Moret-sur-Loing

29 Aug 2021

When we first came to France for a long-stay vacation, we lived in the small town of Montigny-sur-Loing (“Montigny on the Loing River”). As I researched places around Montigny I came across Moret-sur-Loing, about 10 miles away, and found that Alfred Sisley, one of our long-time Impressionist favorites, lived in Moret for many years, died there and is buried in the Moret-sur-Loing cemetery. He painted many pictures while he lived in Moret, and other Impressionists came to visit and paint with him; this town is well-known in the world of Impressionism. I knew Moret merited a visit; I did not foresee that it would become a favorite place of ours.

The Loing River flows through Moret and creates an idyllic riverside area. Moret was founded because of the river; a number of water mills were built here, for tanning and grain-milling. Several of those mills remain, and several have been replaced by more modern structures; the Germans destroyed the bridge across the river and a couple of the mills as they retreated during World War II.

The town also gets a point in the “Napoleon slept here” sweepstakes. When, in 1815, Napoleon returned from his first exile in Elba, he did, indeed, spend a night here. In fact, the “Hundred Days” that is used to describe his last hurrah in France, started in Moret-sur-Loing that night, and ended, one hundred days later, at Waterloo.

*This is the Musée de Sucre de Orgée, a candy made from barley sugar that is famous around here and made only in Moret.*

*Moret has plaques showing a painting by Alfred Sisley placed at locations where set up his easel to paint a picture. So we can look at this picture...*

*...then look up and see this view. The building on the left is different, but the church and bridge are about the same as he saw them.*

*"Path of the Impressionists" complete with a no parking/tow-away zone sign.*

In 2016 the Loing River flooded in a big way. The water level was about 15 feet higher than you see it in this picture. Because it wasn't the first time the river had flooded, the town is built above the flood line and little damage was incurred. But it was amazing to see the river then.

Moret-sur-Loing is just about our favorite place on a nice day when we don’t have anything planned and just want to spend some time in a nice town. We love to walk along the river. Yesterday we bought sandwiches and tarts in town and sat on a bench for lunch, watching the river and the people. Nice way to spend a morning…