Passing by the Bassin de la Muette and the Colline de la Revanche

PLEASE NOTE THAT IT WILL NO LONGER BE POSSIBLE TO DO THIS ROUTE FROM SEPTEMBER 2022 DUE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HILL FOR THE 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES.
This route passes by many interesting sites and places: an old church, a lake, viewpoints and, in particular, La Revanche hill, the highest point in the Île-de-France region. It is advisable to do this route on a clear day if possible, so that you can enjoy the view of the entire region to the full.

Details

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Last update:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.94 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 124 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 126 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 232 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 122 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Élancourt (78990)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 48.77973° / E 1.959801°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2214ET, 2215OT, 2215OTR
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Start from the public car park on Rue du Berceau in Elancourt-village, on the left after the Mousseau farm car park, just before the sign for the Vallée Favière cemetery.

(S/E) Head to the eastern end of the car park. Turn left onto Sentier des Noyers towards the cemetery and walk along the cemetery on your right.

(1) At the end of the path, turn left onto Route de Trappes. Cross the roundabout and continue straight ahead on the same road.
Turn left onto Place de l'Église to see Saint-Médard Church. Retrace your steps.

Turn left again onto Route de Trappes, then immediately turn right towards Bassin de la Muette, following Route de la Muette.

(2) Leave the road on the left and walk along the basin on your right. At the corner of the basin, turn right. Return to Route de la Muette and follow it on the left to a pretty little square (Place de la Muette) where you will find sculptures of two magnificent cows, Annabelle and Clémentine.

Leave the square on your left and climb a very steep concrete path, which is an extension of Place de la Muette. Pass between the houses and continue up some wide steps into a small wood. Continue along a path called Sente des Gatines.

(3) At the end of this path, cross the road to enter the woods via the path that branches off to the left after the barrier. Follow it until you come to a track, which you should take to the right.
Then take a small path that branches off to the left in a hairpin bend. Start climbing the Colline de la Revanche. Shortly afterwards, take a very steep path on the right that climbs straight up to the top.

Once on the hilltop (360° view over much of the region as far as La Défense), turn left to descend via a small path heading east. Join a road closed to traffic and follow it to the right, continuing downhill.

(4) Leave this road at thesecond bend and take a road that branches off to the right after two large concrete bollards. After about 200 metres, turn left onto a path that descends into the woods.

At the T-junction, turn left. Walk alongside the allotments on your left. Once you reach the small white bevelled post on the left, descend to the left along the path that runs alongside a fence. You will come out onto a dead-end street.

(5) Follow the cul-de-sac to the left and, at the end, turn right. At the crossroads (opposite a technical centre), turn right onto Route de Trappes.

(1) At the corner of the cemetery (pedestrian crossing on the speed bump), turn left onto Sentier des Noyers, which you took on the way there. Continue straight ahead to reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 159 m - Public car park on the left in Rue du Berceau.
  2. 1 : km 0.45 - alt. 132 m - Route de Trappes - Cemetery
  3. 2 : km 1.03 - alt. 124 m - Bassin de la Muette, Elancourt
  4. 3 : km 1.81 - alt. 172 m - Trailhead opposite
  5. 4 : km 3.17 - alt. 176 m - Intersection
  6. 5 : km 4.03 - alt. 135 m - Chemin des Etasses
  7. S/E : km 4.94 - alt. 159 m - Public car park on the left in Rue du Berceau.

Notes

Good walking boots are highly recommended because the climb up La Revanche hill is very steep, a little stony and can be slippery if it has rained.
Walking sticks can be useful on the very steep sections.

Even in good weather, depending on the season, it can be quite cold at the top of the hill if it's windy.
I tried it on the evening of 14 July to see all the fireworks in the area and I didn't last long! So remember to take a jumper if it's windy as there is nowhere to shelter.

Worth a visit

- Saint-Médard Church, in Élancourt-village, was built between the 11th and 12th centuries and has undergone numerous alterations since then.

- The Bassin de la Muette.

- The view from the Colline de la Revanche, which rises to an altitude of 231 metres. It is the highest point in the entire Île-de-France region. On a clear day, you can see the Eiffel Tower, the La Défense towers, the Montparnasse Tower, and more.

- The Mousseau farm, near the departure car park. An old farm converted into performance and exhibition halls. Here you can see a sculpture by Gérard Ramon, Les Acrobates.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 9 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
Philippe Max
Philippe Max

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed during the week with a varied and interesting route. The route was done in reverse, which made it easier to climb the hill via the public footpath, as following the suggested direction means that the path leading to the summit is very steep and, at this time of year (autumn), certainly slippery.

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gjf
gjf

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed during the week. No one else on the trail.
Following the JO, the paths on the hill have been covered with stones. The risk of slipping in wet weather has disappeared, but the slope remains.

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KarineBort
KarineBort

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 07, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Travelled in 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes

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KarineBort
KarineBort

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 07, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Walk completed in 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes

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Jeannot78310
Jeannot78310

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 29, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful circular but impracticable in wet weather: nothing but mud between point 3 and the top of the hill. More than half of this section has been ploughed by machinery.

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Mi78
Mi78

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 27, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike in beautiful weather, offering superb views from the top of La Revanche hill.
The climb up the hill is quite steep but no problem in dry weather.

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rameur78
rameur78

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 27, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An urban hike with a well-designed route that makes the most of the remaining green spaces. The environment has remained relatively clean, which was a pleasant surprise! Walking poles are useful for climbing the steep path up to La Revanche hill.

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MALET Catherine
MALET Catherine

Thank you for this very welcome comment.

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lecomte78
lecomte78

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 18, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Thank you for this absolutely perfect route.
There are two very steep, short climbs, but the view from the top is well worth the effort. Walking sticks are definitely recommended. We took our time and completed the walk in 1½ hours.

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MALET Catherine
MALET Catherine

Thank you for your feedback on my hike.
Following your suggestion, I have added the use of walking poles to the "practical advice" section.

Have a nice day.

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clerbern
clerbern

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 25, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Thank you for this lovely walk through the rural part of Elancourt.
The view of western Paris from the top of La Revanche hill is as spectacular as ever!
This is definitely a route to do with good shoes and in dry weather; walking sticks can be useful on the slopes. We did it in 1 hour 15 minutes without rushing, but it's true that we are fairly fit...

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MALET Catherine
MALET Catherine

I completely agree with you. This hike is not easy, and I had classified it as "moderate" difficulty. Unfortunately, the software downgraded it to "easy". Following your comment, I will try to change this classification. I was on holiday when I received the notification that this hike had been accepted, so I haven't yet been able to make this change, which I think is essential!
La Revanche is indeed an artificial hill and will undoubtedly be completely redeveloped for the 2024 Olympic Games.

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milgerard
milgerard

I set off yesterday, 21 October, to walk the route, but had to give up climbing Revanche Hill because the slope was so steep. My comments therefore only concern the first part of the walk, which I really enjoyed, especially the charming Muette ponds. The climb up the Gatine path that follows is already very steep, but this is only a taste of what awaits hikers on the climb up Revanche Hill, which should be reserved for experienced mountaineers with a good sense of balance.

The moral of the story: 1. The route can undoubtedly be very interesting, especially as the view from the top of the hill must be remarkable, but only if access to the summit is made easier, which should be possible given the number of paths I observed.
2. Describing the difficulty of the route as "easy" is completely inappropriate.

NB: Revanche Hill is completely artificial. It is a kind of vegetated slag heap, made up of industrial waste and rubble. It is used for various sporting activities and has already been chosen for certain events at the 2024 Olympic Games.

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