The Impressionist Seine

Your route starts at Fournaise Hamlet, on the Impressionists' Island. Besides the Fournaise museum, the hamlet includes two restaurants – Les Rives de la Courtille and Maison Fournaise – the water station and the old boat restoration workshop of the Sequana association. Head towards the Chatou Bridge. Take the access ramp to the Chatou Bridge, watch out it goes uphill!

Step 1 – The Chatou Bridge

A bike lane allows you to cross the bridge. Stop to discover the Chatou dam on your right. A little further, pass near the Notre-Dame church. Head towards Chatou town hall.

Take the service road to go to Chatou town hall. After the restaurant Les Canotiers, follow the road to the right. After passing the square, take Ernest Bousson street on your right. At the traffic light, turn left into Docteur Rochefort street, then right into Esther Lacroix street, towards the "Gambetta neighborhood", until you reach Gambetta avenue. At the stop sign, turn right onto Seine street, join the towpath towards Carrières-sur-Seine. Follow the towpath to get to Carrières-sur-Seine. The 2.2 km of Carrières-sur-Seine banks benefited from a development program by the General Council of Yvelines to welcome walkers and cyclists.

Step 2 – The Towpath

Charles de Gaulle Quay. Leave the towpath to follow Charles de Gaulle quay. The town hall park is on your left.

Step 3 – The park of Carrières-sur-Seine town hall

You will see one of the reproductions of the Impressionists' path, Renoir circuit.

Step 4 – The Carrières-sur-Seine river stop

The market gardening plains: here you will pass on your left the market gardening plains of Carrières, well known to top Parisian chefs. Take the path on the left that runs along the railway. Leave the towpath to head towards the center of Carrières. Cross Bezons road to reach the roundabout on your left. Continuing towards Bezons you enter a new department! Yes, Carrières-sur-Seine is on the border of Val d’Oise. Take the college alley. Take Paul Doumer street. A bike lane allows pleasant circulation through this residential area. Turn right onto Fermettes street. At the end of Paul Doumer street, turn right onto Fermettes street. Watch out, it goes uphill! On your left is the Panoramic restaurant, a very good table in Carrières that we warmly recommend!

Step 5 – Carrara City

Turn left onto Maréchal Foch street. Then left onto Maurice Berteaux boulevard. Following this boulevard, you will go down towards the village of Carrières. On your right don't miss beautiful views of La Défense. Continue on Gabriel Péri avenue. Still downhill, this avenue leads you to the village.

Step 6 – The village of Carrières-sur-Seine

Turn left onto Victor Hugo street. You will pass along the town hall park on your left below. Made in the golden age of the "French" garden by a Le Nôtre student, it is a fine example of perspective use. Listed since 1996 among the most beautiful gardens in France. Turn left onto Abreuvoir street to reach the banks of the Seine. Take the towpath on the left.

Step 7 – The washhouse of Carrières-sur-Seine

Find the calm of the Seine banks and follow the towpath to Chatou! Take time to observe the preserved fauna and flora. Leave the towpath and take Nymphée quay. Be careful of traffic, here you share the road with cars!

Step 8 – The Chatou dam

On your left you will see the Chatou dam. The current building was inaugurated in 2014 and is one of the most important operations ever undertaken by Voies Navigables de France. This dam, like the Bougival dam, maintains the Seine level up to the Suresnes dam to guarantee 24/7 navigation of large river vessels up to the Paris area. The old building dated from 1933. Join Port street. This stretch of road leading to Chatou Bridge is closed on Sundays. Join Maxime Laubeuf quay. Leave the road to find the calm of the Seine banks!

Step 9 – The banks of Croissy-sur-Seine

Signs indicate you're on the Paris-London Greenway, continue on this path to Croissy-sur-Seine! Take Écluse street on your right. Leave the Seine banks to reach Croissy-sur-Seine town center! Take Guy de Maupassant promenade on your right. Cross the intersection towards Émile Augier avenue. Émile Augier was an academician, poet, and playwright. With Victor Hugo, he was the greatest dramatist of his time and lived in Croissy. Take Seine street on your left.

Take Maurice Berteaux street on your left.

At the intersection, cross Ponts street toward rue au Mètre. At the start of this street, you will see on the right wall a standard meter. It is a copy of a marble standard meter from the launch of the decimal metric system! The original is kept at the town hall. Turn right onto Plaine street to reach the center. You arrive at Hostachy boulevard, main artery of Croissy with its restaurants, cafés, a bookshop, the Une Place en Ville shop, a florist… In the middle of Hostachy boulevard, turn left towards Saint Léonard church.

Step 10 – Saint Léonard Church and Croissy-sur-Seine town center

In front of the town hall, turn right. At the light, turn right into Paul Demange street, then left into Péron street. Designed by architects Xavier Fabre, Vincent Speller and Philippe Pumain, the Town Hall (the fourth in Croissy since the Revolution) was inaugurated in November 2000. You arrive at Aligre square. Turn left onto Grande Rue. Continue on Tilleuls avenue and once past the Chatou sign, turn left onto Paul Doumer avenue. Opposite number 4 Tilleuls avenue, you will see a 19th-century cross and six pierced round stones that served as gallows bases in the time of the Lords of Croissy…

Step 11 – Chatou RER station

A bit of walking?! Take the underpass then cross Maurice Berteaux square. The market takes place every Wednesday and Saturday morning! At the end of the square, take Aligre avenue to the service road, join the bridge straight ahead!

Step 12 – Notre Dame Church of Chatou

This is the end of the route, well done!