1250 km pour découvrir la Normandie dans tous ses états !
Une boucle magistrale pour s'immerger dans les milles ambiances normandes : entre fleuves, rivières, littoral, campagne, petits villages, patrimoine historique ou industriel ! Au départ du centre de Paris, on s'échappe vers les méandres de la Seine avant de rejoindre le littoral, à Honfleur. S'ensuit un parcours côtier jusqu'aux Plages du Débarquement qui bifurquera au sud à Carentan, le long de la Vire, fleuve normand. Le Mont-Saint-Michel, point d'orgue du parcours, s'approche ! Une fois atteint, le retour à la capitale en ligne de mire vers l'est par l'Orne et le Perche, surprenants de verdures ... et de relief !
- Départ : Paris
- Distance : 1250 km
- Balisage : 3 grands itinéraires
- La Seine à Vélo de Paris à Honfleur (420 km)
- La Vélomaritime de Honfleur au Mont-Saint-Michel (380 km)
- La Véloscénie du Mont-Saint-Michel à Paris (450 km)
- Tracé : télécharger le tracé GPX
Accès rapide : Seine - Plages Débarquement - Côte Fleurie - Vallée de la Vire - Mont-Saint-Michel - Bocage Normand / Perche - Vallée Chevreuse / Versailles
Au fil des méandres de la Seine
Depuis Paris, on serpente au fil du Canal Saint-Martin avant de rejoindre les berges de l'iconique fleuve. Entre halages et petites routes, c'est un patrimoine inattendu que l'on découvre aux portes de la capitale.
Un milieu mêlant verdure et urbain, au fil des méandres où se nichent de petites villes et leurs belles demeures tout autant que falaises et sites naturels d'exception.
Sans oublier les hauts-lieux de l'Impressionnisme : Chatou et son île des Impressionnistes, lieu d'inspiration de Renoir; Giverny, village de Monet ou encore la Frette-sur-Seine et sa promenade des peintres.
Découverte de la Côte Fleurie
De la Baie de Seine à l'estuaire de l'Orne, la Côte Fleurie se déroule sous vos roues. Au fil du littoral, les stations balnéaires emblématiques s'enchaînent : villas et manoirs Belle Époque, plages splendides, petits ports de charme... D'Honfleur à Cabourg en passant par Deauville ou Houlgate, cette portion se fera sous le signe du charmant et du chic !
Côté nature, les innombrables plages invitent bien sûr à la baignade, mais ce n'est pas tout ! Les falaises des Vaches Noires entre Houlgate et Villiers-sur-Mer, hautes de plus de 100 mètres sont incontournables, ou encore le marais de Blonville, riche espace naturel de prairies humides quadrillés de canaux.
Sur la route des Plages du Débarquement
Peu avant votre arrivée à la Baie de Sallenelles, entre l'Orne et la Manche, une parenthèse historique s'ouvre : vous cheminez maintenant sur les Plages du Débarquement.
Jusque Carentan, ce voyage dans le temps est rythmé par les noms de plages données en l'honneur du débarquement des alliés du 6 juin 1944 : Sword Beach, Gold Beach, Omaha Beach ou Utah Beach, lieux témoins de la célèbre Bataille de Normandie.
Au rythme de la vallée de la Vire
La Vallée de la Vire, ancrée dans le bocage normand, est votre terrain de jeux et fil conducteur entre Carentan et Vire, ville éponyme au fleuve.
De vallons en vallées, en canal ou sauvage, la Vire vous offrira une escapade nature au fil de l'eau. Un chemin de halage tentant d'en suivre ses multiples méandres fera office de fil conducteur, marqué par les différents ports fluviaux qui le ponctue.
Merveilleuse arrivée au Mont-Saint-Michel à vélo
Clou du spectacle, l'arrivée au Mont-Saint-Michel à vélo est un moment unique. Surmonté d'une abbaye qui est un chef d'œuvre de l'art gothique, l'îlot fait face aux plus fortes marées d'Europe.
La baie du Mont-Saint-Michel alterne entre étendue marine et grève ridée. Une approche pédestre dans la baie est possible avec un accompagnateur.
Du bocage Normand aux collines du Perche
C'est à rebrousse chemin du tracé original de La Véloscénie que vous vous élancez ! Sur une douce voie verte, la nature verdoyante du Bocage Normand s'ouvre à vous : forêts, rivières intimes, cascades à Mortain et petits bourgs de caractère jusqu'au village médiéval de Domfront.
Les collines du Perche prennent ensuite le relai, dévoilant un paysage de campagne parsemé de moulins, manoirs et petits villages se succédant au rythme des petits vallons.
La Vallée royale de l'Eure
De Chartres à Paris, vous êtes sur la voie royale ! Châteaux, cathédrales, grands jardins ... un patrimoine médiéval hors du temps à explorer.
En chemin, une halte s'impose à Maintenon avec son aqueduc et son château, avant d'approcher le domaine de Rambouillet. Ici, la nature côtoie le faste : un splendide château est niché au cœur de la forêt.
Le point d'arrivée s'approche "enfin" à grands pas : la Vallée de Chevreuse vous guidera vers Versailles et ses jardins, chef d'oeuvre du XVIIème siècle, avant de boucler la boucle en rejoignant Paris, après plus de 1200 kilomètres de voyage à travers la Normandie et ses alentours !
💡 Un voyage testé & approuvé par l'aventurier Matthieu Tordeur : son récit à lire et visionner ici !
Tailor-made itineraries
Tailor-made itineraries
1 Paris / Chatou
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.
2 Chatou / Conflans-Sainte-Honorine
This Seine à Vélo stage transports you back from the Impressionist period to the times when boatmen and mariners ruled these parts. Do explore the Saint Germain Boucles de Seine area, plunging into French royal and imperial history, Impressionist painting and the imaginary worlds of writer Dumas and composer Debussy… The State forests of Saint-Germain and Marly-le-Roi serve as green lungs for Paris’s western suburbs. Pushing further west, tucked between the Seine and its valley’s slopes, the route leads to La Frette-sur-Seine, nicknamed ‘the pearl of the county of Val d’Oise’. The cycle path runs along its quays, lined with splendid 19th-century villas, with outdoor copies of paintings on display by the likes of Pissarro, Marquet and Daubigny, immortalizing the Seine here.
Finally, you reach Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, capital of traditional Seine navigation in these parts, offering an intense taste of the French art of living.
Finally, you reach Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, capital of traditional Seine navigation in these parts, offering an intense taste of the French art of living.
3 Conflans-Sainte-Honorine / Mantes-la-Jolie
The Seine à Vélo leaves behind the old Seine boatmen’s capital, heading for Mantes-la-Jolie, with its impressive riverside collegiate church. Nature begins to make its presence felt as you cycle west along the Seine’s meanders, past islands. Make a short detour to Poissy, a town with a rich architectural heritage, influences going from 13th-century French king St Louis to modernist architect Le Corbusier and his Villa Savoye. Next, don’t miss the Parc du Peuple de l’Herbe, with 113 hectares of nature to discover. Continue to the Ile de Loisirs du Val de Seine at Verneuil-sur-Seine. This Leisure Island provides an ideal stop for relaxing by the water, enjoying many outdoor activities, including, in warmer weather, swimming.
Gradually, the urban atmosphere gives way to the rural, and to bucolic landscapes. The Vexin area now welcomes you…
Gradually, the urban atmosphere gives way to the rural, and to bucolic landscapes. The Vexin area now welcomes you…
4 Mantes-la-Jolie / La Roche-Guyon
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.
5 La Roche-Guyon / Vernon
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.
6 Vernon / Les Andelys
Leaving Vernon, its Seine-side quays and the Vieux Moulin, a picturesque watermill, echoes of Impressionist settings and colours are still easy to pick up. Continue west along the Seine towpaths, once vital to commercial trading along the river. Passing lakes and sand-extracting works, you also encounter medieval Norman history, in the form of the mighty Château-Gaillard, dominating the town of Les Andelys since the 12th century.
7 Les Andelys / Poses
Leaving Les Andelys, admire the magnificent cliffs rising above the Seine. The river’s winding meanders lead you to the small village of Poses, once a centre for Seine mariners, its towpath in an idyllic setting. Learn about the river boatmen’s life and life along the river via the two boats-cum-museums recounting this story, via mariners’ graffiti on the church walls, and via the dam here, with its Seinoscope, allowing you to view fish passing through. One meander follows another, with islands in the stream, the settings unspoilt. To relax at the end of your day, enjoy a refreshing visit to the outdoor leisure activities centre at Léry-Poses, based around lakes right beside the Seine, and to Biotropica, an animal park next door.
8 Poses / Rouen
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.
9 Rouen / La Bouille
Leaving the bell towers of Normandy’s capital behind, cranes take over the skyline, signalling Europe’s largest port for the exporting of cereals. Enormous cargo vessels, some almost 300m in length, load up here. Gradually, heading west, the atmosphere changes, as typical Norman villages with old sandstone and timber-frame houses follow. You arrive in the heart of the Parc Naturel Régional des Boucles de la Seine Normande, where the relaxing feel is added to by the slow coming and going of vessels. Before boarding the ferry across the Seine to reach La Bouille, stop to see the gardens at the Château de Soquence, with a beautiful viewpoint over the river. On the other bank, you can spot the Château de Robert le Diable, historic guardian of this Seine meander. La Bouille, birthplace of 19th-century writer Hector Malot, proved a source of inspiration for Impressionist painters and makes a lovely place to stop.
10 La Bouille / Jumièges
The Seine à Vélo cycle route leaves a spot so special to the Impressionists to follow the Route des Fruits, or Fruit Route. As well as admiring apple, pear, plum and cherry orchards, bearing fruit in different months, make the most of a trip into the heart of the Parc Naturel Régional des Boucles de la Seine Normande to visit local producers. Foodies might plan a special stop in the riverside town of Duclair, to taste its traditional speciality, pressed duck. If keen on history, visit the Château du Taillis, its museum dedicated to the war in Normandy in August 1944. End this stage in style, taking your bike on the ferry over to Yville-sur-Seine to reach the village of Jumièges, dominated by one of Normandy’s most remarkable medieval Benedictine abbeys. Victor Hugo described it as ‘France’s most beautiful ruin’. In this contemplative spot, enjoy a reflective pause before embarking on the last stages of the route, either heading to Le Havre along the north bank of the Seine Estuary, or to Honfleur and Deauville along the south bank.
13 Jumièges / Marais-Vernier
This Seine à Vélo stage takes you meandering through the typical Norman scenery of the Brotonne Forest and Vernier Marsh. First, cross the Seine by ferry at Jumièges. Then the route leads you along the river’s south bank, offering the finest views over the Seine. Arriving at Aizier, La Route des Chaumières (or Thatched Cottages Route) takes you to the edge of the Marais-Vernier, a precious natural site, its unique ecosystem extending across 4,500 hectares. You cross undulating landscapes providing a mix of natural riches, traditional Norman architecture and some startling encounters, in the form of storks and Camargue white horses. Along the way, make time to stop at the Maison du Parc Naturel des Boucles de la Seine Normande, a visitor centre that explains all about these parts and the flora and fauna here.
14 Marais-Vernier / Honfleur
As the Seine à Vélo route leaves behind the extensive wetlands of the Marais-Vernier and their marvels, continue riding through tranquil Norman countryside up to the Seine’s banks and the charming village of Berville-sur-Mer. The route takes you right through the heart of this old fishing port. Stop at its esplanade to admire the splendid view across to two bridges, the Pont de Tancarville and the Pont de Normandie, rising magnificently above the Seine. Back on your bike, you draw closer to the latter. As to the enchanting port of Honfleur, it hides just behind it. Explore the harbour’s utterly picturesque streets, enjoying a well-deserved stop here. The place drew numerous Impressionist painters, intent on immortalizing this Norman gem.
15 Honfleur / Deauville
Enjoy a last look back at the historic port of Honfleur, a cradle for early Impressionists, before the Seine à Vélo leads you into the beautiful verdant meadows of the Pays d’Auge area. The finest race horses are trained here, while the grazing cows produce some of Normandy’s finest cheeses. The route takes you to Pont-l’Évêque, the name of the town also carried by an excellent local cheese. Foodies will enjoy trying local Calvados apple brandy too. Rows of apple trees line the way to Deauville’s great beach, like fans encouraging you in your final effort to reach the line at the end of the cycle route! So you arrive at the seaside and broad sands decorated with colourful parasols. Leave your bike to one side to enjoy the reward of a swim and a good rest. Just across the Dives Estuary stands the historic port of Trouville, a tempting place to taste an array of seafood by the fish market.
37 Cabourg / Deauville
The stretch of Normandy coast known as the Côte Fleurie bears its name well, as you'll see, following this Vélomaritime stage. Note too the great many beach huts that line the way, fiercely competing in designs and colours! Do pause to explore the resort of Houlgate with its Belle Époque villas and admire the first limestone cliffs of eastern Normandy, Les Vaches Noires, at Villers-sur-Mer. There follows a more demanding stretch, your reward coming in the shape of Mont Canisy, a hill providing 360° views over the sea and the Normandy countryside.
36 Ouistreham / Cabourg
After enjoying a well-deserved swim from one of Ouistreham's beaches, time to continue your Vélomaritime trip. The cycle route takes you down beside the Orne River, which you cross via the famed Pegasus Bridge, at the most iconic spot secured by the Allies at the start of D-Day 1944, then you carry on back north beside the Bay of the Orne. A paradise for birds and people who love unspoilt nature, this enchanting area is well explained at the Maison de la Nature in Sallenelles. Once back at the coast, an iconic resort along Normandy's Côte Fleurie comes into view, Cabourg, where great Belle Epoque writer Marcel Proust left an indelible mark.
35 Arromanches-les-Bains / Ouistreham
Cycling beside the beaches along this stage, you can't help but think of the soldiers who landed in these parts during D-Day and beyond in summer 1944. British and French soldiers came ashore at Sword Beach, Canadians at Juno Beach. The Vélomaritime leaves Arromanches via minor roads that offer 360° views of the sea and the oyster parks below. Take a break at the fishing port of Courseulles-sur-Mer, where a daily fish market takes place on the quays. This stage also allows you to admire Normandy's Côte de Nacre seaside villas, recalling the earliest days of tourist sea-bathing, along with the iconic beach huts.
34 Port-en-Bessin-Huppain / Arromanches-les-Bains
At the start of this stage stands Port-en-Bessin, its port always lively when the fishing boats return, particularly during the scallop season. Head on to discover pretty villages, their lanes lined with long stone walls, and manor-style farms dotted along narrow country lanes. You then reach Arromanches and its famed artificial Mulberry Harbour, towed over from England following the D-Day landings of 6 June 1944 as part of the greater Operation Overlord to win back Normandy.
33 Grandcamp-Maisy / Port-en-Bessin-Huppain
Here, you cycle in the tracks of the Allies' D-Day landings of 6 June 1944. Shortly after Grandcamp-Maisy, stop at the Pointe du Hoc, the German artillery battery on this steep headland fiercely fought over, as is movingly recalled. Then this stage, still being laid out at time of writing, leads you via a provisional route behind the coast. Midway along, a link takes you to Omaha Beach, where the majority of American troops landed on D-Day, under terrible enemy fire. Finally, at Port-en-Bessin, reward yourself with a fine seafood platter at a quay-side restaurant.
32 Carentan-les-Marais / Grandcamp-Maisy
You start off along the Vélomaritime from Carentan taking a rather unusual bridge-canal, on which boats and cyclists cross at a higher level than the cars! The route then takes you around the Baie des Veys, an estuary where four rivers converge, offering a peaceful haven for birds and common seals who appreciate the plentiful food supply. You then reach Isigny-sur-Mer, synonymous for human gastronomes with fine butter, cream and cheese! After enjoying a wander through the marshes and alongside the Aure River, you arrive back at the coast at Grandcamp-Maisy.
24 Saint-Jean-de-Daye / Carentan-les-Marais
You leave behind the typical Normandy hedge-divided fields to enter wetlands boasting an impressive network of channels and canals. The Vélomaritime here also leads you into the heart of one of France's main horse-breeding areas. Keep your eyes peeled for signs indicating the way to local racecourses. Reaching Carentan, nestled in the Baie des Veys, its yachting harbour immediately takes you back to a coastal atmosphere on your cycling adventure.
23 Saint-Lô / Saint-Jean-de-Daye
The dynamic town of Saint-Lô, despite being heavily bombed in 1944 as World War II was reaching a climax in France, has preserved an exceptional heritage, notably the national stud farm, the Haras National, which you can visit, and the town's medieval ramparts. The Vélomaritime cycle route then continues beside the Vire Canal, meandering along up to St-Jean-de-Daye, through picture-postcard countryside.
22 Pont-Farcy / Saint-Lô
Your cycling trip continues gently along the picture-postcard Vire towpath, with peaceful meadows where sheep and horses graze, wild hedges full of flowers in season, and enchanting villages, including lively little Tessy-sur-Vire. Along the way, don't miss the detour to Les Roches de Ham, providing spectacular views over the Vire Valley and the Pays Saint-Lois area. The Vire's waters long attracted numerous craftspeople, including weavers, tanners and washerwomen, while many barges, houseboats and gabarres, traditional boats, are still to be seen along this picturesque valley.
21 Vire Normandie / Pont-Farcy
The Vire Valley acts as the thread along this Vélomaritime stage. After a stretch of greenway, you ride along minor roads through Normandy hedge-row-divided fields and valleys. With its ups and downs, this stage provides splendid views over the Vire's meanders and leads to La Ferrière-Harang, followed by the peaceful village of Pont-Farcy, nestled in a green corner beside the river. Highlight of the day is perhaps cycling under the grand Souleuvre Viaduct.
20 Mortain-Bocage / Vire Normandie
The sound of the largest waterfalls in northwest France still ringing in your ears, continue riding along a greenway through the hedge-divided fields of the Normandy bocage. Here, green dominates the scene and the typical Normandy countryside imparts a feeling of well-being. Once past Sourdeval, the Vélomaritime route leads on to Vire, a town rebuilt after the 1944 Allied bombings. The place has preserved its lively traditional market and is reputed for its culinary and craft heritage.
19 Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët / Mortain-Bocage
Leading you along slopes, this Vélomaritime stage guides you gently towards Mortain, at the green heart of Normandy's extensive area of typical hedge-divided fields, known as the bocage, and located where our route meets the Véloscénie cycle route. The greenway on this stage takes you close to the enchanting Cance waterfall. Do go and see it in its wild, steep setting, clearly showing how this part of Normandy is part of the wider Armorican granite peninsula.
18 Ducey-Les Chéris / Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët
This Vélomaritime stage shares the way with the Véloscénie cycle route, taking you along a former railway track converted into a greenway, leading to St-Hilaire du Harcouët. Founded and fortified by a comrade-in-arms to William the Conqueror, this fortress town strategically placed between the Cotentin Peninsula, Brittany and French Maine (now in the Pays de la Loire Region) offers a variety of activities in summer based around the Plans d'eau du Prieuré, a series of lakes.
17 Mont-Saint-Michel / Ducey-Les Chéris
The Vélomaritime route leaves Normandy's Marvel behind, taking you via minor roads across salt-meadows. Make the most of the last glimpses you're afforded across to the Mont Saint-Michel set in its great bay before reaching the Sélune Estuary, your gateway to the traditional bocage normand landscapes, consisting of hedge-divided fields. A lovely greenway leads you gently to the centre of the well-flowered village of Ducey.
17 Mont-Saint-Michel / Ducey-Les Chéris
The Vélomaritime route leaves Normandy's Marvel behind, taking you via minor roads across salt-meadows. Make the most of the last glimpses you're afforded across to the Mont Saint-Michel set in its great bay before reaching the Sélune Estuary, your gateway to the traditional bocage normand landscapes, consisting of hedge-divided fields. A lovely greenway leads you gently to the centre of the well-flowered village of Ducey.
18 Ducey-Les Chéris / Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët
This Vélomaritime stage shares the way with the Véloscénie cycle route, taking you along a former railway track converted into a greenway, leading to St-Hilaire du Harcouët. Founded and fortified by a comrade-in-arms to William the Conqueror, this fortress town strategically placed between the Cotentin Peninsula, Brittany and French Maine (now in the Pays de la Loire Region) offers a variety of activities in summer based around the Plans d'eau du Prieuré, a series of lakes.
23 Mortain / St-Hilaire-du-Harcouët
The enchanting Cance waterfalls are a focal point of the powerful local terrain, carving between steep hills, an untamed heart of ‘Armorican Normandy’. The greenway then heads towards St-Hilaire which precedes your arrival in the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel.
22 Barenton / Mortain
The village of Mortain stands out on its hillside at the heart of the green Bocage Normand area. It also stands at the crossroads of La Véloscénie and Le Tour de Manche cycle routes. This stage of La Véloscénie is almost entirely on greenways, except for the unavoidable link to Mortain.
21 Domfront / Barenton
The exit from Domfront isn't easy, with a steep slope and a lot of traffic. However, La Véloscénie then joins a greenway, allowing you to enjoy the beautiful, typical Bocage Normand countryside, particularly beside the Sélune River.
20 Bagnoles-de-l'Orne / Domfront
This stage takes you through beautiful, quintessential Normandy countryside, with traditional hedgerows, apple orchards and woods. You cycle along quiet roads, one like a balcony overlooking Les Andaines Forest.
19 Carrouges / Bagnoles-de-l'Orne
You alternate between quiet country roads and portions taking you through forests before arriving at Bagnoles-de-l'Orne. This pretty Norman thermal spa resort sits in a very green setting and will happily cater to exhausted cyclists ! Follow a treatment and you may head off reinvigorated !
18 Alençon / Carrouges
La Véloscénie meanders along quiet roads through the Pays d'Alençon area up to the Château de Carrouges, headquarters of the Normandie-Maine Park. Enjoy delightful views onto Ecouves Forest before the challenging stretch to reach Carrouges, only suitable for the fit!
17 Le Mêle-sur-Sarthe / Alençon
You're on a greenway for this stage of La Véloscénie, with just a short stretch on roads to take you through hamlets around the A 28 motorway and another to reach Alençon town centre. A delightful trail leads through the Bourse Forest, beside the Vésone River.
16 Mortagne-au-Perche / Le Mêle-sur-Sarthe
La Véloscénie continues along the greenway from Condé-sur-Huisne to Alençon. You just swap the Parc Naturel Régional du Perche for the adjoining Parc Naturel Régional Normandie-Maine, just before Le Mêle-sur-Sarthe. The lake here provides a refreshing halt, one that children greatly appreciate.
15 Rémalard / Mortagne-au-Perche
Continue along the greenway hugging the Huisne River and cross through the heart of the Parc Naturel Régional du Perche. In many places, perhaps half-hidden by trees, you'll spot a typical old manor or restored mill. All told, this is one of the most enchanting stages along La Véloscénie.
14 Nogent-le-Rotrou / Rémalard
At the start of this stage of La Véloscénie you follow undulating little forest roads. Then you join the greenway from Condé-sur-Huisne to Alençon, cycling beside the Huisne River. Enjoy the total peace and quiet of this long country section up to Rémalard.
13 Thiron-Gardais / Nogent-le-Rotrou
La Véloscénie continues to follow small country roads across the Perche's hills; these do require some effort to climb. As a reward, enjoy the splendid views from their heights. Finally, you pass the Château St-Jean arriving at Nogent-le-Rotrou.
12 Illiers-Combray / Thiron-Gardais
You mainly follow ordinary roads along this stage of La Véloscénie, taking you from the Beauce Plain to the edge of the Perche. Little Thiron-Gardais is a gateway into this beautiful rustic area and provides a surprise with its remarkable abbey and grounds.
11 Chartres / Illiers-Combray
After a last look back at luminous Chartres Cathedral, this stage leads you on towards the Loir (without an 'e') Valley and Illiers-Combray. This place is devoted to memory of the great novelist Marcel Proust. Around Illiers, the countryside begins to change from the Beauce Plain to the more undulating landscapes that typify the Perche area.
10 Maintenon / Chartres
Heading out from Maintenon, the aquaduct's arches form a grand backdrop to the first part of this stage. Following the Eure Valley, the countryside has a rustic charm. Then Chartres Cathedral beckons, an unmissable goal as you cycle along the roads on this stage of La Véloscénie.
9 Épernon / Maintenon
Epernon, on the edge of Rambouillet Forest, stands in a very green setting. As you head on along roads, the pretty local architecture adds to the pleasure of the trip. You arrive at the town of Maintenon, where Eure and Voise Rivers meet. The Château de Maintenon and the Vauban aqueduct close by will impress you.
8 Rambouillet / Épernon
The route is provisional for this last stage before you leave the Ile-de-France Region, but it is very charming. After exploring the Jardin Anglais at Rambouillet, join the Guéville Valley, with pleasant little roads leading to the pretty town of Epernon, perched above the confluence of three rivers.
4 St-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse / Rambouillet
Here you discover the Chevreuse Valley, full of many treasures: châteaux, museums, old wash houses… This stage, before arriving in Rambouillet, is packed with things to see, but is more geared to intermediate cyclists, as there are a steep slope in Choisel and traffic is very heavy on two sections. Those who tackle this stage will be rewarded by some beautiful landscapes.
3 Versailles / St-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse
After a royal stop in Versailles, head for the Natural Park of the Chevreuse Valley, a regional park with such a rich natural, cultural and architectural heritage. This stage is rather difficult and is suited to seasoned cyclists. You cycle through authentic villages, but the most surprising awaits you on the next stage.
2 Massy / Versailles
Take a deep breathe, you arrive in the Yvelines county, the wooded area of Ile-de-France. Next step: Versailles and its amazing Palace. Discover the Hall of Mirrors and the stunning gardens designed by Le Nôtre as well as many other surprises. To reach Versailles, follow the Bièvre valley and enjoy the UNESCO world heritage of this royal city!
1 Paris / Massy
Once you have found the wind rose marking the kilometer zero, you can head for Montparnasse and the place de la Catalogne, which is the start of a 15 km-long greenway for an easy and safe exit from the heart of the capital! This famous Coulée verte is a continuous linear park that takes you without a car to Massy. Do not hesitate to make a stop in the remarkable park of Sceaux along the route!
