Visites guidées et événements à vélo pour les Journées du Patrimoine

The square in front of Paris’s Notre-Dame Cathedral counts as kilometre-zero in France; it’s where the Seine à Vélo cycle route officially begins. The way first leads you peacefully north out of the capital via the Canal Saint-Martin and its iconic, trendy quarter, offering a cliché of romantic Paris, before you branch off along the Canal Saint-Denis, with its startling Street Art Avenue outdoor art. Notre-Dame’s great sister church, the Basilica-Cathedral of Saint-Denis, holds the tombs of France’s royals. The route continues to Gennevilliers, a major river port for the Ile-de-France Region (around Paris), joining the Seine and its c.10km-long Promenade Bleue, using the river’s former towpaths. The Seine-side landscapes, partly industrial, partly rustic, inspired great Impressionist artists. Pause on the Ile des Impressionnistes at Chatou, at the terrace where Renoir painted Le Déjeuner des Canotiers, or at the iconic restaurant terrace of Les Rives de la Courtille, or then at the Hameau Fournaise. This first stage ends on the border between the counties of Hauts-de-Seine and Yvelines.

This stage takes you up to Rouen, nicknamed ‘the town of a hundred bell towers’. Passing first through the medieval heart of Pont-de-l’Arche, pause to appreciate its pretty location, where the rivers Eure and Seine meet. Also, don’t miss Notre Dame de Bonport Abbey, founded by Richard the Lionheart. Further west, Elbeuf, a former cloth-manufacturing town, has a free exhibition covering its rich industrial past, at La Fabrique des Savoirs. As to the Cirque Théâtre, one of just eight permanent circus buildings left standing in France, it’s also worth a tour. Back on the Seine’s towpath, impressive chalk cliffs carved out far back in time oversee your progress. Get up close to them by visiting the semi-troglodytic church at Orival. Then the surprising Forest of La Londe Rouvray offers you a green path into Rouen. This bustling city is crammed full of history; exploring its finely restored medieval heart proves a delight.