From Mantes-la-Jolie to Genainville through the French Vexin

Access: Mantes-Station train station on the Transilien J line, Paris-Mantes-Vernon branch.

The trail is marked along its entire length with the red and white GR® markings.

(S) From Mantes-Station railway station, go to Boulevard Victor Duhamel and turn left, perpendicular to the railway tracks, heading towards the centre of Mantes-la-Jolie and the Seine.

(1) At^{the third crossroads} , turn right onto Rue du Chapeau Rouge and follow it to Rue des Martraits (which bends to the left). Continue along Rue des Martraits until you reach Rue d'Arnouville,^{the first} street on the left.

(2) Turn left onto Rue d'Arnouville, then immediately right onto Rue Sausseuse, a series of very pleasant little streets. Continue right onto Rue Maurepas, then continue left at the next crossroads. Join Rue de la Sangle and turn left, then take Rue du Docteur Stéphane Bonneau on the right, heading towards the imposing Collégiale Notre-Dame church, which gradually comes into view. You will arrive next to the church.

(3) Take Rue du Château on the left to Place Jean XXIII (church square) and turn right towards the Seine. Pass in front of the statues of the Chiens du Pont de Garde.

(4) Take the footbridge to cross the first arm of the Seine to Île de Limay. Cross the small park parallel to the road, then rejoin it to cross the second bridge over the small arm and reach Limay on the right bank. Pass the roundabout and continue to the next crossroads with Rue des Pavillons.

(5) Turn left onto Rue des Pavillons, and at the end, turn right onto Rue du Clos Saint-Marc. Continue straight on Rue des Moussets, go through a roundabout and continue straight on Rue des Moussets (which bends to the left) until you reach the next roundabout in front of the Château des Moussets.

(6) At the roundabout, take the path that climbs straight up to the right into the woods to begin the ascent to the Vexin plateau. Once at the top, continue straight ahead, passing by a business park, then between woods and fields (as you enter the Vexin Français Regional Nature Park). Cross a road and continue straight ahead to the Rond-Point crossroads in the woods (6 converging paths). The GR®11 meets the GR®2 of the Seine Valley here.

(7) Continue in the same direction, heading north, along the wall of the Château du Mesnil park until you reach the D913 at the edge of the woods, on the border of the Val d'Oise department.

(8) Take the road opposite onto the agricultural plateau towards Saint-Cyr-en-Arthies. The Maudétour antenna visible on the horizon is a good landmark for the general direction to follow, as the GR®, which is almost a straight line here, will pass close to its base.

(9) Just before the road descends into a steep-sided valley, take the path on the right (off the GR®) to reach the village of Saint-Cyr-en-Arthies via another route, avoiding this tricky section of road. Turn into the^first path on the left, which descends gently towards the village, cross the first road, then take the next path on the left. Continue until you reach a small village road and follow it to the main road at the foot of the church (where you will find the GR® markers coming from the left).

(10) Turn right, pass under the church and climb back up to the plateau. Continue along the road on the left at the brick electricity transformer. Take the next right, first onto a small road, then onto a path, until you reach another road to follow in the extension of the path.

(11) When you reach the D142, turn left, then veer right after 200 metres towards the hamlet of Le Tremblay. Cross it, pass the calvary and start climbing into the woods, continuing in the same direction. Continue on the summit plateau until you reach the perpendicular road, not far from the foot of the Maudétour-en-Vexin antenna (the highest point of the stage at 205 m, and one of the highest points of the GR®11).

(12) Take the road on the left for 200 m and turn right into the woods. Continue along the next path on the right, which descends towards the east. At the bottom of the descent, pass in front of a wash house and continue straight on to Maudétour-en-Vexin. Continue to the right at the first crossroads you come to, then turn left at the second (before reaching the church square).

(13) Turn left onto the straight road and continue for 600 metres. When the road turns right, continue along the path in the same direction. Descend into the valley opposite until you reach the perpendicular path.

(14) Take the path on the left to continue through the valley. Pass the archaeological remains of Les Vaux de la Celle and continue in the same direction until you reach the village of Genainville.

(15) At^{the second} crossroads in the village, head for the church square 100 m further on, on the left (E).

(S) Departure from Mantes-Station on the main branch of the Transilien J line. Up to four trains per hour from Paris-Saint-Lazare. The neighbouring station of Mantes-la-Jolie is served even more frequently, by the J line but also by the N line from Versailles and Paris Montparnasse, and by certain TER Normandie trains (direct from Paris). To reach the start of the stage from Mantes-la-Jolie station, turn right onto Boulevard Carnot at the station exit, then follow the railway tracks to Mantes-Station 1 km further on.

(E) Arrival in Genainville, church square. Bed and breakfast accommodation is available in the village (notably at the Atelier du Ru* opposite the church). Other accommodation is available in neighbouring villages if required (Omerville, Magny-en-Vexin, etc.). As a last resort, bus routes to Cergy-Pontoise are also available in Magny-en-Vexin (please note that service is reduced at weekends; check theÎle de France Mobilités website for details). It is also possible to park a car in the square in front of the church in Genainville (shuttle service required).

Ideally, allow two days of walking to complete this stage, then the next day on the GR® 11 to Chars.

This stage is in a rural setting, so make sure you have the right equipment (good walking shoes are essential). Parts of the trail in the undergrowth may be muddy or even flooded with puddles during the wet season.

There is a fairly significant elevation gain for the region (200 m) between the Seine and the Maudétour-en-Vexin antenna.

Hike completed on 5 May 2024 with the aim of covering the entire GR® 11.

*mentioned with the kind permission of its owner

• Narrow streets in the old village of Mantes-la-Jolie, between (1) and (4)
• Notre-Dame de Mantes-la-Jolie Collegiate Church and its glazed tile roof (3). Enjoy the view of the Seine from the Île de Limay
• Statues of the Dogs of the Guard Bridge in front of the Pont Neuf in Mantes-la-Jolie (4)
• The Seine, the Île de Limay and the old bridge crossing the small arm of the Seine (between (4) and (5))
• The French Vexin, its beautiful landscapes and its Regional Nature Park, from (6)
• Saint-Cyr-Saint-Julitte Church in Saint-Cyr-en-Arthies (10)
• Lavoir du Tertre wash house in Maudétour-en-Vexin (formerly (13))
• Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption Church in Maudétour-en-Vexin (13)
• Archaeological site of Les Vaux de la Celle, after (14)
• Saint-Pierre Church in Genainville (E)