The Vaux de Cernay is a quiet, rocky, wooded valley in the Haute Vallée de Chevreuse, and the abbey in its hollow is one of the prettiest ruins within an hour of Paris. A group of monks founded it in 1118, and in 1147 it joined the Cistercian order, the austere reformers who preferred remote valleys, running water and hard work. For centuries the abbey prospered, owning mills, fish ponds and forests, until the Revolution scattered the monks and the buildings fell into decay. Gothic arches, a ruined church and sections of cloister now stand among the trees, and ivy has crept over much of the stonework.
In the nineteenth century, the Rothschild family bought the estate and turned it into a country retreat, adding a château and enlarging the lakes, and today the property is a hotel with a restaurant and spa. The ruined abbey church lies in the grounds, and it is usually possible to see it, though access and opening hours vary, so check before you go. Close by, the stream tumbles over boulders through a small chaos of mossy rocks and beech trees, and the valley's ponds reflect the sky. Painters from Paris came here in the 1800s, drawn by the same quiet light that attracted artists to Barbizon, and a Cernay school of landscape painters grew up in the nearby village.
The roads are what make the valley special for a motorcyclist. They are narrow, winding and well shaded, with a succession of short bends, small bridges and old stone walls, and the surface is generally good. Speed limits are low, and cyclists and walkers are common, particularly on weekends, but early in the morning the valley belongs to riders and deer.
Come in autumn, when the beeches burn copper and the air smells of damp earth and fungi, or in early spring, when wild daffodils cover the banks. The lakes are good for a short walk, and a coffee on the hotel terrace is an easy way to spend half an hour.