From the Observatory Terrace to the Seine Musicale

Starting point and access: Meudon-Val Fleury station.
- RER - Line C, on the section between Paris and Versailles.
Climb the stairs at the rear of the train on the platform going from Paris to Versailles. In April 2021, the exit on the other side was closed for construction: if arriving from Versailles to Paris, climb the stairs at the front of the train and take the footbridge over the tracks.

The route crosses or briefly follows marked PR® trails. In the following description, the markings are only mentioned when necessary.

(S) At the top of the stairs, walk a few metres and take the road bridge on the left that crosses the railway tracks. At the corner of the station, take the^first left (yellow markings) and follow the street that runs parallel to the railway tracks. When the street turns left, turn right into a narrow street (chicane). At the end (chicane), turn left. At the crossroads, turn right onto Avenue Victor Hugo. Cross Rue Rabelais and then the D406 at the traffic lights. Go up Rue des Pierres opposite and walk along the left-hand side of the Museum of Art and History.

When the street turns right, go through the^second gate on the left (yellow marker) and climb the stairs, leaving Square Anna Marly on your left. At the top of the stairs, go straight ahead uphill on a cement path (ignore a path on the right). Pass the armoured bollards, go through a metal gate (Porte d'Aristote) and continue uphill.

At the next intersection, turn right at an acute angle and continue climbing slightly at the foot of the wall of the Observatory Terrace on your left. When you reach a flat area, climb the stone staircase on the left (Escalier d'Aristote). This will take you to the Observatory Terrace.

(1) Turn right and cross the park along the edge of the terrace (panoramic view of Paris and its suburbs). At the end (pseudo-dolmen on the left), turn left then right to leave the park via its northern exit.

Then turn right onto a paved area and take the^second right, Avenue Jacqueminot. Walk downhill and cross Rue Marthe Édouard on the left. Then turn left onto Sentier du Clos Madame, between the walls of the properties. Come out onto a street and follow it to the left. Cross Rue Nouvelle on the left-hand side, then take the^first right, Rue Éliane.

(2) At the end, turn right at an acute angle and take a very narrow and discreet path, Sentier du Potager (yellow marker; be careful to spot this starting point). Slip between the walls and garden fences. At the end, cross a street (be careful, there is no protected crossing) and go down a flight of steps opposite. At the three-way junction that appears immediately, turn left onto Avenue de la Paix. At the next crossroads, turn right onto Rue du Ponceau.

Take the^first left onto Rue des Essarts. Opposite the town hall gate, turn left and take a path to go around the building on the left. Then go through a gate on the left to enter the Jardin de la Paix. Turn left and then right to exit. Return to Avenue de la Paix and follow it to the right until you reach the entrance to the Longs Réages cemetery.

(3) If you wish, enter the cemetery through the small gate to the left of the main gate. Turn right, go past the gate and the toilets, and you will find an authentic Neolithic dolmen on your right, called Ker Han, which was transported here from Brittany to serve as a burial place for an archaeologist's family. Retrace your steps.

(3) With your back to the gate, turn left and follow the Sentier du Cimetière. At the end, turn right. At the small crossroads, take a path on the left (yellow marker). Go downhill and finish with a flight of steps. At the crossroads, follow the Sentier des Basses Pointes straight ahead. Cross a street and continue downhill along the path.

After about 100 metres, turn left into Allée des Sureaux. Walk along a car park on your left and turn right onto the path. At the T-junction, go left. You will come out onto a street; follow it to the right and downhill.

(4) At the roundabout, turn left and go under the viaduct, taking a fenced pedestrian path on the left. Continue along the street and cross Allée du Viaduc on the left. At the corner of No. 20, climb the stairs on the left (yellow marker). Continue along a gravel path. At the end, cross the street and follow Rue des Lampes, which is slightly to the right.

At No. 4, climb a flight of steps on the left and then follow a tarmac path. At the end, follow a street on the right and ignore a yellow arrow that invites you to turn left into Allée des Hautes Sorrières. Soon turn left with the street and reach a crossroads. Cross Rue des Montalets and go down Allée du Pré de Maistre Gilles, a path interspersed with steps.

(5) At the bottom, there are two options:
- To shorten the route, turn left and rejoin the main route at the start of Rue du Clos Molet (6), at the hairpin bend in the street.
- As shown on the map, turn right. When the street turns right, continue straight ahead on Voie de la Ferme (dead end). At the end, go down a series of steps. Pass at the foot of a building on the right, turn right and go down another flight of steps. Then turn left and go down a final flight of steps that leads to a street.

Follow the street to the left. At the fork, keep right and follow Avenue Henri IV. At the crossroads, turn left, walk along Place Tonny de Graaf on your right and continue along Boulevard Henri IV. After a few dozen metres, take a pedestrian path on the right that runs parallel to the avenue. Climb a flight of steps and return to Avenue Henri IV.

Cross the avenue, follow it to the right for a few metres and climb a staircase on the left between two fences. Continue climbing on a cement path. At the top, turn right and you will immediately come to an intersection.

(6) Follow Rue du Clos Molet to the right. Pass a metal barrier on your left, continue straight ahead and go through a chicane. Immediately afterwards, enter Parc des Montalets diagonally on the left. Ignore a flight of steps on the left, then turn left to pass between a well (on the left) and a small kiosk (on the right). There are now two paths: take the one on the left. Cross a paved area and continue straight ahead on a path that climbs with a few bends (the straight line on the OSM map is inaccurate).

At the park exit, turn right and walk down Boulevard Anatole France. Pass under a porch and cross Route des Gardes at the traffic lights. Walk down the steps opposite to Bas-Meudon station. Go around the station on the right and cross the tram tracks (view of a church below on the right). Go down the steps and walk along the left-hand side of the Meudon-sur-Seine tram station. Ignore a street on the right and continue along a footpath alongside the tram tracks.

At the crossroads (footbridge on the left), go down a paved path on the right. Cross the street and continue straight ahead into Ruelle aux Boeufs. You will come to an avenue; follow it to the left for a few dozen metres. At the traffic lights, cross the avenue and follow it to the left. After about 50 metres, go down the steps on the right and, at the bottom, turn right to join the towpath.

(7) Turn left and walk along the Seine on your right, with Ile Seguin beyond (under construction in April 2021 and for many months to come...). At the traffic lights on the left, go straight ahead and stay as close to the river as possible (ignore the arrows inviting you to turn left). After about 200 metres, climb the stairs on the left that lead to a footbridge. Take this bridge to cross a branch of the Seine and set foot on Île Seguin.

(8) On the forecourt of the Seine Musicale (a concert hall complex on the left), go straight ahead and take the Pont Renault bridge, preferably on the wide pavement on the left. On the other side, turn left towards the Metro and the Pont de Sèvres bridge. Go up a wide path reserved for pedestrians and cyclists.

At the top, pass between the tall towers (on the left) and the post office (on the right). At the corner of the post office, turn left. Go down a slope. You will come out onto Avenue du Général Leclerc. Follow it to the left for a few metres. Cross at the pedestrian crossing (the traffic lights are incorrectly located on the OSM map) and you will reach the Pont de Sèvres metro and bus station (E).

To return home:
- Metro - Line 9.
- Bus - Lines 169, 171, 179, 291, 426, 467.
- Tram - Line T2. Cross the Seine on the Pont de Sèvres bridge, using the right-hand pavement. At the corner of the old station building, go down the stairs on the right and head to the Musée de Sèvres station.

Good trainers are sufficient for this urban route.

Water fountain and toilets at the Cimetière des Longs Réages (3). Bars and shops near the Meudon-Val Fleury station (S) and Pont de Sèvres (E).

Public park opening hours:
Observatory Terrace
- October to March: 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- April to September: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Jardin de la Paix
- October to March: 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- April to September: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Longs Réages Cemetery
- 2 November to 15 March: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- 16 October to¹ November: 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- 16 March to 15 October: 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Sundays and public holidays: opens at 9:00 a.m. only.
Parc des Montalets
- October to March: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- April to September: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Hike completed by the author on 15 April 2021.

- Meudon Museum of Art and History.
- Panorama of Paris and its western suburbs from the Observatory Terrace (1) and pseudo-dolmen shortly before the exit.
- Meudon Observatory.
- Numerous paths winding between houses and garden fences.
- Ker Han dolmen (3). Dolmen transported from Brittany and reassembled here to serve as a burial place for Jean-Baptiste Pikkety (1827-1894, quarryman and archaeologist) and his family.
- Pleasant walk along the banks of the Seine between (7) and (8).
- La Seine Musicale (8), a building dedicated to culture and concerts, inaugurated in 2017. Visitors can climb up to the Jardin Bellini, which surrounds the metal sphere of the auditorium (opens at 11 a.m.).