Villennes-sur-Seine
Villennes-sur-Seine is a small town in the Yvelines department, Île-de-France, about 30 km west of Paris in the Seine valley. It covers 15.17 square kilometers and has around 6,000 residents (5,952 in 2023). The town sits along the Seine, with a pretty riverside and an island where many old villas line the water.
Key sights include the Saint-Nicholas church, one of the area’s oldest churches. Built in the 11th-12th centuries, it has Romanesque features and stained glass. It was declared a national monument in 1926 and has been restored several times, most recently in the late 20th century.
A brief look at history: the church grew from the Middle Ages and was partly ruined in the Hundred Years’ War. In World War I, Villennes hosted soldiers and helped feed the army; 42 local men died during the war, and a monument was built in 1919. After the war, the town became a popular resort for Parisians, with boating, fishing and riverside parties. In 1927, the nearby Île du Platais opened to vacationers, turning Villennes into a weekend getaway with tents and bungalows.
During World War II, a German plane crashed into a house in 1944. On liberation day, German troops conducted a raid that killed two local men and wounded others.
Today, Villennes-sur-Seine is a quiet town with a historic church, a scenic path along the Seine, and the island with many old villas. The mayor for 2020–2026 is Jean-Pierre Laigneau. The town’s elevation ranges from 19 to 132 meters.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 13:59 (CET).