Le Vésinet, a town within a park

Stage 1: Grand Lac des Ibis

From the station (Alexandre Dumas exit), turn right on Rue Alexandre Dumas and continue to the plaque dedicated to the history of the railway line and train station. Turn left onto the wide Avenue du Grand Veneur, to reach the Grand Lac des Ibis. Turn right and go to the corner of Rue Diderot and Allée des Fêtes, where you can admire the “Pink Palace”. Return to the lakeside and go the bridge. Cross the south bridge to reach the island and take the track on your right which follows the water edge to the north bridge on the other side. Cross the bridge, follow the lake path on your right, then turn off to the left into Allée des Genets and continue to the first crossroads.

– At no. 2 Avenue des Courlis: Villa du Grand Lac, a late-19th-century Gothic villa of “art nouveau” influence.

– At no. 3 Allée des Genets: Villa La Chimière, also late 19th century, of neo-Gothic style. From here you can reach Wood Cottage by continuing on Avenue Corot, then crossing Avenue des Pages and, at the roundabout, turning left onto Avenue Alfred de Musset and continuing as far as Boulevard des Etats-Unis where you’ll find Wood Cottage at no. 122. To rejoin the route at the start of Stage 3, go right on Boulevard des Etats-Unis, right again on Avenue Horace Vernet, and continue to Rond-Point Royal.

Stage 2: Rond-Point Royal

Turn right onto Avenue du Belloy and continue to Rond-Point Royal. The cast iron stag by Pierre Louis Rouillard was installed in 1928.

Stage 3: Villa des Pages

Turn right onto Avenue Horace Vernet. On the left stands the Villa des Pages clinic which was built in 1896. Turn left onto Avenue Jean Mermoz and follow the river, then right onto Rue Jean Laurent.

– At no. 35: a house where the family of Maurice de Vlaminck lived. A Doric frieze ornates the pediment of the house. Cross Boulevard Carnot to reach Place de l’Eglise via Rue Jean Laurent. Go the left of the church and take Rue du Maréchal Foch.

– At no. 18: Rue du Maréchal Foch, the building dates from 1886. Turn left, cross Boulevard Carnot and continue on Avenue des Pages. Follow Rue Henri Dunant on the right, then turn left onto Rue Villebois Mareuil and right onto Allée des Bocages. – At no. 29 Allée des Bocages: Villa des Marmousets, an example of neo-Norman regionalistic architecture (1910). On the right, turn off onto Rue des Réservoirs, then Boulevard des Etats-Unis.

Stage 4: Le lac supérieur

Turn right onto a track which leads to the Lac Supérieur. Follow the bank, then leave the lakeside to take Avenue du Belloy. Cross Boulevard Carnot and continue on Boulevard des Etats-Unis. Cross the bridge over the railway line and take the steps down to Croissy lake. Follow the East bank of Croissy lake, continue on Route de la Croix, then turn right on Avenue Georges Clémenceau and right again onto Boulevard du Président Roosevelt, for just a few metres.

At no. 35: Avenue Georges Clemenceau, the floral patterns on the gates to Villa l’Helanthius are typically Art Nouveau. Turn left onto Promenade d’Unterhaching (Bavarian twin town) by the river. Cross two streets and continue on Promenade d’Oakwood (American twin town). (Optional, to see the hospital: Cross the river to reach Passage le Notre. Turn right onto Boulevard du Président Roosevelt, left onto Route de Croissy, then right onto Avenue de la Princesse.)

Stage 5: Villa Beau-Chêne

Follow the river before turning right onto Avenue d’Alsace. Follow Avenue Georges Clémenceau to the left (Villa Beau-Chêne at no. 52), turn left again onto Allée de la Gare, then right onto Promenade d’Outremont (twin town in Quebec) which follows the river (taking stepping stones several times across the river). Continue as far as Avenue de la Prise d’Eau, which you take on the right. You come back to the river on your left (Promenade Villanueva de la Canada – Spanish twin town) and follow it to a wooden bridge. Cross the bridge and continue on the opposite bank. On the right, the Grande Pelouse (great lawn) created by the Comte de Choulot, offers views over the surrounding hills.

Stage 6: Villa Berthe

Take Boulevard Carnot on your left, then turn right onto Avenue Rembrandt and continue to Route de Montesson (at no. 72: Villa Berthe). Return via Avenue Georges Bizet to the lake and train station.