landmark
Palace of Versailles
Opulent royal palace and gardens that served as the seat of French power from 1682 until the Revolution.
7 km · about 10 min drive
EuropeFranceÎle-de-France
Bougival
Île-de-France, France · Europe
About Bougival
Bougival works well as a base: 5 minutes from Garches, 7km from Palace of Versailles.
Bougival is in Île-de-France, France, with about 8,900 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Garches, about 4 km away.
Bougival (French pronunciation: [buʒival] ) is a suburban commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in northern France. It is 15.3 km (9.5 mi) west from the centre of Paris, on the left bank of the Seine, on the departmental border with Hauts-de-Seine.
As the site where many of the ImpressionistsRead more
(including Claude Monet, Alfred Sisley, Berthe Morisot and Pierre-Auguste Renoir) painted country scenes along the Seine, the town today hosts a series of six historical placards, known as the "Impressionists Walk", at locations from which the noted painters depicted the scenes of Bougival. It is part of the Pays des Impressionnistes.
Bougival is also noted as the site of the former Machine de Marly, a sprawling, complicated hydraulic pumping device that began supplying the massive quantity of water required by the fountains at Palace of Versailles in the late 17th century. Considered one of the foremost engineering accomplishments of its era, the cacophonous, breakdown-prone apparatus comprised fourteen waterwheels (approximately 38 feet in diameter) driven by the current of the Seine — in turn powering more than 250 pumps, delivering water up a 500-foot vertical rise through a series of pumping stations, holding tanks, reservoirs, pipes and mechanical linkages. In use until 1817, the machine was subsequently updated, replaced with another pumping building in 1858 and finally replaced by an electrical generator in 1963. The building itself remained until 1968. Remnants are visible today at the riverbank.
In Bougival, Georges Bizet composed the opera Carmen at his home on Rue Ivan Tourguenievf on the Seine, close to where Russian novelist and playwright Ivan Turgenev had a dacha built, named Les Frênes (current-day Villa Viardot). A local monument commemorates the Montgolfier brothers, pioneers of flight; the commune hosts the annual Festival of Bougival et des Coteaux de Seine.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Bougival?
Within an hour or so of Bougival: Palace of Versailles (7 km), Eiffel Tower (11 km), Arc de Triomphe (11 km), DS World Paris (12 km).
Are there any good drives near Bougival?
The nearest famous roads are Rouen-Les-Essarts.
Where is Bougival?
Bougival is in Île-de-France, France, about 4 km from Garches.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 8,895
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- France
- Region
- Île-de-France
- Timezone
- Europe/Paris
- Coordinates
- 48.8622, 2.1415
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in France
Carrying a warning triangle and hi-vis vest in your vehicle is mandatory. Motorway emergency phones connect to official breakdown services only.
Full driving guide for FranceTags
Worth the detour from Bougival
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Eiffel Tower
Iconic iron lattice tower built in 1889 that has become the most recognized symbol of Paris and France.
11 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
Arc de Triomphe
Monumental triumphal arch honouring those who fought for France, standing at the western end of the Champs-Élysées.
11 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
DS World Paris
The striking automotive showroom and brand experience on the Champs-Élysées showcasing French automotive design and innovation.
12 km · about 20 min drive
cafe
Atelier Renault
Renault's flagship lifestyle space on the Champs-Élysées combining concept cars, a boutique, and a stylish cafe-restaurant.
12 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Champs-Élysées
World-famous tree-lined avenue stretching from the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
12 km · about 25 min drive
museum
Musée de l'Orangerie
A jewel of a museum in the Tuileries housing Monet's monumental Water Lilies murals in two purpose-built oval rooms.
13 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Place de la Concorde
Largest public square in Paris at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées, anchored by a 3,300-year-old Egyptian obelisk.
13 km · about 25 min drive
Driving in France
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.85/litre
- Motorway tolls
- ~€10.00/100km
When to drive here
April to October
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