Rambouillet forest is one of the great woods of the Île-de-France, around twenty thousand hectares of oak, hornbeam and pine that once belonged to the French crown and was kept as hunting ground. Deer and wild boar still live here, and in the quiet hours of the morning you may see them on the forest tracks. The land is gently rolling, with ponds in the hollows and sandy soil under the trees, and in spring the forest floor is carpeted with bluebells and the air smells of damp leaves. It is a favourite for walkers and horse riders, and a good place for a motorcyclist to slow down.
The town of Rambouillet, on the edge of the forest, has a château that has been a royal and presidential residence in turn. François I died there in 1547, and later Louis XVI bought the estate and built a model farm for merino sheep, which still exists as the Bergerie Nationale. Marie Antoinette was less impressed, calling the château a toad pond, but she later had a dairy built in the grounds and a charming little cottage lined with shells. Modern French presidents have used the château for official retreats, and the park, laid out in formal style with canals, is open to visitors.
The forest roads are a pleasure. Narrow, shaded and well surfaced, they run in long lines between trees and over small bridges, with only gentle bends and the occasional sandy patch on the verge. Speed limits are low and enforced, since walkers and cyclists share the space, and on warm weekends the car parks fill up. Fuel is easy in Rambouillet, a town of around twenty-seven thousand people, with several stations, supermarkets and bakeries. The market on Saturday morning is excellent and a good place to buy bread, cheese and fruit for a picnic.
Come in autumn if you can. The beech and oak turn gold and bronze, mushroom hunters appear along the tracks, and the light filters through the branches in long shafts. In summer, the shade is a relief. Park at a clearing, switch off the engine and listen. After a minute or two, the forest begins to speak, with birdsong, rustling leaves and the creak of branches.