Salins: Architectural History and Hiking

Salins combines historic buildings with hikes whose distances can be compared precisely. The town’s history includes medieval church features as well as changes to the Château de Salins in the 18th century. Other architectural landmarks include the Lavoir des Vannes, the former Maison des Dîmes and a dovecote at the Ferme de Villiers. This gives you two distinct areas to focus on when planning your trip: architectural history and hiking.

Historic Buildings in Salins

The Église Saint-Apollinaire was built at the end of the 12th century or the beginning of the 13th century. It has a cruciform ground plan and a bell tower with four gables and a double-pitched roof. Inside, it houses two carved stone effigies dating from the 13th century; an 18th-century wrought-iron grille protects the choir. When considering the dates, it is worth distinguishing between the building and its furnishings: the effigies date from the 13th century, and the grille from the 18th century.

The Château de Salins was built between 1470 and 1484 by Guillaume de Courtenay. The original château was surrounded by moats. In the 18th century, Trudaine, Seigneur of Montigny-Lencoup and Salins, extended the building on its south side. The architectural history thus encompasses both its construction in the 15th century and a later extension; the moats are part of the description of the original château.

Other Traces of the Town’s History

The Maison Directoire, also known as the Château de Bois-Millet, was built on the foundations of a fortified castle dating from the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The two names refer to the same building; the dates given are for the older fortified castle on whose foundations it was built. The former Maison des Dîmes originally served as a place for collecting the church tithe paid in kind. Its former function offers further insight into the town’s history.

The Lavoir des Vannes is one of four washhouses along the Orvanne. It adds an example of this local type of building to the architectural landmarks. The Ferme de Villiers has a dovecote made of sandstone and bricks. This building therefore features two specific materials, while the Église Saint-Apollinaire is described chiefly in terms of its ground plan, tower and furnishings. Together, these different buildings provide several distinct ways to discover Salins through its architectural history.

Hiking by Distance

Hiking trail No. 09, “Petits villages et vallons briards,” is 17 km long in the Salins / Saint-Germain-Laval area. The stated duration for this trail is 4 hours and 30 minutes. Another hike near Salins covers 11.5 km through green landscapes and golden fields. By distance, it is 5.5 km shorter than trail No. 09. These details make it possible to compare the distances directly; the duration of 4 hours and 30 minutes applies to trail No. 09. If you plan your hikes around distance, you can first distinguish between the two routes by their kilometres and also take into account the stated duration of the longer trail.

If you are looking for a hotel for your stay in Salins, the architectural history and hiking distances described here can help you decide what to focus on when planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Bourron-Marlotte, Cannes-Ecluse, Cesson, Coulommiers, Savigny-Le-Temple, Esbly, Esmans, Saint-Siméon

For the regional travel overview: Seine-Et-Marne.