L'Isle-Adam, Val-d'Oise


L'Isle-Adam is a commune in the Val-d'Oise department in Île-de-France in northern France. The small town beside the River Oise has a long sandy beach and attracts visitors from Paris.

Geography

L'Isle-Adam is a commune and town in north central Val-d'Oise. It is located on the left bank of the River Oise immediately opposite the town of Parmain which is on the right bank, about northwest of Paris, north of Pontoise and south of Beauvais. It is on the northern fringe of the urban area of Paris, near the Regional Natural Park of French Vexin.
The Oise borders the town on its north and west sides, and the town is partially built on three islands, the Ile du Prieuré, the Ile de la Cohue and the Ile de la Dérivation, by which there is a dam and lock. Several small streams flow through the town and there are also ponds and small lakes in the vicinity. The town is liable to flooding when the river rises, and nowhere in the commune is higher than above sea level, the river being at above sea level. A bridge carrying RD 64 connects L'Isle-Adam with Parmain.

Tourism

L'Isle-Adam has several historic sites and was the haunt of impressionist painters such as Charles-François Daubigny and Jean Droit. Saint-Martin's Church is noteworthy as well as the Château of Stors and its chapel. The Château was damaged in World War II and afterwards abandoned, but is being renovated. It is surrounded by terraced gardens and parkland at the edge of the national forest known as the "Forêt de L'Isle-Adam". In the Parc de Cassan, there are a pair of unusual eighteenth century Chinese pavilions, each with a hexagonal plan and a pagoda-shaped roof.
L'Isle-Adam has a long sandy beach beside the river and is popular with Parisian families in summer. There is a swimming pool and also facilities for tennis, canoeing, rowing and other sports, as well as a children's playground.

Personalities