Along the Marne from Thorigny to Noisiel

Starting point and access: Lagny-Thorigny station.
- Transilien - Line P, on the section between Paris-Est and Meaux. Take the footbridge and then the Rue de la Gare exit.
- Bus - "Marne-la-Vallée" lines 02, 21, 23, 25, 26, 29, 42. The bus station is located along Rue de la Gare, right next to the train station.

No signage

(S) When you leave the station, cross Rue de Gare at the pedestrian crossing and, at the fork that immediately appears, turn right onto Rue de la Marne. Just before the bridge, turn right onto Quai Bizeau and follow the river on your left. Pass under a road bridge and continue straight ahead along the Marne on Quai Eugène Gaudineau.

(1) Go through a barrier and continue along the towpath. Follow this well-maintained path, shared with cyclists, for about 3.5 km. Stay as close to the river as possible and ignore all the turnings on the right. Walk alongside the allotments on the right. Go under a motorway bridge and then under some high-voltage power lines. Cross a footbridge over a stretch of water and then follow the lock that connects the Marne and the Chelles Canal.

Yellow and blue markings

(2) At the end of the lock, take a footbridge on the left. At the end of the footbridge, turn right and follow the towpath along the canal. Further on, this path veers slightly away from the canal. Continue along a tarmac road.

No markings

(3) Just before a bridge over the canal, turn left onto the tarmac road (do not go under the bridge). Pass a roundabout on your right and follow the sports grounds on your left (Stade Roger Sauvage on the map), either on a cycle path parallel to the D34A or on a small road with little traffic closer to the stadium. Shortly after the stadium entrance, join the cycle path (if you are not already on it) and climb up to the bridge over the Marne (Pont de Vaires). Cross the river, staying on the pavement of the bridge, away from the cycle path. At the end of the bridge, turn left at an acute angle and follow a slightly downhill tarmac road that leads to the banks of the Marne.

(4) Then turn left and go under the bridge. Cross a small river on a footbridge and continue straight ahead. Choose between two parallel paved paths that join further on, the one on the right being narrower and closer to the river. Pass between the building and the landing stage of a canoe and kayak centre and continue straight ahead on the gravel path for another 50 metres or so.

Yellow signposting

(5) When you reach some dilapidated buildings (an old mill), take a footbridge on the right over a small inlet to reach Île de Douvres. Ignore a vague path on the right and follow a boardwalk through a reed bed. At the end, continue along a winding gravel path. Finally, take a footbridge to cross the small inlet again.

(6) At the crossroads that immediately appears, turn right. Return to the banks of the Marne and pass at the foot of a large fenced-off hangar. Further on, the path gives way to a wooden pontoon.

(7) Take a footbridge to cross a branch of the Marne and go around the old Menier chocolate factory on the right. Pass the Noisiel dam and walk at the foot of the tallest building of the old factory (La Cathédrale on the map). Take a footbridge to cross the branch of the Marne again. At the end of the footbridge, turn left then right to enter Noisiel Park. You will immediately come to a three-way junction.

Without signposts

(8) Take the wide path on the right. Walk along the lawn on your left and note the Marne river some distance away on your right. When the path turns left, continue straight ahead and take a footbridge over a small stream. At the end of the footbridge, turn left and follow a boardwalk through a wetland area. After a right turn, at the^first intersection, turn left and cross the stream again on a footbridge.

(9) At the end of the footbridge, turn right twice at the foot of a large sequoia tree, then go straight ahead (the^first two paths on the left shown on the OSM map do not exist). Take the^first path on the left, at an acute angle, and go uphill. Cross a vague path and continue uphill. At the triple fork, take the middle path between two small walls. Ignore a path coming from the right and then a vague path on the left.

(10) At the next intersection (information signs), turn right. Pass under a large cedar tree, leave a playground on your left and continue on the correct path that crosses a lawn. Turn left with the path and follow the lawn on your left. Ignore a path coming from the right and, at the next intersection, turn right to take the gate out of the park.

Yellow + red and yellow markings

(11) Cross a road (D217b) and follow a paved path opposite. After a few dozen metres, take either of the two parallel paths (the sign is on the right; the left path, which corresponds to the route on the map, seems less frequented). Cross a four-lane road (D199) and then cross a street at the pedestrian crossing. Continue straight ahead. At the end of the lane, cross a street, climb a few steps and immediately turn right to reach Noisiel station (E).

To return home:
- RER - Line A, towards Paris or Marne-la-Vallée.
- Bus - Lines 211, 213, 220.

Train timetables: consult the Transilien website.

Good sports shoes or low-cut hiking boots are suitable for this route, which is mainly on well-maintained paths.

Bars and shops near the departure stations (S) and arrival stations (E).

Access to public areas:
(5) Conditions of access to the Isle of Dover
Protected natural area where dogs are not allowed, even on a leash. If you have a dog, or if access to the footbridge is closed, continue straight ahead and rejoin the main route at the end of the second footbridge (6), approximately 250 m further on.
(8) Noisiel Park opening hours
- November to February: 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- March-April and September-October: 8:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
- May to August: 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Useful detailed map (at least the one accompanying this description).

Hike completed by the author on 10 February 2022.

- Pleasant walk along the Marne between (S) and (2) and between (4) and (8).
- Chelles Canal between (2) and (3).
- Reed bed on the Île de Douvres, between (5) and (6), and the wetlands of the Parc de Noisiel, before (9).
- Former Menier chocolate factory (19th century) between (7) and (8).
- Noisiel Park, between (8) and (11), with several remarkable trees: plane tree, sequoia, cedar, etc.