Gare de Mantes-la-Jolie walks

Sixth stage of the Grand Tour de l'Île-de-France on the GR® 11, linking Mantes-Station railway station in the Yvelines to the village of Genainville in the Val d'Oise, in the heart of the French Vexin. This stage is the first part of a two-day route, the aim of which is to connect Mantes-Station railway station to Chars railway station, further north-east in the Val d'Oise.The stage begins in Mantes-la-Jolie in the Seine valley and heads north through the south-western part of the Vexin Français Regional Nature Park, quickly passing from one of the lowest points in the region (crossing the Seine, at ~18 m) to one of the highest points (the beech forest at Villiers-en-Arthies, at 205 m).The French Vexin, with its unspoilt agricultural and wooded landscapes, is a magnificent region where it is very pleasant to hike.

Follow in the footsteps of Claude Monet, considered one of the founders of Impressionism, on a hike from station to station along the Seine and its hillsides. Beautiful views punctuate the route. Halfway along the route, there are several possible visits in Giverny, where the painter lived and worked from 1883 until his death in 1926. At the end of the hike, the collegiate church of Vernon is worth a detour.

The walk begins with a very varied section of the GRP® "Impressionist Seine" trail, starting with the imposing ESA Ariane rocket factory and its loading dock, a charming marina, the Val de Seine leisure island, and several large ponds. It continues with Triel-sur-Seine, its pleasant Parc Senet, and its Église St-Martin with its complex architecture. The crossing of the Bois d'Hautil via easy but unspoilt paths is worth the detour for its chestnut forests dotted with a few beautiful oak trees and pierced by a large number of chasms resulting from the collapse of underground quarries. The walk ends peacefully as you admire the confluence of the Oise and the Seine.

Seventh stage of the Grand Tour of Île-de-France on the GR®11, starting from the village of Genainville, in the heart of the French Vexin, and heading towards Chars station further east. This stage goes hand in hand with the previous Mantes-Genainville stage, with a night in Genainville or the surrounding area necessary to walk between Mantes and Chars stations. This beautiful stage continues the crossing of the equally magnificent French Vexin Regional Nature Park, heading generally eastwards. It joins andthen climbs up the Aubette de Magny valley, crosses a series of agricultural plateaus between Oise and Val d'Oise before descending into the Viosne valley to reach Chars.

A lovely walk along the banks of the Seine, passing through pretty villages such as Evecquemont. The starting point and finishing point are two stations on the same SNCF line.

A fairly easy walk from station to station, the first part of which is through woodland where you can admire superb specimens of various species of deciduous trees, particularly beeches and oaks, which are certainly over a hundred years old. You also pass close to the Alluets-le-Roi telecommunications centre and its many antennas of all types.The second part, which is more varied, includes a visit to the ruins of Abbecourt Abbey and the centres of the villages of Orgeval and Villennes-sur-Seine with their churches. The walk ends with a pleasant stroll along the banks of the Seine.

Fifth stage of the Grand Tour of Île-de-France on the GR®11, connecting Orgerus-Béhoust station to Mantes-Station, still through the Yvelines. This is a northbound route that joins the Seine valley at Mantes-la-Jolie, descending the valleys of the Flexanville and then the Vaucouleurs rivers. The route follows both paths at the bottom of the valley and paths on the adjacent plateaus.

A walk on the plateaus above the Mauldre valley. A rolling landscape as far as the eye can see accompanies you throughout the hike.