Leaving Mantes-la-Jolie, this provisional stage of the Seine à Vélo continues along the north bank of the river. The track leads around the Guernes Meander, once known for its cherry orchards. The song of migrating, nesting or wintering birds accompanies you as you pass the lakes at Flicourt, while at Port Ilon, boats find refuge from the river. In the hollow of another meander, Vétheuil appears, with its old winemakers’ houses laid out in tiers up the slope. Don’t miss the village church’s Renaissance façade and Claude Monet’s riverside house here. The chalk heights of Les Coteaux de la Seine Nature Reserve accompany you up to Haute-Isle, with its startling troglodytic church. Next, make for La Roche-Guyon, the only member of the association Les Plus Beaux Villages de France in the Ile-de-France Region surrounding Paris. Rising above its château, the keep looks like a lighthouse rising above the chalk cliffs. The French-style kitchen garden also makes quite an impression.

Sticking by the river, on this Seine à Vélo stage, follow in the footsteps of the great painter Claude Monet. Take a last look back at the Château de La Roche-Guyon and the charming village around it before heading off on Monet’s trail. This bucolic waterside stage incites contemplation. You leave the Ile de France Region for Normandy and the département (county) of Eure, heading for Giverny, then Vernon, with wonderful discoveries to make, not just from the Impressionist period, but also from medieval times. In Giverny, a tour of Claude Monet’s house and of the art museum, the Musée des Impressionnismes, are a must. Vernon’s museum also contains fine Impressionist works, including two original Claude Monet canvases. Along this stage, try the excellent local produce on offer, from the Château de la Roche-Guyon’s kitchen garden to the Vergers de Giverny orchards.