Forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye
The Forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye or "Forêt de Saint-Germain-en-Laye", is a dominial forest of 35 km in area which lies in a meander of the River Seine, France. Situated 20 km West of Paris, between Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Maisons-Laffitte, Achères and Poissy, It is situated entirely within the commune of Saint-Germain. Essentially composed of oak (53%) and beech (18%), it is now a forest bordered by built up areas and divided by communication links: route nationales, A14 and the railway line from Paris to Caen. The  Fête des Loges is, every year, organised in an open space near Saint-Germain. History. The Forest of Laye is a relic of the ancient Forest of Yveline. Very early it became a royal domain and hunting grounds of the Kings of France who resided at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Henry IV and Louis XIII of France often used the forest for fox hunting. Louis XIV also walked the forest and hired an architect, André Le Nôtre, to build a terrace bordering the forest dominating the valley of the River Seine in 1663. He also built a  high wall, finished by Napoléon, encircling the forest to prevent game from escaping the woods. After the abandonment of the forest of Saint-Germain in 1682 by Louis XIV, Charles X resumed the hunting tradition of Saint-Germain. Napoléon III purchased land to the South to link the forest of Saint-Germain with the Forest of Marly. The arrival of the railway in 1835, then the development of the car, considerably increased use of the forest. Since the middle of the 19th century, the forest has lost 8 km of its surface area. Forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye The