An article by Taha Elhaddad, added on June 23, 2025 4 min. reading
We are pleased to present to you Sabrina LEROY KOWALK, tour guide, who will help you discover the rich heritage of Greater Roissy.
The eye of a professional
Passionate about history and art, she shares with us her parcours, Its anecdotes favorites and his vision of cultural tourism in our region. Through this portrait, we invite you to discover the behind the scenes of guided tours and the wealth of our territory through the eyes of a professional who knows every last secret.
1- How did your passion for history and heritage begin, and what motivated you to become a guide?
As a child, I already loved visiting museums and monuments, and I would spend a long time looking at everything. I also remember a guided tour at the Chateau Gaillard, I was hanging on the guide's every word, I must have 8 or 9 years. Despite this, I didn't plan on pursuing this profession. It revealed itself to me during my LLCE studies. GermanI thought I would become a German teacher, but I felt I needed something more. I wanted to combine three fields: German, history, and art. The “guide-interpreter” job description appeared as an obvious choice at the information and guidance center of the University of Cergy. I had found my way!
2- Is there a historical or cultural anecdote about the Grand Roissy region that visitors find particularly fascinating?
Fascinating, I don't know, but curious perhaps: when I show people around the castle of Ecouen, I obviously mention the name of its first owner: Anne of Montmorency. I illustrate my point by showing his portrait. Yes, it's a man! Some visitors are intrigued by the first name and ask me if it's a unisex first name. No, not usually. Anne de Montmorency inherited the first name of his godmother: Anne of Brittany!
3- If you had to recommend an ideal one-day itinerary in Greater Roissy for a group discovering the region for the first time, what would you recommend?
We could propose a single theme for the day, but I like big differences, so why not? the castle of Ecouen for its architecture and collection of objects et works of Renaissance et discovery of the Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport area! Two periods, two different worlds but which coexist perfectly in the territory of Greater Roissy.
4- What aspect of intangible heritage or local traditions do you like to show to visitors?
Gastronomy still pleases and Greater Roissy has been and still is partly a rural area. local producers highlight this territory, some of which can be found at the Grand Roissy Tourist Office shop : miel, jams…The discovery of a region is done through several senses, including the taste!
5- How do you see the evolution of cultural and leisure tourism in Greater Roissy in the years to come?
Future generations are not necessarily fans of “classic” guided toursThey are looking for experiences iinteractive and fun. The Tourist Office team and the guides are thinking about offering original and unusual heritage and historical discovery activitiesWe brainstorm to renew the offer!
6- And finally, do you have a “favorite” site in the region that you particularly like?
The forest of the Écouen estate and in particular the path to access the castle fascinates me when I borrow it to join a group. I always feel like I'm in a story!
A big THANK YOU to Sabrina LEROY KOWALK for agreeing to do this interview.
If you are interested in group visits about the destination Greater Roissy, contact us via our contact form, by email to groups@grand-roissy-tourisme.com or by phone at +07 66 30 26 86.
