Tremblay-en-France is a city of Seine-Saint-Denis, in the borders of Val d'Oise and Seine-et-Marne, in the Île-de-France region, 25 km northeast of Paris.
At the heart of a fertile agricultural plain (cereals, sheep farming) and forests, the commune developed since the Middle Ages under the dependence of the rich abbey of Saint-Denis, which gives it a castle. Trade fairs are held there from the 16th century onwards.
It is from the twentieth century that Tremblay-en-France is transformed considerably. Settlements were established in the aftermath of the First World War and the village experienced a certain increase in population, from 850 to 6000 inhabitants before the Second World War. With Charles de Gaulle airport set up at the beginning of the 1970s, the municipality changed its physiognomy, as the northern third of its previously cultivated territory was devolved to the airport platform, Commercial facilities, offices and businesses.
With a population of nearly 35,000, the city has preserved a historic heart of "village" appearance, and agricultural land and green spaces clearly separating the urban "southern half" and composed of different districts of the rest of the territory. Its heritage as well as its cultural and associative vitality make it an interesting stage.
A visit to the historic heart (called the "village" or "Old country", which is separated into "Petit" and "Grand Tremblay") allows to discover some buildings and patrimonial sites of interest.
This is the case of the Saint-Médard church, built in 1543 (on the site of an older chapel). From the 16th century the choir, the nave and the façade were reworked before the Revolution. Recently restored, the church houses remarkable contemporary liturgical furniture by the Belgian sculptor Jacques Dieudonné.
Adjacent to the church, the monastic farmhouse, whose old parts date back to the 13th century, houses an astonishing tithing barn, which was the seat of the seigneurial jurisdiction and, in a sense, also a "center of taxes". There are some fortified elements (buttresses, loopholes) and an oak framework of about 20 m high.
Medieval legacies still, in this well preserved set, a well and a drinking trough of the fifteenth century.
Also worth seeing in the historic center is the road marker called Mortieres, on the Place de la Mairie, formerly located to the north of the town. It dates from before the Revolution: the flower of Lys was then replaced by a Phrygian cap.
Still in the old part of the commune, a detour is imposed by the Domaine du Château Bleu, an ancient fief of the seventeenth century comprising land, a farm, and a mansion of beautiful invoice. An agricultural operation was in operation until the early 1980s and the whole was subsequently acquired by the city to create an equestrian center.
In a totally different area, a visit to the Vert-Galant district, which has become a city in the southern city of the territory, allows us to understand the evolution of the 20th century pavilion architecture.
Finally, it is worth mentioning the Deportation Memorial, a sculpted bronze work inaugurated in 2006 within the walls of the new cemetery.
For any information and possibly guided tours of the once verdant city (it still remains a hundred hectares forest), join the +33 1 49 15 98 98.
At the same number, it is possible to get information to explore the city via footpaths and cycling loops dotted with historical and natural heritage sites and elements.
A visit can also be envisaged at the House of Environment and Sustainable Development of the Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport. The establishment offers an interactive exhibition dedicated to the airport's territory, its history, but also to air navigation and sustainable development actions. Information on +33 1 48 64 63 82.
In the economic and industrial field, it is also possible to book a visit to the Figaro printing press, a partly robotized unit where daily newspapers and magazines are produced. Information on +33 1 49 15 98 98.
On the leisure side, lovers of motor sports can enjoy the Carole Circuit, which is reserved for motorcycles. Introductory courses and themed events are scheduled throughout the year. Information on +33 1 48 63 73 54.
Finally, for the pleasures of horse riding (including hiking), contact the Riding Park of Château Bleu on +33 1 49 63 63 63 and for a "swimming" break, go to the swimming pool Auguste-Delaune (3 basins). Admission: 2,40 and 3,50 euros. Information on +33 1 49 63 09 03.
In addition to the quality shows scheduled regularly at the theater Aragon (theater, dance) or the odeon-Scène Jean-Roger Caussimon (concerts), two events mark the year.
Over ten days, during the second half of March, the Terra di Cinema festival is devoted to Italian cinema. Are organized projections, meetings, debates...
The first weekend of June, the celebration of the Chapiteau Bleu is devoted to the circus arts, on the site of the Château Bleu and the Aragon theater.
