The Seine of the Impressionists, from Carrières to Croissy-sur-Seine - Saint Germain Boucles de Seine

Starting point - Hameau Fournaise
The itinerary starts at the hamlet of Fournaise, on Ile des Impressionnistes.
Besides the Musée Fournaise, the hamlet has two restaurants - Les Rives de la Courtille and Maison Fournaise - the water station and the workshop where old boats are restored by the Sequana association. In the summer season, it is also the departure point for our cruises
Next stop, Chatou bridge.
Take the access ramp up to bridge - it’s quite a climb!

Stage 1 – Chatou Bridge
Cross the bridge on the cycle path. Pause to admire the Chatou dam on your right. A little further on, pass close to the church of Notre Dame.
Next stop, Chatou town hall.
Take the side path and head for Chatou town hall. If you didn't bring a picnic with you, you can pop into the bakery! After Les Canotiers restaurant, take the road on your right. If you have a sweet tooth, you can visit the Murez chocolaterie, where tradition and a passion for chocolate have been handed down from father to son for over thirty years!
After the square, turn right onto Rue Ernest Bousson.
At the traffic lights, turn left onto Rue du Docteur Rochefort, then right onto Rue Esther Lacroix towards the “quartier Gambetta”, until you reach Avenue Gambetta.
At the stop sign, turn right into Rue de Seine which leads to the towpath from which you can reach Carrières-sur-Seine.
Head for the towpath
To reach Carrières-sur-Seine, follow the towpath. The Conseil Général (departmental council) of Yvelines has built cycle paths and walkways alongside 2.2 km of the river at Carrières-sur-Seine.

Stage 2 – The towpath
Quai Charles de Gaulle
Leave the towpath and follow Quai Charles de Gaulle. On your left are the Town Hall gardens.

Stage 3 - Parc de la Mairie at Carrières-sur-Seine
At the park, you’ll see one of the painting reproductions of the Impressionist Trail, Renoir tour.

Stage 4 - Carrières-sur-Seine river port
The market gardens
Cycle past the market gardens of Carrières on your left. The great chefs of Paris know them well. Believe it or not, you are just 20 minutes away from La Défense! Breathe!
On the left, take the path which follows the railway track.
Leave the towpath and head towards Carrières town centre.
If Master Yoda you see, then on the right path you will be!
Cross the Bezons road and head for the roundabout on your left.
As you continue towards Bezons, you’ll find yourself in the next département!
Yes, Carrières-sur-Seine is located on the edge of Val d'Oise.
Take Allée du Collège
The Collège des Amandiers (high school) opened in 1992 and more than 500 pupils attend (2014 figures).
Take Rue Paul Doumer
A pleasant cycle path takes you across this residential area.
Turn right onto Rue des Fermettes.
At the end of Rue Paul Doumer, turn right onto Rue des Fermettes.
Be warned, it’s quite a climb! On your left is the Panoramic restaurant, a fine-food establishment which we warmly recommend to visitors to Carrières.

Stage 5 - Carrara City
Turn left onto Rue du Maréchal Foch.
Then left onto Boulevard Maurice Berteaux.
Follow the boulevard down to the village of Carrières.
Don’t miss the beautiful views of La Défense on your right.
Continue along Avenue Gabriel Péri.
The avenue continues downhill to the village.

Stage 6 - Carrières-sur-Seine village
Turn left onto Rue Victor Hugo.
Cycle alongside the town hall park, which is below you on the left. The park, created during the golden age of the “French-style” garden by one of Le Nôtre’s students, is a beautiful example of the use of perspective. It has been listed since 1996 among France’s most beautiful gardens.

Turn left into Rue de l’Abreuvoir, to return to the banks of the Seine.

Take the towpath on the left.

Stage 7 - Carrières-sur-Seine wash house
Return to the tranquillity of the Seine riverbank and follow the towpath to Chatou! Take the time to observe the wildlife which is protected here.

Leave the towpath and follow Quai du Nymphée.
Watch out for traffic, you are now on a normal road!

Stage 8 – Chatou dam
On your left you can see the Chatou dam. The current building, inaugurated in 2014, is one of the biggest operations ever undertaken by Voies Navigables de France. This dam, like the one at Bougival, maintains the water level of the Seine as far as the dam of Suresnes, ensuring that large river vessels can reach the Parisian conurbation 24 hours a day. The previous building dated from 1933.

Join Rue du Port.
This stretch of road leading to Chatou bridge is closed on Sundays.

Join Quai Maxime Laubeuf.
Leave the road and return to the calm riverbank of the Seine!

Stage 9 - Croissy-sur-Seine riverbank
The signs indicate that you are on the Paris-London Avenue Verte. Continue to Croissy-sur-Seine!

Take Rue de l’Ecluse on your right.
Leave the Seine and head towards Croissy-sur-Seine town centre!

Take Promenade Guy de Maupassant on your right.

Cross the intersection towards Avenue Emile Augier.
Emile Augier was a member of the French Academy, a poet and a playwright.
Like Victor Hugo, he was one of the greatest playwrights of his time. He lived in Croissy. His house was on Rue de l'Ecluse and was the very first villa to be built on the banks of the Seine.

Take Rue de la Seine on your left.

Then take rue Maurice Berteaux on your left.

At the crossroads, cross Rue des Ponts towards Rue au Mètre.
At the beginning of the street you can see on the wall on your right a standard metre model. This is a copy of the original marble model dating from the launch of the decimal metric system! The original is kept at the town hall. In case you didn't know, the new metric system was launched at the end of the 18th century. To familiarise the general public with the length of the metre, the decision was taken to position, at popular sites around Paris, marble plates indicating the new measurements. A mayor of Croissy retrieved one of the metre models in 1888.

Turn right into Rue de la Plaine to reach the town centre.
You will find yourself on Boulevard Hostachy, Croissy’s main street lined with restaurants and cafés, a bookshop, the boutique “Une Place en Ville” and a florists, among others.
On Fridays and Sundays, there is a market here between 8 am and 12.30 pm!

Half-way down Boulevard Hostachy, turn left towards Saint-Léonard church. The choice of style for this church, which was built to replace the former parish church, is an unusual one. In fact, the architects were directly inspired by the theories of Anatole de Baudot published in Eglises de Bourgs et de Villages (Village Churches) in 1867. The blind arcatures, rose window and twin bay windows make it a neo-Gothic concentration which bears witness to the growing enthusiasm of 19th-century intellectuals for the Middle Ages.


Stage 10 - Notre Dame church and Croissy-sur-Seine town centre
Opposite the town hall, turn right. At the traffic lights, turn right into Rue Paul Demange, then left onto Rue Péron.
The Hôtel de Ville (Croissy’s fourth town hall since the Revolution), inaugurated in November 2000, was built by architects Xavier Fabre, Vincent Speller and Philippe Pumain. Made entirely of brick and burstone with an overhanging roof, the architects having taken inspiration from the typical detached houses of the western suburbs in the early 20th century. The stained glass window of the façade was created by the artist Christophe Cuzin.

You will arrive at Place d’Aligre. Turn left onto Grande Rue.

Continue on Avenue des Tilleuls and, once past the Chatou sign, turn left onto Avenue Paul Doumer.
Opposite no. 4 on Avenue des Tilleuls, you’ll see a 19th-century cross and the six round pierced stones that served as supports for the gallows at the time of the Lords of Croissy...

Stage 11 - Chatou RER train station
A spot of walking? Take the underpass and cross Place Maurice Berteaux
The market takes place on Wednesday and Saturday mornings!

At the other end of the square, follow Avenue d’Aligre and then the side road, continuing straight on to the bridge!

Stage 12 - Notre Dame church at Chatou
Well done, you’ve reached the end of the itinerary!