The René Dumont Tropical Agronomy Garden

Starting point and access: Nogent-sur-Marne station.
- RER - Line A, on the section between Paris and Boissy-Saint-Léger.
Take exit 2 Avenue des Maronniers.

Red and white markings

(S/E) When leaving the station, head left. Take the^first right, Avenue des Châtaigniers. Go straight ahead at the crossroads. Then cross Avenue Gabrielle and you will reach the entrance to the Jardin d'agronomie tropicale (Tropical Agronomy Garden).

No markings

(1) Enter the garden and note the Chinese Gate opposite (do not go past it). Immediately turn left onto a path covered with wood chips. Pass by the foot of the stele in homage to the soldiers of Madagascar (on the left) and then in front of the Guyana Pavilion (on the right). At the crossroads (statue; Tunisian Pavilion on the right), continue straight ahead. Pass the remains of the Moroccan Pavilion, then turn left. Pass the remains of the Congolese Pavilion, then turn right. You will come to a tarmac path (remains of greenhouses opposite).

Follow the tarmac path to the right and pass behind a stele on the right. Pass a tree at the foot of which there is a large block (probably basalt) and reach a crossroads at the foot of the Indochina Pavilion (totems opposite, René Dumont stele on the right).

Then turn right and cross a stream between a pond (on the left) and a fountain (on the right). At the end of the small bridge, turn left and walk past a rather dilapidated wooden building. At the T-junction, turn left and walk along the right-hand side of the Pavillon de Tunisie (seen previously).

At the end of the building, cross a stabilised path and take the path opposite. Pass a pond on your right and arrive at the foot of the monument to the Indochinese who died for France. Then turn right and pass between a decorated wall and a large urn (on the left) and the red Temple du Souvenir Indochinois (on the right).

Go straight ahead, cross a river and arrive at the foot of the monument to Cambodians and Laotians who died for France. On the left of the monument, take a path that leads into the undergrowth. Cross a stream and then follow it on your left. Return to the crossroads near the Temple du Souvenir Indochinois.

Cross the path you took earlier and continue straight ahead on a path covered with wood chips. Cross a stream and continue straight ahead. You will come to a paved path; follow it to the left. Pass under the Chinese Gate. Then make a short detour to the left to see some statues of republican symbols. Leave the garden through the gate you used on the way in (which is also the only access point).

Yellow markings

(1) With your back to the entrance gate, turn right and take either a wide sandy bridle path or a footpath, both of which run parallel to Avenue de la Belle Gabrielle. Walk along the right-hand side of the Jardin d'Agronomie Tropicale. At the^first crossroads, turn right onto Route des Merisiers. Cross a river.

(2) At the end of the bridge, immediately turn right onto a path that is not marked on the map. The path winds through the undergrowth, where a few young trees lying across the path force you to zigzag.

Yellow + red and yellow markings

You will come out onto a path; follow it to the right (fence on the right-hand side). Pass a small pond created by a mini-dam on the river you crossed earlier. You will then come to two paths (only one is marked on the map): take the one on the right and stay as close as possible to the river on your right.

Yellow + red and white markings

Cross a tarmac lane (Route Ronde des Minimes), continue on the path opposite and now follow the river on your left. At the next junction, go straight ahead.

(3) After a few dozen metres, turn sharply left and cross two footbridges to pass above an artificial waterfall. At the next intersection, keep to the right, follow a wide, stable path and walk along Lac des Minimes, which is only a small stretch of water at this point. Stay as close as possible to the lake, which gradually widens. Pass two red-plastered pavilions (on the left) and look out for a fork in the road shortly afterwards.

Yellow markings

(4) Then turn sharply left, cross a tarmac driveway and leave the red-plastered houses on your left. Follow a wide tarmac lane and, at the^first crossroads, continue straight ahead on Avenue des Minimes (ignore a yellow and blue arrow indicating a right turn). Shortly before a forest barrier and traffic lights, turn right onto a path running parallel to the road.

After about 20 metres, turn right at an acute angle. Walk along a fence on your left and an artificial river a short distance away. Ignore a path on the left and leave a pond on your left. Go straight ahead and follow a fence on your right. Cross a stabilised path and continue straight ahead. Come out onto another stabilised path and follow it to the right. Reach the edge of Lac des Minimes and turn left onto Route Circulaire. Pass a bus stop and reach the edge of an avenue at a traffic light.

(5) Cross the avenue at the traffic lights and, on the other side, follow the avenue to the left. After a 50 km/h speed limit sign, take the^first path on the right into the forest. Ignore a vague track on the left and turn right. You will come to a tarmac lane; follow it to the left. At the next junction (water point), turn right. At the next junction, go straight ahead.

Yellow + red and yellow markings

(6) At the next crossroads, turn left to quickly reach the imposing monument in honour of the composer Beethoven. Retrace your steps.

(6) Continue straight ahead (east) and follow a stabilised path lined with a fence on the right-hand side. At a fork, keep to the right. Join Avenue de la Dame Blanche and follow it to the right for a few dozen metres until you reach the crossroads.

(7) Here, you have two options:
- Return to the Fontenay-sous-Bois RER station via a quick route described in the practical information section.
- As shown on the map and described below, go straight ahead and cross Avenue de Fontenay at the pedestrian crossing. Follow the marked path that heads south-east and gradually turns south. Ignore the paths branching off to the sides.

Yellow markings

(8) At the crossroads, turn left. At the next crossroads, turn right. At the end of the path, cross Avenue de Nogent at the pedestrian crossing, cross a stabilised path and turn right onto a tarmac lane (Route de la Ménagerie). Take the^first left, cross a river and continue straight ahead along a wide gravel lane. This will take you to the entrance to the Jardin d'agronomie tropicale (Tropical Agronomy Garden).

Red and white markings

(1) Cross Avenue de la Belle Gabrielle and take Avenue des Châtaigniers. Continue straight ahead and turn left at the^second crossroads. You will soon see Nogent-sur-Marne station on your right.

To return home:
- RER - Line A, towards Boissy-Saint-Léger or Paris.

Train timetables: consult the Transilien website.

Good trainers are sufficient for this route, which follows tarmac paths and very good footpaths.

There are a few water points along the route, marked on the map.

Conditions of access to the Tropical Agronomy Garden:
- Opening time: 9.30 a.m.
- Closing time: 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. depending on the season. See detailed timetable.
Dogs are not allowed, even on a leash.

Variations:
Return to Fontenay-sous-Bois station - At (7), turn left, enter Fontenay-sous-Bois and follow Avenue du Président Roosevelt. Cross Avenue Foch, take the bridge over the railway line, then turn left into a shopping arcade to find the RER station (line A, towards Boissy-Saint-Léger or Paris). This shorter version is about 6 km long.
Visit to the tropical agronomy garden only - After visiting the garden (1), return directly to Nogent-sur-Marne station.

The yellow-marked circular route from (1) to (1) via Lac des Minimes is recommended by the Paris City Council and certified by the FFR. A detailed map is required (at least the one accompanying this description).

Hike completed by the author on 16 July 2022.

The René Dumont Tropical Agronomy Garden (1)

Occupying approximately 6 hectares in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, between the Bois de Vincennes and the commune of Nogent-sur-Marne, this garden was created in 1899. Originally, it was an experimental estate dedicated to agriculture in the French colonies. In 1907, it hosted the colonial exhibition and, on this occasion, several pavilions were built there. During the First World War, it housed a military hospital and a mosque. Gradually falling into disuse, the garden now hosts a small research and higher education campus (CIRAD, IEDES, Paris-1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University).

The pavilions that can be seen today, some fully restored, others in ruins, bear witness to France's colonial past: Morocco, Tunisia, Congo, Guyana, Indochina, etc. The inscriptions on the steles and war memorials reflect the paternalistic mindset (to say the least) of the time.

The complex is surrounded by abundant vegetation, which is lush in places.

On the rest of the route:
- Generally shaded path through the Bois de Vincennes.
- Artificial rivers.
- Lac des Minimes, from (3) to (5), also artificial.
- Imposing monument in homage to Beethoven (6).