One meander among many
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From Cormeilles to Herblay
The banks at Cormeilles-en-Parisis are the least extensive. The future Seine Parisii district is currently under construction (see below). Continuing north, we come to La Frette-sur-Seine. A land of Impressionist painters from the 19th to the early 20th century, its landscapes have remained unchanged. Following the banks from south to north, you pass through a vast area dedicated to sports and leisure, before following the Quai de Seine. Attractive houses line the banks, which can be enjoyed by pedestrians and cyclists alike. A few permanent residents have chosen to live on the barges moored here. Nicknamed "The Pearl of the Val d'Oise", La Frette-sur-Seine is resolutely river-oriented. There's a sailing club and a landing stage for cruise ships. The town's tourist vocation is asserting itself, but local life is no less intense in fine weather along the river. Restaurants and "guinguettes" open their terraces, sometimes right down to the quays, which have undergone an attractive refurbishment. Continuing north, you come to Herblay-sur-Seine. It's no coincidence that the town's name has referred to the river only since 2018: it's a clear indication that the town, also known for its shopping areas a few kilometers away, is first and foremost a city whose river aspect deserves to be known. The Quai de Paris is followed here by the Quai du Génie, in an environment similar to the one you discovered at La Frette-sur-Seine. Here, too, the riverbanks have been largely landscaped, and you can take a break on one of the many benches along the way. Once you reach the Maison du Passeur, a pretty ochre-coloured building that houses a charming restaurant, you can take a break from your journey. Here, too, summers are lively. Further along, the residential character of the quays becomes more pronounced, and the tranquility of the area is total - barely disturbed by the activity of the town's yacht club, which offers a wide range of activities, from sailing to water skiing. The Quai du Génie is followed by the Quai de Gaillon, and then the towpath: houses become rarer, and natural spaces take over on both banks. Opposite you, the island of Herblay-sue-Seine (see below). Last but not least, the banks of the Seine are an integral part of the "La Seine à vélo" cycling itinerary. The latter, which links the capital to the estuary, runs as far as Rouen, where it splits into two routes: the first to Le Havre via the right bank, the second to Deauville via the left bank. On the territory of the Val Parisis conurbation - which is logically listed among the points of interest - the linear route is very easy for cyclists. Many cyclists are content to cycle only the latter, and rightly so!
Impressionist painters
Pontoise is often referred to as the main place of inspiration for Impressionist painters, but this would be to overlook the banks of the Seine, which also left their mark on this school of painting by virtue of the many works produced here. Nature, the Seine and the reflections of the sky in the river were all artistic possibilities, well grasped by great names. Indeed, it was in the 1840s that painters left their Parisian studios to paint landscapes in total immersion with nature. The opening of a rail network putting the area only a few dozen minutes from the capital, making travel much more efficient, gave the disciples of the Barbizon school the opportunity to take to the great outdoors. This is how Diaz, Daubigny, Pissarro, Corot and Rousseau - to name but a few - sublimated spaces, some of which have remained virtually unchanged. As you stroll along the banks of the Seine near La Frette, you'll have the opportunity to discover the painters' itineraries. You'll be able to admire some 15 reproductions of the works in the exact locations where they were created: these are all cultural stops which, beyond the purely aesthetic aspect of the works, make you even more aware of the beauty of the places you're visiting. If you want to walk through these places, you can follow the GR2, which runs along the Seine all the way to its estuary. In parallel, a few kilometers further inland, in Montigny-lès-Cormeilles, you'll discover a beautiful urban walk dedicated to this artistic movement: called the Impressionist Walk, it can be reached via Rue Auguste Renoir.
Ferry boats
The Herblay-sur-Seine and La Frette-sur-Seine ferries are open in fine weather. The landing stage of the first is on the right bank, at the "Maison du Passeur", and joins the left bank, from where you can walk along the riverbank in a rural setting. The second, at La Frette, takes you aboard at the pontoon opposite 39, quai de Seine, and joins the other bank in just a few moments: here, no housing, just nature and you. Note that you can take the first ferry and return with the second, as long as you take note of the timetable! Both ferries operate in fine weather (many people take their picnics to lunch in the sun on the opposite banks), and are entirely free of charge. Accessible only to pedestrians (pets are allowed), they offer you more than just a river crossing - they give you the chance to admire the area from a different point of view: the hillsides are yours to explore, and that's the best way to see them.
Herblay Island
It seems a little mysterious, and will remain so: it's at Herblay-sur-Seine, in the last few hectometres before reaching Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, that you can discover the Ile d'Herblay-sur-Seine. If it's not immediately obvious from the right bank that this is an island, it's because it's separated from the left bank by an arm of the Seine that's hard to see. And yet it's an island in its own right, with no bridge linking it to either bank. With a surface area of 11 hectares, it is not only untouched by construction, it is also untouched by human visitors. It's a biodiversity sanctuary where the slightest human intervention is strictly limited. Here, the public authorities have chosen to create an ecosystem of ponds and channels, before allowing nature to continue its development. In terms of flora, more than 100 plant species, some of them very rare, grow here. The Perfoliate pondweed is one of the aquatic plants that can only be found in exceptional circumstances, and it's right at home here! At the same time, almost 40 species of birds live here, from cormorants and kingfishers to herons and gulls. Initially, there were two islands here, Ile d'Herblay-sur-Seine and Ile Motteau, gradually joined by the river's sedimentary contributions: the whole is nicknamed "L'île aux oiseaux".
Seine Parisii: from wasteland to city
The Seine Parisii project is one of the most important development projects in the area, covering the entire Cormeilles-en-Parisis riverbank. The former Lafarge cement plant, 600 metres long and 200 metres wide, is gradually giving way to a fully-fledged district, with the first deliveries scheduled for 2025. Called Seine Parisii, it will feature a 110-berth marina (similar to the one built at Port-Cergy), shops and restaurants, 1,000 homes and 4 hectares of green space. This real piece of town, resolutely turned towards the river, will face the Maisons-Laffitte racecourse. Although the choice of traditional architecture has been made here, the district is separated from La Frette-sur-Seine by several hundred metres of green spaces and sports facilities, creating a gentle transition between the modernity of the future district and the country aspect of its neighbor.
