Dating in Pontoise, in the footsteps of the Impressionists

Saint-Maclou Cathedral

Perched on its promontory, Saint-Maclou Cathedral stands out from afar with its lantern tower and fifteenth-century Gothic chancel. You reach it via Rue de la Pierre-aux-Poissons, which has kept its medieval charm and uneven cobbles. Inside, the Renaissance stained glass and splendid high altar impress. On the way out, Place du Petit-Martroy, slightly below, invites you onto a terrace for a coffee, with a view of the surrounding turrets and bell towers.

In the footsteps of Camille Pissarro

Pissarro lived in Pontoise from 1866 to 1883 and tirelessly painted the hillsides, kitchen gardens and roofs of the town. The Camille Pissarro Museum, housed in a mansion overlooking the centre, shows more than a hundred works by the artist and his Impressionist friends. A morning date exploring the rooms together makes it easy to continue with a drink in a street dear to the painter, the paintings still in mind.

Notre-Dame Church and Tavet-Delacour Museum

At the other end of the centre, Notre-Dame Church also recalls the town’s medieval past. The Tavet-Delacour Museum, housed in a fifteenth-century mansion, is devoted to modern and contemporary art, with a fine ensemble by Otto Freundlich. On Lyad, Pontoise singles share their favourite lanes; it is up to you to find someone to wander back down towards the banks of the Oise.