Conflans-Sainte-Honorine is a French commune in the Yvelines department , in the Île-de-France region . Its inhabitants are called the Conflanais. Conflans-Sainte-Honorine is considered the main French capital of the inland waterway industry .

Country	France
Region	Ile-de-France
Borough	Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Canton	Conflans-Sainte-Honorine
Government
Mayor (2020–2026)	Laurent Brosse
Area1	9.9 km 2 (3.8 sq mi)
Population (2017-01-01)	35.846
Time zone	UTC + 01: 00 ( CET )
Summer ( DST )	UTC + 02: 00 ( CEST )

Location 

Conflans-Sainte-Honorine is located in the north of Yvelines, on the edge of Val-d’Oise , about twelve kilometers from the center of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and about twenty kilometers north-west of Paris . The city developed on the banks of the Seine , on the right bank of the river at its confluence with the Oise . Urbanization also extends on the left bank. The main part of the relief is a limestone plateau which dominates the two rivers by about thirty meters. The lower part experiences periodic flooding, but not very disastrous. The town is part of the urban unit of Paris .

The name of the locality is attested in the forms Confluentii Sancta Honorinae , Confluentium in 1225, Conflans in 1256.

The term Conflans comes from the Latin , confluens , confluentis (literally: meeting of two rivers): the confluence. The village received the name of Sainte Honorine after 1200. Honorina, honored saint in particular in Conflans, is a Gallo-Roman martyred near the current city of Le Havre , in 303, near Lillebonne more exactly. His relics were then transported to Conflans.

Economy 

Employment 

In 2009, the population aged 15 to 64 amounted to 23,207 people, of which 74.3% were employed, 68.1% of whom were employed and 6.2% unemployed.

Businesses and shops 

As of December 31, 2010, Conflans-Sainte-Honorine had 2,146 establishments: 5 in agriculture-forestry-fishing, 122 in industry, 215 in construction, 1,446 in commerce-transport-miscellaneous services and 358 were relative to the administrative sector.

Waterways 

Conflans-Sainte-Honorine is considered the main French capital of the inland waterway industry. Every year in June is celebrated a festival entitled “National Pardon of the inland waterways”.

An important museum very well supplied with models and other boatmen objects is dedicated to this activity (closed from the end of 2012 to June 2015 for complete renovation; open from January 2015 for group visits).

The town has a river port on the Oise (locally called “Port Militaire” since 1917), as well as two landing stages / landing stages for passengers, in particular for cruises, near Place Fouillère, on the Seine. In spring 2013, a stopover for ten pleasure boats was set up just upstream.

Created under the mandate of Mr. Michel Rocard, the “Port Saint-Nicolas” welcomes retired boatmen who have remained on their boats; the boats are arranged in good order in sets of no more than 6. Each series is separated from the next by a space of about thirty meters. “Comfort” amenities have been installed: wide access walkway, mailboxes, waste collection, landline telephone, drinking water.

Transport 

Conflans-Sainte-Honorine is served by Conflans-Sainte-Honorine station on the Transilien Paris – Saint-Lazare regional rail line.

It is also served by Conflans – Fin d’Oise station which is an interchange station on Paris RER line A and on the Transilien Paris – Saint-Lazare suburban rail line.

Education

The city of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine comes under the Academy of Versailles . It has a departmental inspectorate, seat of a constituency, ten nursery schools (including one private), eight primary schools (including one private), three colleges, two high schools (one professional, one general education).

The town brings together other specialized schools: such as classes for handicapped children, the former boarding school which in 1967 became “National school of the first degree” then, with decentralization, “Regional establishment of the first degree ”- even if it also welcomes college students – the Institute of Motor Education. There is also a “Home reception” for high school students or apprentices.

Health 

The city depends on the Poissy / Saint-Germain-en-Laye intercommunal hospital center . It also houses a municipal health center, which brings together various general practitioners and specialists, and specialized centers (a municipal maternal and child protection center (PMI), a family planning and education center, a reception and care, a medico-psychological center, a psychotherapeutic center in Chasses-Marées). The municipality also provides residents with an information space for retirees.

Local Culture and Heritage 

Cultural events and festivities

One of the highlights of the year is the national forgiveness skippers , usually celebrated on 3 ^e weekend of June and Sunday. Over three days, this patriotic and religious festival was imagined in 1958 somewhat on the model of Breton pardons then finalized further twinnings with Chimay (Belgium, source of the Oise), Hanau (Germany, city of confluence) and Ramsgate (England). 

Procedure:

On Friday evening, a delegation of Conflan veterans (boatmen and “earthlings”) goes to rekindle the flame at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. A wreath is placed there then the rekindled flame is used to light a torch. The torchbearer is accompanied by the Madelon des bateliers, elected from among young boaters and surrounded by the bridesmaids, and carries this torch to the waiting “Bateau-Flamme”, formerly moored at the Port of Austerlitz near the House of the inland waterways. The next day, Saturday, this boat started around 8:30 am and, accompanied by a “squadron of honor” of other boats, went down the Seine. It took about 7 hours to travel the 73  km of the river passing the locks of Suresnesand Bougival. Nowadays, following recent safety regulations, only a boat fitted out to receive the public can be a “flame boat”. In addition, the torch accompanying convoy is formed at the Bougival locks.

At around 4 p.m., this boat moored against the chapel boat or right next to it. Municipality officials, guests of honor (sometimes minister, prefect or sub-prefect, mayors of twin towns), military authorities, a civil or military band, military detachments (sailors / Army) are present as well as the river police and a delegation of our firefighters (those of the pump boat and divers in particular).

Throughout Saturday, activities and exhibitions of inland waterway equipment and models take place on the quays from Place Fouillère on the banks of the Seine, to Pointil at the confluence.

After the speeches, a medal ceremony takes place. Then all these people preceded by the fanfare followed immediately by the Madelon and bearer of the flame, go to the Confluent to honor the war memorial . A basin filled with fuel has been there since the day before. The torch brought from Paris is then used to ignite the basin, then a wreath laying precedes the ringing of the dead and the Marseillaise then vibrates. In the evening, a public ball is held, often with nightly entertainment and sometimes a very beautiful fireworks display.

On Sunday morning, always at Pointil, the mass of the boats was celebrated aboard a self-propelled motor boat moored in front of the war memorial by the chaplain of the skippers often surrounded by other chaplains and sometimes by a bishop. Nowadays, it is the “boat-flame” which carries the very provisional altar. Near Pointil and moored edge to edge are the decorated boats. The most beautiful receives a prize. After mass, the authorities board the Lieutenant Gillet pump boatas well as on the speedboat of the river gendarmerie. In principle, each passenger wears the compulsory life jacket. Arrived not far away, a wreath of flowers is thrown over the waters of the two rivers which run alongside each other here: it thus honors those who have lost their lives in the water. Then the two boats go up the Seine to bless the boats moored along the quay. Then follows a wine of honor then the banquet of the skippers.

Places and monuments 

The town contains three monuments listed in the inventory of historical monuments and 154 places and monuments listed in the general inventory of cultural heritage.

It also contains three objects classified in the inventory of historical monuments:

• the sculpted group Lion and lioness fighting over a boar from 1878, a plaster mold by Auguste CAIN, an animal sculptor. This group is located in the orangery of the Priory park and has been classified since March 3, 2003;
• the Book of Offices for the use of the Sainte-Honorine de Conflans priory from 1774, sometimes exhibited in the Saint-Maclou church, classified since May 14, 2004;
• the service boat (river tug) called “the Jacques ” from 1904-1905, at the museum of shipping, classified since November 5, 1997

and 91 objects listed in the general inventory of cultural heritage.

Historical monuments 

• The Montjoie tower.  Built in the xi ^th  century, the building is in ruins since the end of the xv ^th  century. It initially housed the “House of justice” of the lords of Conflans “then, after the Revolution, served as Openings were made in the wall and were filled in during the restoration of this facade.
• Former Priory xi ^th  century including the Grand Cellier.
• The Saint-Maclou church. Its oldest parts date back to the second and third quarter of the xii ^th  century. These are the basilica nave , the base of thecentral bell tower and certain elements of the first bay of the choir . These parts are in the late Romanesque style, as shown by the capitals carved around the base of the bell tower in particular, as well as thearchaic ribbed vault of this same bay. However, the piles confined by multiple columns , the moldingevolved, the recourse to ribbed vaults for the eastern parts, and the systematic use of the pointed arch , already announce the Gothic architecture . During the restoration of the church from the mid -1990s , the neo-Gothic vaults of the nave and aisles were removed, and the paneled ceilings in the form of a barrel vault brought to light, so that the Saint-Maclou church now gives a good illustration of what were the churches of the so-called transition period .
• The war memorial , inscribed since November 3 , 2020.

Other places and monuments 

• Castle and city park called “the Priory”: This castle houses the National Maritime Museum of Interest which reopened in June 2015 for the “general” public on the occasion of the National Pardon de la Boellerie. In this park, the old barn is currently the Bouyssel municipal hall, named in homage to Joseph Bouyssel, teacher and resistance fighter.
• Je Sers chapel boat  : reinforced cement barge 70 meters in length. It houses a chapel dedicated to Saint Nicolas , patron saint of boatmen and various rooms.
• Eiffel bridge , railway viaduct, on the Oise of the Argenteuil-Mantes line  : the current metal deck was built in 1947 for the SNCF . 
• Castle Théméricourt the xvii ^th  century (1667), dock the Republic, currently seat of the administrative services of the regional establishment of the first degree.
• Large villa from 1911 called “Château des Terrasses”, in a somewhat reduced park. It is the current headquarters of the MJC-Maison pour tous.
• Remaining and restored administrative buildings of the former and important Telegraph and Telephone Line (“LTT”) factory which had up to 4,700 employees and workers. It had to cease its activity in 1984. These imposing buildings are reassigned to various activities, municipal, national or private.

Parks and green spaces main

• Priory Park where part of the film Sur la piste du Marsupilami was shot in the “Gévelot greenhouse” transformed into a “tropical den” in October 2010.
• Bois des Hautes-Roches.
• Medieval garden of Tour Montjoie
• Ramsgate Square
• Cedar Park (inaugurated in September 2017)
• Square Maurice-Chaval (inaugurated in October 2017)

Cultural facilities 

• Explos’yves Radio (Associative radio)
• Blaise-Cendrars media library and its 100,000 works
• Museum of inland waterways and waterways
• George-Gershwin Conservatory of Music
• Simone-Signoret Theater
• 15 rooms cinema in “Boutries area”
• The House of Youth and Culture (MJC)
• 230 associations.
• Fin d’oise neighborhood house

Sports 

Cycling 

A true city of cycling, Conflans has seen the birth of professional cyclists Nicolas Roche , Irish and son of Stephen Roche , and Gilles Talmant , French who carried the colors of La Roue d’or conflanaise. Every year, the City and the local club organize the Municipality Grand Prix on Whit Monday.

On March 6, 2016, the prologue to the 2016 edition of the Paris-Nice cycling race took place in the streets of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, including the Sente des Laveuses, the main difficulty of the route with its 16% on average. 

Volleyball 

Conflans-Andrésy-Jouy Volleyball has been the best team in the Yvelines department since the early 2000s. 

Handball 

The city club, HBC Conflans , was twice vice-champion of France for women as PLM Conflans. 

Sports equipment 

The city provides its inhabitants with various sports facilities:

• of gyms sports (sports-Claude Fichot complex, the sports complex Pierre Ruquet, gymnasium Lower Rocks, gym Foch, Joffre sports complex, the Pierre Beregovoy gym);
• stadiums (the Léon-Biancotto municipal stadium, the Claude-Fichot municipal stadium, the Pierre-Ruquet stadium);
• specific equipment (tennis courts , specific rooms for table tennis, fencing , boxing , dance , combat , gymnastics , etc.);
• the aquatic center with multiple pools, a paddling pool, a 35-meter-long slide, an illuminated 20-meter-deep diving pit and a fitness center;
• development platforms (microsites, Joffre plateau, Foch plateau, Hautes-Rayes plateau);
• others (the archery pitch, the pétanque court in the Priory park, the billiard room ).