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Starting point and access: La Défense-Grande Arche station.
- RER – Line A.
- Transilien – Line L or U.
- Metro – Line 1.
- Tram – Line T2.
Take Exit 1 (Grande Arche) or Exit 2 (Dôme / Valmy), which leads onto the forecourt at the foot of the Grande Arche.
There are numerous signposts for pedestrians along this route. The names of the towers (usually those of the companies housed there) are displayed in large letters high up and serve as good landmarks. Along the route, you will occasionally come across the yellow markings of aPR®® trail: unless otherwise stated, please ignore these.
(S) Climb the steps of the Grande Arche, walk underneath the building, enjoy the views to the east and then to the west, and descend the steps on the other side. At the bottom, turn left. Then turn right towards Valmy. At the junction you come to after a few metres, turn left onto Cours Valmy.
N.B. If access to the stairs is closed (due to building works, for example), go round the Grande Arche on the left and you will come out at the entrance to Cours Valmy.
(1) Continue straight on until you reach the foot of the Société Générale Tower. Then walk round the tower to the left, taking a footbridge towards the Immeuble Basalte. At the end (viewpoint overlooking the Nuage Towers in Nanterre), turn left and go down a flight of stairs to a street. Then take the sharp right-hand bend, cross the Boulevard des Bouvets at the pedestrian crossing, then immediately turn left into Rue des Longues Raies. Turn right and climb the steps leading to the foot of the Granite Tower (which also houses Société Générale).
(2) Continue along the Passerelle Valmy (information about nearby buildings; Puteaux cemetery lies below on the left). As you leave the footbridge, turn left; immediately ignore a downward ramp on your left, pass under an archway and emerge onto Place de l’Hémicycle. Then turn right onto the Passage des Trois Places towards the Kupka Tower, cross the Place Ronde—which is topped by a sort of rose window—and rejoin the Cours de Valmy.
(1) Cross the avenue, pass under the Pacific Tower and climb the stairs towards the Kupka Tower. Take the Japan Bridge, a glass footbridge spanning the motorways (with a view of the Grande Arche on the left). Pass under the Kupka Tower, then turn left onto Rue Hoche towards the Axe de la Défense. Keep to the left, go through a barrier and take the Passerelle du Couchant. At the junction, turn left, still heading towards the Axe de la Défense. Leave the Dôme on your left, then first turn right then left to go down the steps towards the forecourt at the foot of the Grande Arche.
(S) Continue straight ahead, walking alongside the Grande Arche on your left. Cross an area with small columns connected by metal rods (Utsurohi) and veer right towards César’s *Pouce*. Walk alongside the CNIT on your right towards the Séquoia Tower. Go down a ramp towards Avenue de la Division Leclerc. Before the escalators on the left, turn right towards Coupole / Regnault and take a footbridge (under construction in January 2018 but with a temporary route in place).
As you leave the footbridge, turn immediately right and walk past the CB3 Tower on your left. At the corner, turn left, walk past a pond with a sculpture on your right, and you’ll arrive at Place Henri Regnault, at the foot of the Total Tower.
(3) Turn right and walk between the Areva Tower (all black) on your right and the dome on your left. Climb the stairs towards the Axe de la Défense and the Jules Vernes Terminal. Pass under a small block of flats and emerge onto the Esplanade Charles de Gaulle (red metal sculpture on the right, police station on the left).
Carry on straight ahead, walking alongside a lawn on your right. At the end, turn left and walk past the base of the EDF Tower, then the Atlantique Tower. At the base of the Opus12 Tower, go down a flight of stairs on the left and rejoin the Esplanade Charles de Gaulle. Then turn right, walk past the monument commemorating the defence of Paris and note the rounded-shaped Coeur de Défense Tower on your left. Continue along the esplanade, noting the Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile in the background, and walk to a gazebo with benches.
(4) Then turn left towards Corolles / Vosges. Climb a flight of steps and then take the Passerelle des Reflets. Pass under the CBX-Dexia Tower and enjoy the view. Retrace your steps back to the arbour.
(4) Continue straight ahead, leaving the arbour on your right, and head towards Michelet. Pass some blocks of flats on your right, turn left and go down a flight of stairs. Once you reach the Cours Michelet (Morris column), turn left towards the Axe de la Défense and walk past a restaurant on your left.
At the corner of a bank branch and opposite a large metal sculpture, go up a flight of steps on the left towards the Esplanade du Général de Gaulle. At the top, turn right and you’ll reach the esplanade (colourful sculpture). Then follow the esplanade to the right, with the Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile clearly in view. Continue to a second arbour (Allianz-Athéna Tower on the right, CB21 Tower – green – on the left). Then turn left until you reach the foot of the CB21 Tower.
(5) Continue straight on towards Alsace and walk alongside the CB21 Tower on your right. Take the Iris Footbridge and you’ll arrive at Place des Miroirs (colourful mosaic sculptures). Retrace your steps.
(5) After passing the CB21 Tower (sign for ‘Esplanade Nord’), turn left towards the Pont de Neuilly. Walk along the right-hand side of a pond featuring metal sculptures (Bassin de Takis). At the end of this pond, turn left and take a footbridge towards the Pont de Neuilly (yellow signposting). Walk past the First Tower (Euler-Hermes) on your left and continue towards the Pont de Neuilly. As you leave the footbridge, turn left and cross the Pont de Neuilly over the Seine.
(6) Halfway across the bridge, turn left through an opening in a gate and go down to the right into the Square de l’Île du Pont. Walk around the square anti-clockwise and enjoy the views of the banks of the Seine and the La Défense district. Climb the steps to return to the bridge.
(6) Continue along the bridge to the left towards Neuilly. At the end of the bridge, follow Avenue du Général de Gaulle. Cross Rue Blaise Pascal and then Rue Ybry. Walk past a bus stop and you’ll find the Pont de Neuilly metro station on your right (E).
To get back home:
- Metro – Line 1, towards La Défense or Château de Vincennes.
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