The sprawling plain: from Le Plessis-Trévise to Chennevières-sur-Marne

Departure: Château des Tourelles Park, 19 Avenue de la Maréchale.

(S/E) Walk up Avenue de la Maréchale and turn left at the next junction onto Avenue du Domino Noir. At the end of the street, take the left-hand exit at the Rond-Point du Val Roger and turn left onto the avenue of the same name.

(1) At the next crossroads, situated in the centre, the Grille du Château de la Lande is the last remaining visible vestige of the old building demolished in 1943. Continue straight ahead, past the gate, onto Avenue du Parc de la Lande. At the junction, where the road splits into two, take whichever of the two streets you prefer; they rejoin further on. At the junction with Avenue du Chemin Vert, turn right, then left at the junction with Avenue du Tramway.

(2) At the roundabout, continue straight ahead towards the town centre along Avenue Ardouin for 300 metres. In the heart of Plessis-Trévise town centre, after the Jean Duhamel media library, at the fork by the kiosk on the covered market esplanade, continue to the right along Avenue Ardouin. 100 metres further on, on your right, preceded by a garden with straight lines, an elegant bourgeois villa, built in 1866, has housed the Plessis-Trévise town hall since 1923.

(3) Continue and, after 400 metres, at the roundabout, take Avenue Saint-Pierre on your right. Then go straight through the next roundabout, heading straight ahead. At the next junction with traffic lights, continue straight on for 700 metres along Avenue Maurice Ponroy. At the end, this road becomes a footpath called Chemin des Bordes au Plessis, leading you to the heart of the Plaine des Bordes. This former 58-hectare agricultural plain, classified as a sensitive natural area, includes a market garden, apiaries and allotments.

(4) Follow this path for 500 metres to the roundabout in the heart of the park. Continue straight on along Rue des Bordes. 150 metres after the^{second roundabout} , at the exit near No. 86, you will find the Plaine des Bordes Departmental Park.

(5) Continue along Rue des Bordes and turn left at the next junction onto Avenue Champlain. 150 metres further on, on your right, is the Regional Archery Training Centre. It is one of the largest centres for this discipline in the world. Established here for 160 years, the centre can accommodate groups, by booking, to introduce them to this sport of precision and concentration.

(6) Retrace your steps and turn left onto Rue des Bordes, continuing to the junction 1 km further on with Route de la Libération. Turn right onto it and follow this road for 1.5 km, heading towards the radio mast, easily recognisable from a distance by its height and its red and white colours. Completed in 1972 and standing 120 metres tall, it serves as an antenna for digital television and mobile phone signals. At the junction with Rue Molière, cross at the pedestrian crossing and take the left-hand pavement. 150 metres past the petrol station, turn left into a street leading to the rear entrance of the Parc du Fort de Champigny. Then follow the footpath to the right, running alongside the fort’s moats.

(7) Continue along the path that takes you round the semi-buried building on the left.

(8) Cross at the pedestrian crossing opposite the fort’s car park to take the pavement on the opposite side and head down Rue Aristide Briand to the left. At the next junction, turn right into the street named Place Mon Idée. After 50 metres, continue along the grassy path, cross two streets, including Rue Pierre Boucharinc, and continue along the footpath. At the end, take Ruelle Colombert opposite until the next junction. At the police station, turn right and, near the car park, stop off at Parc Corot, created in 1959 by the local council following the acquisition of the property belonging to Mr and Mrs Corot.

(9) Then turn right onto Rue du Pont, then left onto Rue du Général de Gaulle, heading towards the Espace Charles de Gaulle. Recognisable by its turret, the building houses the wedding hall. At the entrance gate to the Espace Charles de Gaulle, take the footpath along the Passage de l’École and go down the steps to reach Rue du Pont below.

(10) After taking a closer look at the vines, continue down the street, then cross at the next pedestrian crossing. Take the pavement on the right. After 150 metres, turn right onto Rue de la Marne. At the end, turn right onto Avenue de la Gare, until you reach No. 34, where the former Chennevières railway station is located. Built in 1929 on the “Grande Ceinture de Paris” line, this building, clad in salmon-pink brick, with a cut-stone base and light green ceramic decoration, bears the inscription “Chemin de Fer de Ceinture”.

(11) Continue along Avenue de la Gare and, at the next junction, turn left onto Rue d’Houin, passing under the railway line. At the end, turn left onto Rue de Champigny.

(12) At this junction, the restaurant l’Écu de France faces the Marne. Continue for 700 metres, passing the Château de l'Étape. On the hillside and along the banks of the Marne, admire the old holiday homes with their Anglo-Norman architecture or the Art Nouveau-style millstone houses, including part of the Château de l’Étape complex at No. 4. Before 1865, Chennevières was reached via a ferry that docked nearby.

(13) Continue on and cross the bridge,admiring the views of the river and the wooded river island of Casenave on either side. Continue straight ahead along Avenue du Bac for 700 metres to La Varenne – Chennevières station on the RER A line (E).

Accessibility
Start: Château des Tourelles Park, 19 Avenue de la Maréchale.
From Villiers-sur-Marne - Le Plessis-Trévise station (RER E), take bus 209 to the Château des Tourelles stop.
(Frequency: weekdays: every 20 mins; weekends: 20–30 mins).
Arrival: La Varennes-Chennevières station (RER A).

Places to visit
- Château des Tourelles and its exhibitions/events: the walk begins at the Parc du Château des Tourelles, located at 19 Avenue de la Maréchale. The name of the manor house, built around 1882, comes from the two pepper-pot towers situated at the corners of its façade. The millstone-built structure, adorned with bricks and stones, is a fine example of^19th-century bourgeois architecture in the Île-de-France region. Restored by the famous architect Viollet-le-Duc, this space has served as a venue for contemporary art exhibitions since 2001. The outbuildings also host art workshops. In the park, the pond, the small bridge and the dovecote complete a romantic panorama worthy of the Belle Époque.

- The Plaine des Bordes park in Chennevières-sur-Marne: a visitor centre offers a range of leisure activities, particularly for younger visitors: mini-golf, fitness trails or orienteering courses, racket sports and ball games. Equipment can be borrowed at certain times. Several areas are also provided for picnics.

- Champigny Fort in Chennevières-sur-Marne: built in 1878, the fort takes its name from the fact that it was used to protect the town of Champigny-sur-Marne. A fine example of^19th-century military architecture and part of Paris’s second fortified belt, the site covers 4 hectares. Follow the footpath running alongside the moats, which takes you round the semi-buried structure on the left. When you emerge on the other side, at the main entrance car park, you may wish to stop for a while in this wooded area. Various paths allow you to view certain well-preserved buildings from the outside, including the barracks for troops and officers and the powder magazine.

- Espace Charles de Gaulle: nearby, the music conservatoire occupies an all-stone building. 220 vines from the Clos Saint-Vincent are terraced below the garden. At the far end of the car park, the former town hall of Chennevières-sur-Marne, built in 1886, now houses an exhibition hall. Behind this building, on a hillside overlooking the Marne, the Terrasses de Chennevières offer one of the most remarkable panoramic views of the Paris region. On a clear day, you can see the Eiffel Tower or even the Sacré-Cœur.

- Restaurant Écu de France: built in 1717, this former coaching inn allowed travellers to rest during their long journeys. The Brousse family, who have owned the property for four generations, contributed to the creation of the guide ‘Les Grandes Tables du Monde’. Its bucolic setting has served as the backdrop for numerous film shoots, including Nick Quinn’s ‘La fleur de l’âge’, and its terrace ‘by the water’ has always welcomed many celebrities.

Suggested activity: Regional Archery Training Centre

For more information on the Regional ArcheryTraining Centre, click on this link.

Did you know?

This is unique in France: Le Plessis-Trévise has no ‘streets’, only avenues, roundabouts and lanes. Originally comprising two estates, the use of these terms has continued to name the new roads.

The Italian-sounding name of Le Plessis-Trévise comes from Marshal Mortier, who at the time owned an estate in what would become the town, and was made Duke of “Trévise” by Napoleon following his brilliant Italian campaign.