Our favourite ! Marly’s old town: picturesque alleyways lined with old houses, and a wide choice of restaurants along the Grande Rue…

Find out more: the leaflet entitled “Marly-le-Roi, son vieux village”, published by the Tourist Office, includes a walking route to follow through the streets of old Marly.

Known as Marly since 697, the town was divided into Marly-le-Chastel and Marly-le-Bourg from the 11^th to the 18^th century.  In 1676, Louis XIV acquired Marly-le-Chastel and rejoined the two parishes, creating Marly-le-Roi, in homage to the Sun King.  Louis XIV chose it as the location for his country seat, entrusting Jules Hardouin-Mansart with its construction.  Louis XIV became a regular resident there from 1686.  The estate consisted of an architectural structure with the château at its centre, surrounded by twelve pavilions laid out in two lines and a series of ponds forming water lines.  Two of the pavilions housed famous Coronelli globes.  Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette were the last royals to stay at Marly.  After the revolution, the Marly estate was severely neglected, with the transfer of the horses from Marly to Paris spelling the end as a royal residence in 1794. 
Having fallen into disrepair after the revolution, the development of transport - with the construction of the viaduct, railway and station in 1884 - brought new life to the village of Marly-le-Roi.  Since the 19^th century, the pretty village of Marly has attracted many visiting artists.  Alfred Sisley, Victorien Sardou, Aristide Maillol and Alexandre Dumas the younger all came here in search of calm and inspiration. 
Classified a historical monument in 1862, the Abreuvoir (Watering-place) and its famous Chevaux de Marly (Horses of Marly) sculpture by Coustou, is today one of the estate’s masterpieces.  In 1932, the Parc de Marly was given the status of Historical Monument and the estate was declared presidential.  General de Gaulle spent several months living here after leaving power.  In 2005, the Marly Abreuvoir was restored to its former splendour, and since 2010 the Parc de Marly has been part of the Etablissement public du Domaine de Versailles.