Montparnasse central station (lines servicing the whole department).

A diversified area

Real estate in Yvelines is varied and can satisfy a wide range of tastes and budgets.

Free standing homes include :

Renovated farm and rural houses
Millstone houses
Log cabins, thatched cottages and country houses (called longères)
Bourgeois, contemporary and architecturally designed homes
Homes in Anglo-Norman style (with timber frame walls, known as colombages)
Mansions in the Mansart style
Hôtels particuliers (private manors often found in city centers)


Multi-family housing includes :

18th century apartment buildings in the heart of historic Versailles
Apartment buildings dating from the 1930's and the 1970's
Renovated lofts
Contemporary buildings offering private gardens and two story residences with easy access to the RER.



The diversity of real estate can be seen in each of the four urban centers in the department :

Versailles :
Buc, Châteaufort, Guyancourt, Jouy-en-Josas, Le Chesnay,
Montigny-le-Bretonneux, Plaisir, Saint-Cyr-l'Ecole, Toussus-le-Noble, Trappes,
Vélizy-Villacoublay, Versailles (city districts Notre-Dame, St-Louis, Clagny-Glatigny, Montreuil, Porchefontaine, Chantiers, Jussieu and Satory), Viroflay ...

Mantes-la-Jolie :
Aubergenville, Boinvilliers, Bonnières-sur-Seine, Bréval, Brueil-en-Vexin, Epône, Gambais, Houdan, Mantes-la-Jolie, Mantes-la-Ville, Maule, Meulan, Oinville-sur-Montcient, Rolleboise, Septeuil, Tessancourt sur Aubette ...


Saint-Germain-en-Laye:
Andrésy, Bougival, Carrières-sur-Seine, Chambourcy, Chatou, Chavenay, Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, Croissy-sur-Seine, Feucherolles, Houilles, La Celle- Saint-Cloud, Le Pecq, Le Vésinet, Louveciennes, Maisons-Laffitte, Marly-le-Roi, Montesson, Orgeval, Poissy, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche, Sartrouville, Triel-sur-Seine, Vernouillet, Verneuil-sur-Seine, Villennes-sur-Seine ...

Rambouillet :
Auffargis, Cernay-la-Ville, Chevreuse, Elancourt, Jouars-Ponchartrain, La Verrière, Magny-les-Hameaux, Montfort-l'Amaury, Neauphle-le-Château, Rambouillet, Rochefort-en-Yvelines, Saint Rémy-Lès-Chevreuse, Thoiry, Voisins-le-Bretonneux...