De Paris à Chartres à vélo
This short but pleasant section of La Véloscénie takes you from Epernon to Chartres. Meander through the Drouette Valley before joining the royal Eure Valley. The way along little roads leads to Maintenon's grand château and aqueduct. Pretty villages line the Eure as you join a greenway, with the towers of Chartres's Notre-Dame Cathedral calling from afar. You arrive at the dramatic capital of stained glass and light, the city of Chartres.
Visite of the Château de Versailles and its gardens
The Château de Versailles is a 17th-century masterpiece of French art and architecture and the ultimate symbol of French royal absolutism. Originally created for King Louis XIV (‘The Sun King’) as a hunting lodge, it grew into a centre of French government and is now a sumptuous museum plunging you into the heart of French history. Explore the king’s and queen’s apartments, the famed Hall of Mirrors, the royal chapel, the separate Grand and Petit Trianon buildings, plus the fabulous gardens designed by André Le Nôtre, with copses, fountains and mythological sculptures.
Under the trees of the Rambouillet estate
With its vast oak forests, ponds, sandy areas and steep-sided valleys, the Rambouillet Forest is a veritable green lung on the outskirts of the capital. Deer and other forest animals can be spotted in the wildlife parks of the Espace Rambouillet. The estate is home to the Château de Rambouillet, which has hosted major international meetings since the 1940s: Nikita Khrushchev, Gerald Ford, Mikhail Gorbachev and Nelson Mandela were all received there by successive French presidents.
The Château de Maintenon and its aqueduct
Work on the canal and aqueduct intended to carry water to the Palace of Versailles began in 1684 before being halted in 1689 due to the war. The remains of the aqueduct were gifted by the king to Madame de Maintenon along with the château as a gesture of atonement for the damage caused to her lands.
The towers of Chartres Cathedral
As well as visiting Chartres Cathedral, which is in itself a jewel of Gothic architecture and medieval religious art, a visit to the towers is not to be missed. At a height of 70 metres, you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of the old town of Chartres. The Jehan de Beauce spire allows you to appreciate the richness of the typical decoration of the Flamboyant Gothic period: fleurons, friezes imitating various plants, and gargoyles in the shape of fantastical animals.
.
Map of the cycle route
Map of the cycle route
1 Paris / Massy
2 Massy / Versailles
3 Versailles / St-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse
4 St-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse / Rambouillet
8 Rambouillet / Épernon
9 Épernon / Maintenon
