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Day hikes near Paris

A Day Hike near Paris in St Germain-en-Laye

Interesting day hikes can be found anywhere, even in Paris.

Here’s one, where we set out to the western suburbs of Le Pecq and St Germain-en-Laye. It is a fairly urban walk – you will have mainly asphalt under your feet, not grass – and quite an easy one, too. So easy, in fact, that even our geriatric dog could do it.

We start this day hike in Paris St-Germain-en-Laye at the RER train station of Vesinet Le Pecq which is a short ride (app. 15 minutes) away from the RER and Metro hub of Etoile in Central Paris, just under the Arc de Triomphe. (Vesinet Le Pecq is in Zone 4, near the end of RER line A1. 

You can purchase a return ticket from any Metro station in Paris – all stations are equipped with automatic ticket dispensers that “speak” English – and use it also on the subway to and from Etoile.)

On leaving the station, turn left into Rue Alexandre Dumas and, when you reach the main road, left again. This street, called Route de Montesson, will lead you up the bridge and across the railway tracks. Just follow the geriatric dog and his only slightly less geriatric owner on their day hike in Paris.

"Ave. Alexandre Dumas in Le Peq n a day hike in St Germain en Laye in Paris"

There is admittedly not much nature yet, but it is a genteel and rather attractive area (Londoners: think Richmond) with large houses, large front gardens …

"One of the ornate gates seen along a day hike in Paris near St Germain en Laye"

… and large ornate steel gates.

At the end of the street, you will come to a big roundabout. Continue straight-ish, slightly veering to the right, into Boulevard Carnot, passing the shop front of the Leader Price supermarket on your left. 

You will now enter the Pompidou Bridge across the river Seine. On your right, you can see the Ile Corbiere. We will get a closer view of that a little later on.

The end of the bridge is flanked by twin statues of the Seine and Oise rivers (made by the sculptor Rene Letourneur), represented by two stern-looking women who appear to have spent most of their lives doing heavy squats. (Jeez, look at those thighs!) 

The Seine and Oise rivers meet a few miles downstream near Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, on the far side of St Germain Forest.

"Sculptures by Rene Letourneur at the bridge to Le Peq on a day hike near Paris"

Continue straight on what is now the Avenue du Marechal de Lattre de Tassigny and, when it swerves to the left, turn right into Rue du Souvenir-Francais. (The fortifications ahead of you already belong to the castle of St Germain-en-Laye more of which later.) 

Just before the cemetery, there is a narrow path uphill on your left.

"Start of the hiking trail in Le Peq St Germain en Laye near Paris"

We have now arrived at the “nature” part of the walk and will soon have soft grass under our feet. But first, take a moment or two to study the map on the wall. 

After another twenty yards or so, a steep stairway takes you up the hill. Nothing to worry about, of course – unless you are as sadly out of shape as our dog, who failed several attempts to climb the bottom stair.

"Le Peq easy hiking trail in St Germain en Laye Paris"

Actually, it would have been far easier for him to approach the stairway from the sandy incline on the side, but the idea never seemed to have crossed his mind. After more than ten years of sharing our home with our dog, we have become resigned to the idea that, while he may be the sweetest animal in the world, he is certainly not the brightest.

Having said that, his @ParisChien twitter account – where he shares musings and funny little stories, mainly but not exclusively about dogs, with friends from all over the world – has more followers than mine. So, if I say something unflattering about him, it is probably just because I am jealous.

Up on the hill, turn right past the vineyard and the 2.4 km long stone terrace which is one of the key landmarks of the town of St Germain.

"Day hike in Paris St-Germain-en-Laye"

This hiking trail is also marked with what they call a balisage in French, a small horizontal (here: yellow) bar which is painted on trees or posts.

"Day hike in Paris St-Germain-en-Layes"

The particular junction which is shown on the picture comes up at about the half-way mark, and you can either take this shortcut or continue the trail until you reach the village of Mesnil-le-Roi. 

Either way, you must take a 90 degree turn to the right and walk downhill until you reach the Seine where you turn right again, past the river and the Ile Corbiere on your left.

Just before you reach the tip of the island, turn right into Rue de la Terrasse, and at the end, halfway up the hill after the street has narrowed down, left into Rue de la Capitainerie which will take you past the cemetery back to the foot of the castle.

Walk up the ramp and look to your left to enjoy the view of the valley underneath. Not to mention the clean air for which the town was once famous. 

“Montagne-du-Bon-Air”, after all, was the name St Germain en Laye gave itself in 1789 when the French revolutionnaires forced all towns with “religious” names to think of something more appropriate.

Turn into the stairway on your right that leads you towards the Pavillon Henri IV. This is the view you have from that stairway.

The high rise buildings in the distance belong to the business district of La Defense, and the toothpick that someone seems to have stuck into the little hill on the right is the Eiffel Tower.

"The view from the top of the stairs of the Pavilon Henri IV"

Now turn around again and continue the walk up the street. It is called Rue Thiers and will lead you straight into St Germain town centre.

Alternatively, you can take a little detour on your right through the gardens of St Germain-en-Laye castle (which lies ahead of you on your right) and marvel at the strange French proclivity for trees that stand to attention like soldiers on parade.

"Day hike in Paris St-Germain-en-Laye"

And at a tree that is actually square.

"A square tree in the garden at the Chateau St Germain en Laye Paris"

The castle, by the way, was built – in its current form – by Francois I in the early days of the French Renaissance. It served as a royal residence for many years and was the birth place of Louis XIV. Which explains the strange presence of a cradle in the town’s coat of arms.

If you feel a little peckish, there are some brasseries close at hand that seem just right for a little snack. Our original idea was to walk back through the park after lunch, to explore the St Germain Forest behind the castle gardens and to confirm that there are still trees in the country that have escaped the national passion for order and geometry.

It had not gone unnoticed, however, that St Germain-en-Laye is a rather pretty town with rather pretty shops.

"Day hike in Paris St-Germain-en-Laye"

“Look”, said Mrs. Easy Hiker after lunch, “the dog is tired. He’ll never make it through a “real hike”. Let’s just take a short walk through the town centre instead.”

And there we went. But was the dog really that tired on this day hike in Paris St-Germain-en-Laye?

 

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