Forest of Rambouillet, National forest in Yvelines, France
The Forest of Rambouillet is a woodland area in Yvelines covering roughly 14,000 hectares, composed of oaks, pines, ponds, and broad heathland patches. Several lakes and small streams cross the terrain, creating clearings that alternate with dense tree clusters.
French royalty used this woodland for hunting from the eighth century onward, and the area remained a royal reserve for centuries. In the 19th century, the land was opened to forestry management and officially designated as a state forest.
Near the edges of this woodland, visitors find stone pillars and boundary markers that once divided hunting grounds between royal estates. Local villages around the area maintain ties to forestry and still hold seasonal fairs tied to the changing calendar of the woods.
Access to the woodland is open all year without charge, and marked trails guide visitors through varied landscapes from thick undergrowth to open clearings. Cyclists and riders share some routes, so awareness of others on the paths is helpful.
A group of Bennett's wallabies lives in the southern section, having escaped from a nearby zoo in the 1970s and settled since then. Their number is estimated at up to 150 animals, adapted to the temperate climate.
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