Urban leisure Tourism Guide in Hauts-de-Seine, Historical and cultural tour of Île-de-France

Hauts-de-Seine is one of the wealthiest departments in France, It extends along the entire western edge of Paris, making up part of the inner suburbs. Highly identified by its economic activity, the Hauts-de-Seine department also has significant tourism and leisure potential in Greater Paris, and even in Ile-de-France. Hauts-de-Seine is best known for containing the modern office, cinema and shopping complex La Défense, one of Grand Paris’s main economic centres and one of Europe’s major business districts.

A few steps from Paris, the Hauts de Seine department is part, with Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne, of the “little crown” which surrounds Paris. With a rich history, Hauts-de-Seine has a varied cultural, heritage and artistic offering. Discover the main themes of the numerous visits to sites and monuments that await you from the north to the south of the department.

The Île-de-France region remains the world’s leading tourist destination, Hauts-de-Seine emerge as “a leisure destination” of Ile-de-France. Hauts-de-Seine benefits from a very rich historical, artistic, industrial and architectural heritage, tracing the major developments in the history of the territory, numerous natural spaces, conducive to the practice of outdoor leisure activities, numerous sites and labeled equipment and therefore benefiting from a certain qualitative image, numerous religious broadcasting equipment.

Hauts-de-Seine, a unique combination of tradition and modernity department. Hauts-de-Seine is very largely urbanized: Antony, Boulogne-Billancourt, Nanterre and La Défense, Colombes, Asnières, Issy les Moulineaux… Major new facilities have recently emerged in the region: the Seine Musicale, Paris La Défense Arena, the renovation of the Albert-Kahn Departmental Museum, the Jardin des Métiers d’Art et du Design, the Musée du Grand Siècle, etc. ambitious development of the banks of the Seine continues and expands.

Castles, charming residences and even private hotels dot the west of Paris. From Sceaux to Asnières-sur-Seine via the Malmaison castle, discover gems of built heritage and in particular the castles of Hauts-de-Seine. A stone’s throw from Paris, enjoy numerous museums, open all year round, which offer surprising collections such as the Playing Card Museum in Issy-les-Moulineaux or the Renault Museum located in Boulogne-Billancourt. Discover other emblematic places such as Sèvres, Cité de la Ceramique, the Roybet Fould museum in Courbevoie or the 1930s museum.

It has 7,000 ha of green or wooded spaces on its territory, or 45% of its surface area, it is highly urbanized and made up of numerous industrial and service centers: Levallois, Boulogne-Billancourt, Colombes, Clichy – birthplace of “La Goulue”, star dancer of the Moulin Rouge, at the beginning of the century – Gennevilliers, second river port in Europe, after Duisburg in Germany, and the Defense business district, located in the towns of Puteaux, Courbevoie and Nanterre, Prefecture of the department where one of the largest universities in the Paris region is located: the University of Paris Ouest – Nanterre.

Top Destinations
Hauts-de-Seine is a département in the French region of Île-de-France. It has the serial number 92 and belongs to the greater Paris area. It borders in the north on the Val-d’Oise department, in the east on other surrounding departments of Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne as well as Paris itself, and finally on the Essonne department in the south and Yvelines in the west. The department consists of the arrondissements of Antony, Boulogne-Billancourt and Nanterre.

Two-thirds located in the town of Poteaix, La Défense is the leading office complex in Europe and the leading shopping center in France. It is a real city within a city which constantly offers exhibitions and concerts. Framed by the Grande Arche, the CNIT and the Quatre-Temps shopping center, the square is the site of numerous events throughout the year: fireworks, Christmas market, etc.

Poteaix also has old neighborhoods and green spaces where it is good to stroll, such as on the island which extends between the Puteaux bridge and the Neuilly bridge, to discover the rose garden of Parc Lebaudy or the barges of beautifully flowered dwellings along the Seine. In NANTERRE that the fortress of Mont Valérien is located, where, from 1941 to 1944, more than a thousand hostages and resistance fighters were executed.

In the north of the department are Colombes, a town with quality sports facilities including a swimming pool, an ice rink and an Olympic stadium, and Asnieres sur seine which inspired several paintings by the painter Georges Seurat. This is also where the dog cemetery is located, also the final resting place of many other animals….

In the West and in the South, mainly residential suburbs interspersed with large green spaces, such as the St Cloud park, one of the most beautiful French gardens in Europe, designed by Le Notre and classified as a historic monument., and the Sceaux park, also designed by Le Notre. The city also has a very pleasant green corridor, reserved for pedestrians and cyclists…

Hauts-de-Seine also has 300 km of marked trails for hiking and the superb forests of Malmaison, Meudon, Fausse Reposes, near Chaville and Ville D’avray, also renowned for its fish ponds, painted by Corot. Several kilometers of cycle paths allow you to stroll in two wheels through the department, while the forest of Meudon or the Bois de Boulogne remain within reach for a little stroll in the countryside…

Arrondissement de Nanterre

La Défense
La Défense is the emblematic business district of Hauts-de-Seine, located three kilometres west of the city limits of Paris. The La Défense district is located on the historic axis, an extension of the Champs Elysées. Straddling the communes of Puteaux, Courbevoie and Nanterre in Hauts-de-Seine, the first European business district is also a unique laboratory of art and architecture in the world. It is famous for its skyline dotted with skyscrapers, including the Grande Arche. Stroll along the Esplanade, visit the CNIT (Center for New Industries and Technologies) and explore the many outdoor contemporary art works.

It is part of the Paris metropolitan area in the Île-de-France region, La Défense is not an isolated business centre, but is located in a vast area of western Paris where tertiary activity is particularly strong. La Défense is Europe’s largest purpose-built business district, covering 560 hectares, for 180,000 daily workers, with 72 glass and steel buildings (of which 19 are completed skyscrapers), and 3,500,000 square metres of office space.

With the construction of the CNIT in 1958, several generations of towers and buildings have succeeded one another and offer, from the Esplanade de La Défense, an incredible panorama of the architecture of recent decades. Each construction pushes the limits of the previous one a little further. And as the neighborhood is in constant motion, new architectural projects are being studied to prepare for the future. The audacity of the new towers and their concept of diversity combining shops, restaurants and hotels, as well as the Arena, the covered stadium with 40,000 seats, is gradually giving La Défense a new face.

Whether for business or leisure tourism, visitors can enjoy numerous activities in this pedestrian location which extends the historic Parisian axis. Around its Grande Arche and esplanade (“le Parvis”), La Défense contains many of the Paris urban area’s tallest high-rises. Les Quatre Temps, a large shopping mall in La Défense, has 220 stores, 48 restaurants and a 24-screen movie theatre. With its numerous hotels, restaurants and 250 shops you will lack absolutely nothing during your stay.

La Défense is also a real place of life where hundreds of thousands of men and women meet every day. Erected since the 1960s, La Défense is mostly made up of high-rise buildings, mainly comprising offices (about three million square meters). La Défense is however a mixed district: it accommodates 600,000 m 2 of housing and the opening of the Les Quatre Temps shopping center in 1981 made it a major commercial center in Île-de-France. In 2009, the district had 2,500 businesses, approximately 180,000 employees and 20,000 inhabitants spread over 71 towers. In particular, it houses the headquarters of large French and foreign multinationals.

Levallois-Perret
Levallois-Perret is one of the most densely populated town in Europe and, together with neighbouring Neuilly-sur-Seine, one of the most expensive suburbs of Paris. The commune includes numerous monuments listed in the general inventory of the cultural heritage of France. The historic monuments of the town are: the temple of the Little Star inaugurated in 1912; the former Hertford British Hospital, listed in 1987; the Moorish Villa of Villa Chaptal, classified in 1993. Among the other monuments of the town: the Levallois-Perret cemetery, and the town hall.

The Ravel room is located in the premises of the Maurice-Ravel conservatory. The Citroën factory in Levallois-Perret: birthplace of the very popular 2CV. Quinine, an anti-malarial substance, was discovered at the Château de la Planchette by the chemist Pierre Joseph Pelletier ; the metal structure of the Statue of Liberty; the Eiffel Tower, the elements of which were manufactured in Levallois-Perret before being assembled;

Radiola, first private radio in France (ancestor of Radio-Paris) whose transmitter was located in Levallois; the Citroën 2 CV, which was created in the Citroën factories in Levallois-Perret; the half-tracks of the black cruise and the yellow cruise; the Blériot XI, aircraft on board which Louis Blériot made the first crossing of the Channel in 1909;the Arc en Ciel, aircraft on board which Jean Mermoz made the first crossing of the South Atlantic in 1933: the motorcycle, invented by the Werner brothers; the first taxi companies: G3, G4, G7, Degioanni company.

Neuilly-sur-Seine
Neuilly-sur-Seine is one of the most affluent areas of France, it is the wealthiest and most expensive suburb of Paris. Immediately adjacent to the city, north of the Bois de Boulogne, the area is composed of mostly select residential neighbourhoods, as well as many corporate headquarters and a handful of foreign embassies. It was the site of the Château de Neuilly, an important royal residence during the July Monarchy. The commune includes numerous monuments listed in the general inventory of the cultural heritage of France.

The Saint-Jacques parish church, located at 167, boulevard Bineau, was built in 1936. It includes a Bernard-Aubertin grand organ from 2006, the titular organist is Boris Lefeivre. The Saint-Jean-Baptiste parish church, located at 158, avenue Charles-de-Gaulle, was rebuilt between 1831 and 1870. It includes a Mutin-Cavaillé-Coll choir organ from 1865, and a grand Abbey organ built in 1913 by the Mutin-Cavaillé-Coll firm, the titular organist of the Parish is the composer Olivier d’Ormesson, also director of the Neuilly Conservatory.

The Saint-Pierre parish church, located 90, avenue du Roule (avenue Achille-Peretti), was built between 1883 and 1914. It is listed in the general inventory of cultural heritage. It includes a Mutin – Cavaillé-Coll grand organ from 1898, the titular organist is Philippe Sauvage. The former Anglican church, currently the Seventh-day Adventist Church, located at 33, boulevard Victor-Hugo, was built in 1876. The synagogue, located at 12, rue Ancelle, was built in 1878.

La Folie Saint-James: this property located at 34, avenue de Madrid. The former Hôtel Lambiotte (1934), located 6-8, boulevard du Château, and 4, rue Sylvie: work of the architect Pierre Barbe. Garden factory (garden temple) known as the Temple of Love, located at the upstream point of the island of La Jatte, built in 1773. The former Hôtel Thouret, located 68, boulevard Bourdon. The Château de Neuilly, currently the convent of the Sisters of Saint-Thomas-de-Villeneuve, located at 52, boulevard d’Argenson. Of the castle destroyed in 1848, only the north wing, known as Madame-Adélaïde’s pavilion, remains today. This wing was acquired in 1907 by the sisters of Saint Thomas de Villeneuve. The latter called on the architect Maurice Humbert, who raised the wing and built a chapel as well as a building attached to the municipal hospital based on the ruins of the castle.

The town hall, located at 96, avenue du Roule (avenue Achille-Peretti), was built between 1882 and 1886 by the architect Jean Bréasson. Equestrian statue of the Duke of Orléans originally installed in Algiers, dismantled upon Algeria’s independence and reinstalled in 1981 on the Chauveau roundabout renamed Place du Duc-d’Orléans. The oldest house in Neuilly, built in 1754, is located at 21 rue Beffroy.

Parc de la Folie-Saint-James; Park of the Saint-Thomas de Villeneuve convent, (convent built by Maurice Humbert on the ruins of the Neuilly castle). This park, located at 52 boulevard d’Argenson. Square Martial-Massiani, named after a municipal councilor of the city from 1945 to 1965, president of the general council of the Seine (75). Located at 8, boulevard du Château-129, rue Perronet.

The Île de la Jatte, located in Neuilly-sur-Seine, is a real gem. It is ideal for a walk along the banks of the Seine. This island has inspired many impressionist artists and its picturesque charm makes it a perfect place to relax.

Rueil-Malmaison
Rueil is famous for the Château de Malmaison where Napoleon and his first wife Joséphine de Beauharnais lived. Upon her death in 1814, she was buried at the nearby Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul church, which stands at the centre of the city. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, Rueil was located on the front line. At the end of the 19th century, Impressionist painters like Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Édouard Manet and Claude Monet came to paint the Seine River which crosses the town.

The commune includes numerous monuments listed in the general inventory of the cultural heritage of France. The tourist office offers guided day tours to discover the historical heritage of Rueil-Malmaison, including a visit to the Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul church, the Malmaison castle and its park, the Petite Malmaison and the Local History Museum. In the summer, a small tourist train was made available free of charge to visitors to the city. He traveled for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes along the banks of the Seine, the Parc des Impressionnistes, the Parc de Bois Préau, passing by the Château de Malmaison, the Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul church to reach the starting point at the Museum. local history in the old town hall in the center of the city; the circuit was commented on. Today, the little train only operates during special events in the city or as part of tours organized for groups by the tourist office.

The Château de Malmaison, the residence of Napoléon’s first wife Joséphine de Beauharnais, is located in Rueil-Malmaison. It is home to a Napoleonic museum. The estate of Empress Joséphine, who lived in Rueil from 1799, reached an area of 726 hectares when she died in 1814. It was subdivided during the 19th century. Among its main divisions: Château de Malmaison; Château de la Petite Malmaison, former greenhouse of the Malmaison estate, built between 1803 and 1805; Château de Bois-Préau; Domaine de Vert-Mont; Temple of Love; Mausoleum of the Prince Imperial.

The Rueil barracks of the Swiss Guard were constructed in 1756 under Louis XV by the architect Axel Guillaumot, and have been classified Monument historique since 1973. The Guard was formed by Louis XIII in 1616 and massacred at the Tuileries on 10 August 1792 during the French Revolution.

House of Father Joseph, gray eminence of Cardinal Richelieu, Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul Church (tombs of Joséphine de Beauharnais and her daughter Queen Hortense, crypt), Rueil-Malmaison local history museum, in the old town hall, Old cemetery, Bulvis Cemetery, Maison Giquel, Chemin Joséphine et Napoléon Bonaparte 108, route symbolized by golden nails marked with the imperial bee.

Rueil-Malmaison has 350 hectares of green spaces, or a quarter of its surface area. Several of them are an integral part of the urban natural park which illustrates the ecological approach to the principle of sustainable development. Its perimeter concerns the lower part of Saint-Cucufa, the Gallicourts valley, the Closeaux plain, the banks of the Seine and the La Malmaison area up to the Bois-Préau park. The city has also won numerous awards in the National Flower Town Competition.

Friendship Park, 160 avenue Paul-Doumer, avenue Albert- 1er, Impasse du Donjon. The Impressionists Park, a tribute to Monet, Allée Jacques-Prévert or along the banks of the Seine. The banks of the Seine, a bucolic stroll along the water, rue Berthe-Morisot, rue des Closeaux, bd Franklin-Roosevelt, avenue des Acacias, avenue de Seine, bd Bellerive. The woods of Saint-Cucufa an encounter with the fauna and flora, route de Longboyau, avenue de Versailles, Chemin de Versailles. Bois-Préau Park, although it belongs to the State, and is under the management of the Ministry of Culture and the City, 1 avenue de l’Impératrice-Joséphine, rue Charles-Floquet. The tropical greenhouse, Maison de la Nature, 6 avenue de Versailles. The Gallicourts natural park, chemin des Cormaillons, route des Hauts-Benards. The Buzenval vines, rue Cuvier, rue des Talus.

Suresnes
Suresnes borders the Bois de Boulogne in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. Its hillsides covered with vineyards, however, produce a renowned wine, prized by kings, while rich Parisians built vast properties around the historic district in the 17th and 18th centuries. Taverns developed on the banks of the Seine, constituting a significant part of its economic activities from the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century. The industrial revolution radically transformed the appearance of the town. The old aristocratic and bourgeois residences give way to aeronautical and automobile factories. The vines disappear and villas or workers’ housing are created on their site. Suresnes has an elegant view of Paris and the Eiffel Tower.

The commune includes numerous monuments listed in the general inventory of the cultural heritage of France. Suresnes’s landmarks include the Mémorial de la France combattante, where an annual ceremony is held on 18 June, as well as Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial nearby, below Fort Mont-Valérien, in addition to Foch Hospital in the town centre. Fort Mont-Valérien (along with its Mémorial de la France combattante) is situated in the commune, as is Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial.

The Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary; The Paul-Langevin high school, at the request of Henri Sellier, was created by Maurice Payret-Dortail in 1927. The high school, formerly a nursery and primary school, has a swimming pool and a gymnasium; The Carnot cemetery (old cemetery, created in 1810, where many personalities are buried, including the mayor Henri Sellier) and the Voltaire cemetery (new cemetery, opened in 1892). The Bulvis cemetery, in Rueil-Malmaison, is also one of the three municipal cemeteries of Suresnes. There is a cemetery active in the first part of the 19th century, located within the walls of the fortress, the cemetery of Mont-Valérien; Jean-Vilar Theater; Garden city of Suresnes; The Suresnes outdoor school, built from 1932 to 1936 by the architects Eugène Beaudouin and Marcel Lods; Suresnes dam-lock.

Arrondissement de Boulogne-Billancourt

Boulogne-Billancourt
Boulogne-Billancourt is known for being the birthplace of three major French industries. Formerly an important industrial site, it has successfully reconverted into business services and is now home to major communication companies headquartered in the Val de Seine business district. It was the location, in 1906 for the very first aircraft factory, that of Appareils d’Aviation Les Frères Voisin, which was then followed by those of many other aviation pioneers, and the tradition continues with several aviation related companies still operating in the area. The automobile industry had a large presence with Renault on Île Seguin, as well as Salmson building both cars and aircraft engines. The French film industry started here and, from 1922 to 1992 it was the home of the Billancourt Studios, and since becoming a major location for French film production. It was used as the setting of the TV show Code Lyoko.

The Notre-Dame-des-Menus church in Boulogne, built in the 14th century, is an ancient important place of pilgrimage. Château Buchillot is an 18th century folly, formerly annexed to Rothschild Château. The three buildings have been converted into the Paul-Belmondo museum. Château Rothschild was built from 1855 to 1861 in the Louis XIV style at the request of the banker James de Rothschild. It was surrounded by splendid French and English gardens over thirty hectares. The castle has long been a meeting place for high society. It was later looted by the Nazis and damaged by the Americans in World War II, it is today completely abandoned.

The Boulogne-Billancourt synagogue, located rue des Abondances et de l’Abreuvoir, was built by the architect Emmanuel Pontremoli, with paintings by Gustave Jaulmes (1911). The Saint-Nicolas-le-Thaumaturge Church is one of ten tiny Orthodox churches built between the two wars in southwest Paris by White Russians fleeing the 1917 Revolution. Built in 1927 thanks to funds collected from Russian workers in Renault factories, it was the active cultural center of some four thousand Russians from “Billancoursk” wishing to perpetuate in exile the holy Russia destroyed on its territory.

Work of Tony Garnier finalized in collaboration with Jacques Debat-Ponsan, Paul Landowski, Paul Moreau-Vauthier and André Morizet, the Boulogne-Billancourt town hall was inaugurated in 1934 and listed since 1975 in the inventory of Historic Monuments, we admire the furniture and decoration typical of the thirties by Jean Prouvé, Joseph Bernard, Alphonse Gentil, François Bourdet and especially the “factory”, an immense interior hall which brings light to three minimalist concrete galleries superimposed in elongated rings on which are distributed in glass partitioned offices. Since 1988, the visitor has been welcomed on the “palace” side by the monumental painting by Olivier Debré which dominates the interior staircase built in 1931 under the supervision of his maternal uncle.

Marmottan Library, built at the current place Denfert-Rochereau between 1890 and 1920 in a First Empire style by Paul Marmottan, the museum, accessible to the public, occasionally opens to researchers and historians the archives of Napoleonic Europe for which it was designed. The Paul-Belmondo museum presents in the buildings of Château Buchillot the two hundred and fifty-nine sculptures and eight hundred and seventy-eight drawings bequeathed by his children to the municipality. He had his workshop in Paris. A cabinet of medals displays four hundred and forty-four works cast by the sculptor.

The Albert-Kahn museum, tenth most visited site in the Paris suburbs 185, includes: the Albert-Kahn gardens, a collection of seven landscaped gardens evoking the four corners of the world; the Archives of the Planet, the world’s largest collection of 180,000 m of films and 72,000 autochrome photographic documents, collected before the war by image hunters paid by grants offered by Albert Kahn. Films and autochromes can be viewed on site. Temporary exhibitions are held on its premises.

Located at 62 rue de Sèvres, the Pathé-Marconi studios have seen the biggest names of the pop-rock scene from the 1960s to 1990s. During their series of concerts at the Olympia in January-February 1964, the Beatles went to the Pathé-Marconi studios to record several titles, including the famous Can’t Buy Me Love which quickly became number 1 in England and the United States. The Pretenders, Sting, Keith Emerson, Elton John and the Rolling Stones have also recorded at the Pathé-Marconi studios in Boulogne-Billancourt. The Maison group “Les Chats Sauvages” under “Pathé” contract recorded all their records from 1961 to 1964 in these studios…

Meudon
Meudon is known for many historic monuments and some extraordinary trees. The city, essentially known for its forest and its observatory (specializing in astrophysics and observation of the sun), has also been home to many personalities, such as Auguste Rodin, Richard Wagner, Louis Ferdinand Céline, Ambroise Paré and Armande Béjart.

The old castle of Meudon was rebuilt in Renaissance style in the mid-sixteenth century. It was bought by Louis XIV as a residence for his son Louis, the Dauphin under whom Meudon became a center of aristocratic life. A branch of the Paris Observatory was founded on the ruins in 1877. The Meudon town hall is about 43 m (141.08 ft) in altitude above that of Paris and the climb from there to the observatory offers some rewarding views of Paris. The handsome Galliera Institutions, on the hill of Fleury, were founded by the duchess of Galliera for the care of aged persons and orphans. The buildings were completed in 1885.

Chalais-Meudon was important in the pioneering of aviation, initially balloons and airships, but also the early heavier-than-air machines. A Corps d’Aérostatiers under the command of Jean-Marie-Joseph Coutelle was established in 1794, its balloons being used at the Battle of Fleurus. ‘Hangar Y’ was built in 1880 at the request of the military engineer Captain Charles Renard (1847–1905), for the construction of balloons and airships. Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot, the inventor of the ‘world’s first automobile’, is reported to have carried out some early trials at Meudon in the early 1770s.

Saint-Cloud
Saint-Cloud is known by the Château de Saint-Cloud, built in 1572 and destroyed by fire in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War. The château was the residence of several French rulers and served as the main country residence of the cadet Orléans line until the French Revolution. The palace was also the site of the coup d’état led by Napoleon Bonaparte that overthrew the French Directory in 1799. Saint-Cloud is home to the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (IBWM), located in the Parc de Saint-Cloud’s Pavillon de Breteuil. The town is also famous for the Saint-Cloud porcelain produced there from 1693 to 1766.

The main landmarks are the park of the demolished Château de Saint-Cloud and the Pavillon de Breteuil. The Saint-Cloud Racecourse, a racetrack for Thoroughbred flat racing, was built by Edmond Blanc in 1901 and hosts a number of important races, including the annual Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. On the Avenue de Longchamp is a bronze statue commissioned by the Airclub of France representing the Greek mythological figure Icarus, in honour of Alberto Santos-Dumont.

The town hall of Saint-Cloud, enlarged in 1924 by the municipal architect Henri Renard, the building was raised and enlarged in 1966 according to the plans of the architect Maurice Benezech. Saint-Clodoald is neo-medieval church dominates the center of the old town. This church, built in the Gothic style, was decorated by the care of Empress Eugénie who offered the white marble altar.

The national domain of Saint-Cloud, also called Parc de Saint-Cloud, that the castle was located, the vacation residence of several French sovereigns. The area of the estate is 460 hectares, most of which is located in the commune of Saint-Cloud. The French gardens, designed by Le Nôtre, have been preserved. The park regularly hosts events such as visits to the garden or “Park in progress”, European night of young creation. It is in the “Pré Saint-Jean” that every last weekend of September, the Famillathlon is organized as part of the “Family Sports Weekend” celebration.

Jardin des Tourneroches offers one of the most striking panoramic views of the department, centered on the Eiffel Tower, embracing the Bois de Boulogne and Paris from the natural balcony of the hillsides. Villa des Tourneroches, was built in the 1930s. Doctor Débat bought the property located on either side of Rue du Mont-Valérien; this estate already has a house, outbuildings and a garden laid out at the beginning of the century; it retains the park, the outbuildings and the pre-existing dovecote.

Arrondissement d’Antony

Antony
With its ancient origins, the city of Antony this architectural and historic heritage of the most interesting which recalls the importance of the city over the centuries. The former royal factory waxes once served as factory places for candles and candles of the court of Versailles and other royal castles. Since the late nineteenth century, the site was occupied by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny. The church of Saint-Saturnin is a real treasure with beautiful stained glass windows. Maison Saint-Jean, formerly known Chenier property now houses the Institution Sainte-Marie. This is a fine example of architecture francilienne eighteenth century.

Leisure, cultural, sports facilities and tourist sites, Antony is rich in animation and dynamism. Antony is one of the greenest towns in all the Île-de-France and enjoys the flowery city label. On its territory, one can enjoy some of the Sceaux park and the park Heller and his farm that hosts pigs, goats or sheep, Bourdeau Park, Raymond Sibille park or the woods of Dawn, in particular. The southern green corridor also takes place in Paris Antony. The latter includes part of the route of the Via Turonensis, one of the paths for the pilgrimage of Saint-Jacques de Compostela.

Religious architectural heritage is rich in Antony with the Church of Saint-Saturnin having the oldest parts in Île-de-France dating from the Carolingian period through to churches with modern architecture. The Church of Saint-Saturnin is “Located in an attractive square planted with linden trees on the site of the old cemetery, the church of Saint-Saturnin has a triple interest: historical, archaeological and artistic”. Inside, in addition to the wash stand from the Carolingian period, there are stained glass windows from the late 19th – early 20th centuries. The choir is from the end of the 12th century, the bell tower from the 14th, the nave from the 15th century, and the south chapel is modern. The belfry supports four bells: the oldest, Charlotte Genevieve, from 1730.

The Church of Sainte-Jeanne-de-Chantal has a main building from the Colonial Exhibition of 1931. The Church of Saint-Jean-Porte-Latine was built between 1964 and 1967 on the plans of architects Pierre Pinsard and Hugo Vollmar. It is dedicated to Saint Jean-Porte-latine, patron saint of the publishing industry. The “Urban signal”, surmounted by a giant cross, was inaugurated on 6 January 2002. The Church of Saint Francis of Assisi was built in 1972 on the plans of architect Paul Henry by the Construction work of the Cardinal.

The Church of Saint-Maxime was built from 1978 to 1980 by the Œuvre des Chantiers du Cardinal. It contains a large Statue of Saint Maxime (1939) which is registered as an historical object. The Church of Sainte-Odile (1933) was built under the direction of architect Charles Venner by the Œuvre des Chantiers du Cardinal. The Evangelical Baptist Church, of modern architecture with large windows, has been completely rebuilt under the development project of the Croix de Berny and inaugurated in March 2001.

The policy of protecting and enhancing the environment makes Antony one of the greenest communes in Île-de-France: besides the Parc de Sceaux, there are 750,000 m2 of parks, woods, and leafy lanes. The land in the region is particularly well suited for Wisteria which covers the houses in spring, as well as roses. The largest parks of Antony are: Parc de Sceaux; Heller Park; Raymond Sibille Park; Bourdeau Park; the green slopes of Godets and Paradis; the green slopes of TGV; Bois de Aurora. These parks are planted with trees remarkable for their size, age, history, botanical rarity, or which are particularly elegant or picturesque. The city is planted with over 50 different species. Inside Heller Park is the Antony Farm which allows children to play with pigs, cows, goats, and sheep as well as chickens, geese, and rabbits. It is managed by the pony club.

Sèvres
At the gates of Paris, Sèvres – Cité de la Ceramique is a place of jubilation for all curious people, lovers of art and culture, through the diversity of events organized there. This place brings together exceptional collections of ceramics from all over the world and from all periods. The Cité de la Céramique also houses pottery, numerous earthenware, stoneware and porcelain… But Sèvres is not content with being an exhibition space, it is also a unique porcelain production space in the world, a Manufacture still in activity since the 18th century.

European earthenware and porcelain from the 16th century to the present day, Sèvres vases from the 19th and 20th centuries or contemporary porcelain production, the spaces of the Ceramics Museum offer rich collections. Visual artists and designers – from Boucher, Duplessis, Falconet in the 18th century, Carrier-Belleuse, Rodin in the 19th century, through Ruhlmann in the 1930s, Decoeur, Mayodon, Calder, Poliakoff in the 1950s and 1960s, and more recently Pierre Alechinsky, Zao Wou-ki, Jean-Luc Vilmouth, Borek Sipek, Louise Bourgeois, Ettore Sottsass, Bertrand Lavier, Pierre Soulages, Pierre Charpin, Christian Biecher have the Sèvres collections.

Modernity

Many pioneers have settled in the department. From the avant-gardes of the Dada movement to Frank Gehry ‘s curvaceous and disruptive building, Hauts-de-Seine preserves the memory of more than a century of art and architecture. It is possible to take, in the department, a real open-air contemporary art tour: between the Tour aux Figures and Paris La Défense Art Collection which brings together in the business district the masterpieces of Miro, Calder or Caesar, it is the entire second half of the 20th century which expresses both his dreams and his faith in the future.

Western Paris has often been the subject of architectural experiments. Less fixed than the capital in its Haussmanian decor, Hauts-de-Seine has a large number of remarkable buildings. Once again, it is La Défense which alone concentrates some of these treasures with the emblematic Grande Arche de La Défense or the incredible concrete vault of the CNIT. A few steps from the business district, take the time to discover the little jewel of Courbevoie that is the Pavillon des Indes to learn about the extraordinary family saga of the Foulds.

Seine Musicale
Designed as the “gateway to the Valley of Culture”, the Seine Musicale of Ile Seguin is a unique ensemble in France and Europe that promotes culture. The musical Seine is located at the downstream point of Île Seguin on 2.35 hectares. The architectural ensemble extends over nearly 280 meters along the Seine. This ensemble provides Hauts-de-Seine with cultural equipment with a musical vocation of a very high level and strong influence, both in the field of broadcasting shows and in that of creation and practice. Along the river which structures the department, the aim is to create a permanent leisure and cultural scene for all audiences.

In order to sustainably place of the Seine Musicale in the narrow circle of international references, its programming has been designed according to the strictest rules of artistic standards. The Auditorium’s programming is distinguished by renowned artists and the Insula orchestra programming and by its own productions. It is part of an international dimension of partnerships with similar European venues to encourage artistic exchanges.

CNIT La Défense
Located on the Parvis, in the middle of the towers of the Paris La Défense business district, the National Center for Industries and Techniques created in 1958 is the first building in the district. To this day it is still a true architectural feat to discover with its large concrete vault of 22,250m². Built to host large popular trade fairs, the CNIT is today an annex to the Les 4 Temps shopping center and offers more than 40 shops and restaurants. After its superb renovation which lasted 3 years, it welcomes you in a spacious and elegant setting for a relaxing break in the heart of La Défense. From now on, its converted basements host new activities: live escape games, climbing and even indoor golf.

Japan Bridge
This glass and steel vessel located in La Défense provides a link between two office buildings: the Pacific Tower and the Kupka building. It overlooks, at approximately 15 meters in height, a road network. The Japan Bridge designed by Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa has a unique span of 100 meters. To design this pedestrian bridge, Kurokawa was inspired by the design of traditional Japanese bridges. The steel deck has a transparent vault that fully protects users of the footbridge. It is suspended from two steel arches, painted red, which meet in the middle and which are supported on each of the buildings.

Yves-du-Manoir stadium
Dedicated to sports since 1883, the site was initially a racecourse in the Paris suburbs. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the stadium has hosted football and rugby matches as well as athletics competitions. It was then named Stade du Matin and the Racing Club de France became the tenant of the facilities. It was from the 1920s that the Stadium acquired a legendary dimension by hosting the 1924 Summer Olympic Games. With a strong identity that carries the colors of the department high, the players in sky and white convey values of courage, solidarity and tenacity.

One hundred years after the first games, the stadium is returning to the spotlight for the 2024 Olympic Games. Major modernization work will begin in 2022 to accommodate field hockey training and events. The objective is to transform the former stronghold of Altosequan rugby into the French capital of hockey. After the games, the site will host the premises and the national training center of the French Federation with two fields and a permanent stand with 1,000 seats. At the same time, four football fields and three rugby fields, all lit and synthetic, as well as a new athletics ring will take place at the level of the playground currently existing behind the stadium.

Pavillon Vendôme
Pavillon Vendôme is a testimony to classical French architecture. This building offers visitors a journey through time, oscillating between the 17th and 21st centuries. The residence was probably built by the young Jules Hardouin Mansart, the king’s first architect, then fitted out by him for Philippe de Vendôme, cousin of Louis XIV. The greatest artists of the time worked there at the same time as at Versailles. Among them, the painter Claude III Audran whose ceiling he painted in the main room of the pavilion is the only one that survives in France. Since 2016, it has also hosted the Clichy Tourist Office. The establishment now offers an on-site catering service as well as a landscaped garden open to all.

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British India Pavilion
Built for the 1878 Universal Exhibition in Paris, the British India Pavilion was commissioned by the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VII, to display the gifts received during his trip to India. Appreciated for its exoticism, it was purchased by the owners of the Château de Bécon and transformed into a villa-workshop. The interior spaces have been little modified and perfectly recreate the atmosphere that reigned in these places. The architectural rehabilitation of the Pavillon des Indes has allowed the building to reconnect with its artistic past: the former workshop welcomes an artist in residence every 2 years. A permanent exhibition presents the history of the place from the Universal Exhibition of 1878 to today.

Outdoor school
The Suresnes Outdoor School is located on the southern flank of Mont-Valérien in a 2-hectare park. In 1935, Henri Sellier, then mayor of Suresnes, initiated the construction of this establishment and entrusted its construction to architects Eugène Beaudoin and Marcel Lods. Born in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century, the outdoor school movement responded to hygienist wishes. Their construction combined air and light, offering the child both physical and intellectual development. Continuing its original vocation, the Outdoor School today houses the National Higher Institute of Training and Research for the Education of Young People with Disabilities and Adapted Education.

Villa Hennebique
Villa Hennebique was both a family home and a tool for promoting reinforced concrete, a brand new technique of which François Hennebique is the inventor. Emblem of the Hennebique company, this Villa is a true manifesto of the technical and aesthetic possibilities of reinforced concrete, bringing together most of the construction systems developed by the company. The volumes are arranged in a complex and original way – wing recesses, differences in levels, corbelled projections, cantilevered walls, high glass roofs and irregular openings – always integrating the garden at all levels of the House. Testifying to the elasticity and waterproofness of reinforced concrete, the tower includes a water tank used for watering the hanging garden, located on the roof of the house.

Historical heritage

Castles, charming residences and even private mansions dot the Hauts-de-Seine department. From the Château de Sceaux to the Château d’Asnières-sur-Seine via the imperial residence of Malmaison, take the time to discover the built heritage and continue your visit with one of the eighteen architectural walks offered in the towns of the department. The west of Paris is full of little-known places like the Mastaba 1, located in La Garenne-Colombes or the Pavillon des Indes located in Courbevoie and built for the Universal Exhibition of 1878. Unusual, the Tour aux Figures by Jean Dubuffet is visible in the heart of the Saint-Germain Island Park. Also visit prestigious places like the Louis Vuitton Foundation in the Bois de Boulogne or the CNIT on the La Défense square.

The Domaine National de Saint-Cloud
The historic park of Saint-Cloud offers a peaceful escape amid French gardens, groves, statues and fountains. Located in the heart of the Sceaux departmental estate, a few steps from Paris, the collections of the Musée de Sceaux come from a fund coming, in part, from the Carnavalet Museum in Paris and then were enriched by prestigious acquisitions as well as by donations. These works now highlight the different owners of the Estate and invite the visitor to better understand the French art of living. Departmental Museum now dedicate the art of French taste. Paintings, graphic arts, furniture and even works of art are housed in the heart of this Second Empire Castle.

The Orangery of the Château de Sceaux, built at the end of the 18th century by Jules Hardouin Mansart and originally designed as an art gallery, preserves the sculptures from the gardens from Colbert’s time. The Pavillon de l’Aurore, an exceptional garden pavilion dating from the 17th century, is decorated with a dome painted by Charles Le Brun on the theme of Dawn. The Colbert stables, now rehabilitated, offer several services: shop, multimedia space, temporary exhibition space and restaurant: Le Trevise. The Petit Château, built in 1661 and purchased by Colbert in 1682 to receive his guests, is now the space devoted to the museum’s graphic arts exhibitions.

National Museum of the Châteaux of Malmaison and Bois-Préau
The Château de Malmaison was built between 1800 and 1802 by the architects Percier and Fontaine from an old 17th century house. Former residence of Napoleon Bonaparte and Joséphine de Beauharnais, the Château de Malmaison will immerse you in the French imperial era. Explore the picturesque gardens surrounding the property. From 1801 to 1802, the government of France was located here, as much as in Paris, in this castle where, day after day, there were work meetings, official and private receptions, balls and country games… A visit to the Château and the park allows you to appreciate all the charm of this country residence located just eight kilometers from Paris. This place has managed to retain its intimate atmosphere and its authentic character.

With the neighboring castle of Bois-Préau which was also acquired by the imperial couple, the castle of Malmaison now forms the National Museum of the castles of Malmaison and Bois-Préau. In these rooms, in the office or in the council room, that most of the major orientations and decisions of the Consulate were taken: the Civil Code, the Legion of Honor… Number of works of art period art are presented, including several paintings as well as numerous pieces of furniture or tableware… On the first floor, is the oval room, in the shape of a red and gold tent, where the Empress stayed. The exceptional collection of memories of Napoleon’s exile on the Island of Saint-Hélène, from 1815 to his death in 1821, also presented to the public.

Albert-Kahn, Departmental Museum and Garden
The former property of banker Albert Kahn now belongs to the Hauts-de-Seine Departmental Council. From 1909 to 1931, he sent operators to photograph and film more than 60 countries. The images are collected in the Archives of the Planet, a collection of 180,000 meters of black and white film and more than 72,000 autochrome plates, the first industrial process for true color photography, of which the museum now has the most important collection in the world.

The banker’s ideal of cultural diversity is also found in his magnificent gardens in Boulogne, which he developed between 1895 and 1910 and whose 4 hectares, an integral part of the collections, allow a plant journey around the world. The philanthropic banker thus brought together and harmoniously combined the most diverse gardens, reflecting the world he dreamed of: English garden, Japanese garden, French garden, rose garden, orchard…

Sainte-Geneviève Cathedral
The church was mainly built in 1924 and 1937 but its origins are much older since a parish existed in these places from the 3rd century. It was not until 1966 that it was made a cathedral. The story of Saint Geneviève left a very strong mark there and this majestic site is still the subject of pilgrimages today due to its reputed miraculous well and its very ancient underground chapel, which marks the supposed location of the birth house of the saint.

Maison de Chateaubriand
The Vallée-aux-Loups departmental estate is made up of the Maison de Chateaubriand, the Arboretum, the wooded park and the Green Island. It is one of the three museums of the Hauts-de-Seine Departmental Council. Located a few kilometers from Paris, Vallée-aux-Loups offered Chateaubriand in 1807 a home away from the political scene. Setting up a house and park himself, he made the Vallée-aux-Loups the home of an immobile traveler living among the memories of the countries traveled, speaking of the spiritual homelands of man as the intimate correspondences between nature and the place of life and creation. The Maison de Chateaubriand invites you to take this motionless journey to the heart of romanticism, in the footsteps of the Enchanter…

Maison des Jardies – House of Gambetta and property of Balzac
Seeking rest away from Paris, Gambetta became the owner, 40 years after Balzac, of the small pavilion of Jardies, in Sèvres. The Jardies house has retained its original decor and brings together various objects that belonged to Balzac and Gambetta. After major renovation work, the house which has become a museum managed by the Center des Monuments Nationaux.

Mont Valérien, Memorial to Combatant France
A former hermitage before becoming a key element of the fortifications of Paris in the 19th century, Mont-Valérien has a history as tragic as it is poignant during the Second World War. In the old stables of the fort, you can discover the permanent exhibition “Resistance and repression, 1940-1944” which traces the history of the Second World War in general and of Mont Valérien in particular. The clearing of the executed is the place where the executions took place. Not far away is the chapel of the executed in which certain condemned men were held awaiting their execution. Graffiti, poignant testimonies still visible today, cover the walls of the old chapel. You can take the remembrance trail which follows the footsteps of the condemned, observe the monument to those shot erected in 2003 and finally the memorial to Fighting France at the heart of which lie 16 dead for France.

Castle of Asnières-sur-Seine
This pretty residence built in the middle of the 18th century was decorated and furnished in the Parisian rocaille style and with a taste for perfection. The Château d’Asnières is a significant and typical work of the 18th century; the marquis’s bedroom retains its characteristics and the two main staircases have very beautiful ironwork banisters from this period. When the Marquis de Voyer was appointed general director of the Haras de France, he had to shelter the best elements of the horse breed. Its domain then stretched from the current Clichy bridge to that of Asnières and included various gardens, large stables and an open-air riding school. Today, a monumental bronze representing a prancing horse sits in the courtyard of the castle and recalls the equestrian past of this place.

Château de la Petite Malmaison
Built in 1805 for Empress Joséphine, by the architect Berthault, the Château de la Petite Malmaison was the large greenhouse of the Malmaison estate where Joséphine acclimated the rarest plants. The greenhouse, which has now disappeared, the park and the lounges of Petite Malmaison retain the appeal and charm of a private house. The Empress devoted herself wholeheartedly to the beautification and decoration of this place by calling on renowned artists such as the marble worker Gilet and the cabinetmaker Jacob Desmalter. Its watercolorist, PJRedouté known as “the Raphaël of flowers”, created his most beautiful roses there.

Cultural space
The west of Paris is rich in an exciting history closely linked to the capital. A territory appreciated by artists because of its green banks of the Seine, Hauts-de-Seine was also deeply marked by the industrial revolution and the passage of illustrious people. A visit to Hauts-de-Seine can be totally cultural, this department is rich in museums and art houses. Many of the greatest artists, painters, poets and writers lived in this part of Ile de France. Whether you are passionate about art, town planning, automobiles, history or nature, you will find in Hauts-de-Seine a wide range of discoveries to make.

Famous women and men have left their mark on the towns of Hauts-de-Seine and western Paris. This is the case of Meudon where the Villa des Brillants is located, the intimate home of the sculptor Rodin. On the Rueil-Malmaison side, it is the story of the imperial couple Joséphine and Napoléon Bonaparte that you can discover while strolling through the Château de Malmaison. Major collections of international interest such as those of Sèvres – Cité de la Céramique or Albert Kahn, Museum and departmental gardens rub shoulders with more intimate and unusual addresses such as the Arp Foundation.

Albert-Kahn Museum
The Albert-Kahn Museum houses an exceptional collection of photographs and films dating from the early 20th century. The renovation of the Albert-Kahn departmental museum in Boulogne-Billancourt is one of the emblematic projects of the Hauts-de-Seine Culture Valley. It offers a valuable insight into life in France and around the world at that time. This four-hectare site, classified as a “museum of France” by the State, and now listed as a Historic Monument, brings together unique collections in the world which constitute a coherent whole around the work of the humanist banker.

La Générale en Manufacture
The approximately 100 artists of the alternative and self-determined artist collective “La Générale”, who in 2005 occupied a Ministry of Education building in the Belleville district (19th arr.) that had been vacant for years, but had to leave due to a court order, have a new home in the former ceramics school in Sèvres and continue their diverse artistic and social activities there (fine arts, theater, film, multimedia, design, etc.). In addition to collective workshops, they run a social “laboratory” and a canteen and provide rooms for exhibitions. One of the basic principles of the collective is the exchange with domestic and foreign like-minded people and their welcome. The active, independent meeting place is a rare pearl in the French cultural landscape dominated by official authorities.

Maison des Arts de Malakoff
Small but nice suburban cultural center run by the city of Malakoff and a private association with changing exhibitions of contemporary art. In the summer months, the Cabanon gazebo opens in the park next door with an unbeatably inexpensive two- or three-course organic menu.

Suresnes Urban and Social History Museum
The Suresnes Urban and Social History Museum presenting the evolution of the city, it is particularly focused on social urban planning of the 1920s and 1930s. Through seven sequences, visitors discover the religious and military past of Mont Valérien, the agricultural and wine-growing history of the city then the industrial past with its laundry, biscuit, perfume, aeronautics, automobile and household appliances companies (Olibet, Coty, Worth, Darracq, Blériot, or even La Radiotechnique, now Philips).

On the first floor, the personality of Henri Sellier (mayor of Suresnes from 1919 to 1941) is evoked thanks to donations from his family, as well as his urban projects (the garden city in particular) and his social projects (École de plein air, school groups, etc.) from the 1920s-1930s.

The museography is modern and interactive, with numerous multimedia for all audiences. The architectural project was entrusted to the architects “Encore Heureux”. It is based on the old Suresnes – Longchamp station, rehabilitated and equipped with a modern extension, making it possible to accommodate temporary exhibition spaces, the workshop, the documentation center. It is the starting point for a route through the city punctuated by 21 masts, which present the major buildings of its contemporary history. On the occasion of its exhibition “Suresnes through Mont-Valérien”, the Suresnes Urban and Social History Museum is offering the Street Signs workshop.

Rueil-Malmaison Local History Museum
Rueil-Malmaison Local History Museum installed in the former Town Hall built during the Second Empire, Napoleon III style, it recalls the history of Rueil-Malmaison with the help of numerous original documents and models. During the visit, you will discover that Richelieu, Joséphine, Napoleon I, Napoleon III, Jacques Faizaut resided in the city. You will also discover old industrial activities: laundry, postcards and the belinograph (device transmitting drawings or photographs by wire). Finally, a room dedicated to the Empire presents the Great Army illustrated by 1,600 remarkable figurines. Inaugurated in May 2016, the museum’s new mummy room will allow you to discover the history of this vestige discovered in the year 2000 by municipal agents during a bulky waste collection.

Historical Museum of the National Domain of Saint-Cloud
Historical Museum of the National Domain of Saint-Cloud in the west of Paris gives an overview of the architecture and decor that then reigned in this castle which has now disappeared. The Domaine de Saint-Cloud will successively be the property of the brother of Louis XIV, of Queen Marie-Antoinette, then the summer residence of all French sovereigns until the fall of Napoleon III. After the coup d’état of 18 Brumaire, it was in the heart of the Château de Saint-Cloud that Napoleon Bonaparte created the Consulate. Burned during the war of 1870, the Château de Saint-Cloud was unfortunately razed in 1892. Glorious memories remained and are presented in the Historical Museum of the Domaine de Saint-Cloud. Numerous paintings, sculptures and porcelain bring to life the heyday of this place which marked the history of France.

Municipal Museum of Art and History of Colombes
Municipal Museum of Art and History of Colombes presents diversified collections retracing episodes in the history of the city rich in events and personalities. The museum evokes the origin and evolution of this Parisian suburb. The permanent collections present a panorama of the history of Colombes under the Ancien Régime, with the large estates of Henriette of England and Claude-Henri Wattelet’s Moulin Joly, one of the first “picturesque” gardens of the 18th century.

The arrival of modernity and the development of innovative industries is marked in Colombes by perfumers with Guerlain, Sauzé, Kerkoff, aeronautics with Gnôme et Rhône, Amiot, the automobile industry with Facel-Véga and Hispano-Suiza, Ericsson telephony. A jewel in the city’s history, the Yves du Manoir stadium, legendary venue for the 8th Olympiad (1924), and the biggest sporting events until the 1970s, is pleasantly evoked. The Fine Arts section presents 18th century paintings by Van Balen, Van Thulden, Boulogne le Jeune; the 19th century is advantageously presented with Ribot, Bienvêtu, Caillebotte and Victorine Meurent (Manet’s Olympia). Temporary exhibitions on historical or artistic themes, conferences, workshops, educational activities.

Swiss Guards Museum
Located in the former Swiss Guard barracks in Rueil-Malmaison, the Gardes-Suisses regiment is an elite corps of the Ancien Régime. He was mainly responsible for ensuring the guard and protection of the king. This museum recreates the history of this regiment and its men. The Rueil barracks, built in 1756 under Louis XV by the architect Axel Guillaumot, have been classified as a Historic Monument since 1973.

Paul Belmondo Museum
Housed in the prestigious Château Buchillot in Boulogne-Billancourt, an exceptional collection of sculptures, drawings and medals created by the artist reveal the formidable creative spirit of the man who is one of the last great classical sculptors of the 20th century. Warm woodwork and numerous nooks and crannies encourage exploration, recalling the secret passages and cabinets of curiosities of the 18th century. The Paul-Belmondo museum attaches particular importance to visual disabilities. A tactile gallery, created with the support of the Aéroports de Paris Foundation, allows the visually impaired to discover the artist’s works with their hands and not just with their eyes. An evocation of the workshop he occupied in the old stables of the Observatory garden as well as two cabinets of drawings and medals show another aspect of Paul Belmondo’s talent.

Museum of the 30s
The Museum of the 1930s is located in Boulogne-Billancourt. Devoted to the rich period of classical art and the various trends of realism between the wars. Representations of sacred art, Art Deco, animal art and even portraiture offer a transversal look at the artistic production of this period. Over 3,000m², big names are represented. Architects, industrialists and artists who made the 20th century. Throught the presentation of documents and architectural models which complete this collection and which symbolize the atmosphere of an era.

Discover the Museum of the 1930s and admire the paintings of Boutet de Monvel, Alfred Courmes, Maurice Denis, Amédée de La Patelière, Eugène Poughéon, Jean Souverbie, Henry de Waroquier. The sculptors from Joseph Bernard to Charles Despiau and Alfred Janniot or even Paul Landowski and the Martel brothers…A collection of furniture from great interior designers such as Ruhlmann or Leleu are also present.

Paul Landowski Museum
Paul Landowski Museum in Boulogne-Billancourt, offers this great sculptor a place commensurate with his work and his talent. The museum includes, after the entrance, a large main room and a side space dedicated to its intimacy and education. Supervised by his David and his Michelangelo, respectively Grand Prix de Rome and portrait of the aging artist, the route is built on a thematic theme in three sections, structured by the emblematic works of the artist, and culminating in his great work, The Temple of Man.

A diversity of production which is illustrated by 60 sculptures, 5 paintings and 10 drawings. Attached to a classic style, Paul Landowski celebrates his era in a series of monumental creations present in Paris: The Sons of Caïn in the Jardin des Tuileries or The Monument to the Dead at the Trocadéro but also at the Invalides, at Père Lachaise and of course at the Place de la Porte de Saint-Cloud where the art-deco Fountains mark the arrival in town.

Rodin Museum Meudon
The Villa des Brillants and its green setting became in 1895 the secret garden of the sculptor Auguste Rodin and his wife Rose Beuret. A place of life and creation, the Rodin museum in Meudon is also a place of transmission where numerous artistic and cultural education projects take place, organized for young people of all ages and from all backgrounds. The tour begins with the Villa des Brillants where Rodin lived the last 20 years of his life. Nearby, the visitor discovers the tactile space where reproductions of resin works can be discovered by touch. Below, the plaster gallery is a real dive into the heart of the artist’s creation, the presentation of the sculptures in their successive states allows the visitor to understand the different stages of Rodin’s creative journey. In the vast park, Rodin’s tomb, topped with the Thinker, welcomes visitors for a meditative moment facing the Seine valley.

Châtillon Heritage House
The Maison du Patrimoine is a showcase for the memory of Châtillon, it was the Swiss banker, Antoine Hogguer of Saint-Gall, who acquired the property in 1708, to install his mistress Charlotte Desmares, actress of the Comédie-Française. Antoine Hogguer, Baron de Presles, called on the French architect Debias-Aubry to enlarge and embellish the elegant building. The Heritage House of the City of Châtillon is run by the association “Les Amis du Vieux Châtillon” which presents its permanent collections to the public. The Heritage House allows the people of Châtillon to take ownership of their collective history, through the traces that the City has managed to preserve as a heritage. The collections patiently built up over thirty-three years with the help of the City, thanks to donations from the Châtillonnais and acquisitions financed by the association, are made up of works of art, archives and objects from popular traditions and industrial prototypes.

Roybet Fould Museum
Located in the Bécon park, the Courbevoie museum occupies the villa-studio of the painter Consuelo Fould (1862-1927). The main building built in the mid-19th century was enlarged by the addition of the Sweden-Norway Pavilion. Presented in Paris during the Universal Exhibition of 1878, the Norwegian red pine facade by architect Henrik Thrapp-Meyer is one of the rare French examples of prefabricated architecture from the 19th century. The Roybet Fould museum presents works from the 19th century including those of the painters Consuelo Fould and Ferdinand Roybet (1840-1920) as well as sculptures by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (1827-1875).

Meudon Museum of Art and History
The Meudon Museum of Art and History contains paintings, engravings and models. Nestled in the oldest residence in Meudon, the Museum was the home of pioneering surgeon Ambroise Paré as well as Armande Béjart, actress and wife of Molière. The museum preserves sculptures and abstract paintings from the second half of the 20th century, Rodin, Bourdelle and even Jean Arp are mentioned there. Find the works of César, Stahly, Dietrich Mohr, Lardeur, Le Moal or even Kijno… A documentation center on the history of the city is available. Stroll through a park decorated with monumental sculptures.

Dalpayrat House
A festival of colors and shapes, the art of Pierre-Adrien Dalpayrat is revealed in this brand new museum located in Bourg-la-Reine. The artist developed the famous “Red Dalpayrat”, a technique which gives his flamed sandstones an oxblood tint. This collection of 115 pieces of decorative art allows you to discover its famous colored sandstones. It thus recalls the past of the city which in 1773 hosted the Royal Earthenware and Porcelain Manufacture. More than twenty creators resided there until 1912, when the last earthenware factory closed. This tradition is due to the quality of the clay of the city’s soil, crossed by numerous underground waterways.

Gaston Garino Workshop
Founded in 1882, the De Dion-Bouton company quickly established itself in Puteaux at the Quai National, which has since become “Quai De Dion-Bouton”. In 1900, it was considered the largest automobile manufacturer in the world, producing nearly 400 cars and 3,200 engines that year. Desired by a fan of the brand, Atelier Gaston Garino presents the history of this legendary company and the memories of a glorious industrial past. You will be able to discover 5 cars, 6 bicycles, 2 engines, 1 motor pump and 1 moped, all from the De Dion-Bouton workshops.

French Playing Card Museum
The French Playing Card Museum offers an original scenography which allows you to follow a journey to the rhythm of time. From the 15th century to today, discover the history of this object as common as it is mysterious. Travel with rare pieces brought back from the four corners of the planet. A visit to the museum evokes in turn the decorative arts, manufacturing techniques, the world of players as well as the performing arts. A second gallery evokes the history of the town of Issy-les-Moulineaux and its heritage: the Château des Princes de Conti, the beginnings of Aviation, the links of Rodin, Matisse and Dubuffet with the Town.

House of Fishing and Nature
Find, in the museum’s eighteen freshwater aquariums, the fish species of the Seine: from roach to catfish, including black bass and pike. Also discover a priceless collection of rods, reels and other equipment dedicated to fishing, retracing the entire history of this thousand-year-old tradition. The museum also organizes numerous thematic workshops around the river and around the Levallois-Perret apiary (accessible on a self-guided tour) which has no less than 1,200,000 small bees. The structure also offers nature discovery activities (biodiversity, fauna, forests, aquatic environments, etc.) on Saturdays and during school holidays.

Contemporary art and Public art

Open-air museum at Paris-La Défense
In the heart of the Paris-La Défense district, easily accessible every day from the center of Paris, discover the Paris La Défense Art Collection walking tour. It is the result of an ambitious policy of acquiring artistic works initiated since the construction of the first towers in the district. Discover frescoes, sculptures, paintings and even stained glass windows in an architectural setting unique in the world. Miró, Calder, César… The big names in 20th and 21st century art are exhibited. Discover emblematic works such as The Red Spider by Calder which imposes its elegance. It is also on this route that you can admire The Characters of Joan Miró. Located near the Les 4 Temps shopping center, this monumental sculpture expresses all the non-conformism of the Spanish artist. Caesar’s Thumb, a 18 tons of cast iron gaze, a technical as well as artistic feat.

Louis Vuitton Foundation
The Louis Vuitton Foundation, a true showcase for the collections, this building offering both a complex vision and a feeling of total fluidity, it fits into its natural environment and plays with light. Discover a permanent collection with several series of masterpieces by artists such as Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Philippe Parreno and Annette Messager or even Gerhard Richter. Temporary exhibitions regularly enrich this museum and numerous sound or visual performances will punctuate this unique place.

Pavilion on Ile Seguin
Pavilion on Ile Seguin use large screen formats to tell stories, from the Middle Ages to 2018, through a large chronological fresco, embellished with films, photos and models. Help to discover what Ile Seguin and the Trapèze district will become in the years to come. Go back in time to stroll through the 11th century and take a detour through the era of the Renault factories, a major period in France industrial and social history. Renault exhibits its classic cars at the pavilion with a new vehicle every quarter. Temporary exhibitions and conferences are regularly organized.

Arp de Clamart Foundation
Arp de Clamart Foundation constitutes a place of creation, unique in the Paris region, housing a significant part of the artistic heritage of the two artists. Jean Arp, of German origin, participated in the famous pioneering group Der Blaue Reiter before becoming one of the founders of the Dada movement with Sophie Tauber whom he met in Zurich and whom he married in 1922. In 1929, the couple moved in in Clamart in a villa designed according to the plans of Sophie Taueber herself and which will serve as a framework for the creation of these two universally recognized pioneers of 20th century art. This place is an essential testimony to the perception and knowledge of their artistic work: seeing the works in the intimacy and light of the workshop where they were born, spotting the traces of all kinds which are preserved there.

JAD
The Garden of Art and Design Professions – JAD is a new place dedicated to art and design professions in Sèvres. A unique place of creation and innovation where artisans and designers, requirements and passions. It promotes dialogue between craftsmen and designers installed in residence within this facility in the Hauts-de-Seine Department. Steeped in history and classified as a Historic Monument, this architectural ensemble is located in the direct vicinity of Sèvres, the National Manufacture and Museum. JAD brings together: 20 workshops; an exhibition gallery; a conference space; a coworking space; meeting rooms.

Le Corbusier apartment workshop
Le Corbusier’s studio apartment occupies the top two floors of the Molitor Building, located at number 24 rue Nungesser-et-Coli on the border of Paris and Boulogne Billancourt. Bathed in light, Le Corbusier’s apartment also houses the architect’s painting studio. The east-west orientation and the exceptional environment of this building place it “in the conditions of a radiant city” for Le Corbusier. This rental building project represents an opportunity for the architect to test the validity of his proposals in terms of town planning. The absence of vis-à-vis allowed Le Corbusier, helped by his cousin Pierre Jeanneret, to build entirely glass facades, thus creating the first glass residential building in the history of architecture.

Edouard-Manet Gallery
It is in the heart of the Village of Gennevilliers district that the EMBA – Galerie Edouard-Manet is located. Active since 1968, the contemporary art gallery has a national reputation and exhibits emerging or recognized artists from the young French scene. At the heart of creative processes and cultural transmission, the Edouard-Manet Gallery is also engaged in an approach to supporting curatorial research.

Agam monumental fountain
A spectacular and musical work, agam monumental fountain is a superb example of kinetic art, its system propels the 66 jets of water to a height of 15 meters. A unique propulsion system with frequency variator creates the effect of “balls” of water in the sky. The water then flows into a waterfall approximately 7 m high, flowing into Place de La Défense. When the fountain is inactive, the shapes and colors of the pool give an illusion of movement along the waterfall. Located in the center of the Esplanade de La Défense, the monumental Agam Fountain was designed as a spectacular work of art, reflecting the neighborhood in which it is located.

With its 86 different tones of Venetian enamels, this very colorful set is the work of the Israeli artist Yaacov Agam who was a student of the Bauhaus. In thirty years, the system has evolved and become miniaturized: the large control cabinets have today been replaced by a single small box measuring a few centimeters. With the good weather, the Agam Fountain once again becomes a spectacle. Like every year, the water ballets make their return with silent water jets, at midday, and musical ballets, during office hours, for a pure moment of contemplative relaxation…

Calder’s Red Spider
The red spider sits on the Esplanade de La Défense, in front of the Place Défense building. The Red Spider is a work of art by American sculptor Alexander Calder. It was erected in 1976, this monumental sculpture, also called “stabile” in the artist’s own words, is named in opposition to the artist’s famous mobiles. Measuring 15 meters high and weighing 75 tonnes, the Spider is made of steel painted red. This work echoes another sculpture by the artist: the Flamingo (from the English “pink flamingo”) located in Chicago in the United States and installed two years previously.

Tower of Figures
The Tower of Figures is located in the Ile Saint-Germain Departmental Park in Issy-les-Moulineaux. 24 meters high, this monumental sculpture was made based on the model designed in 1967 by Jean Dubuffet. Its reinforced concrete frame is covered by a shell made up of 90 panels molded in epoxy resin. It is characterized by black graphics on a white background enhanced with red and blue, typical of the so-called Hourloupe period, this imaginary world imagined by the artist. The Tower was initially designed to be visited from the inside where a black and white ascending route awaits the adventurous visitor. The Tower of Figures is an atypical work: the astonishing visit to the interior of the tower resembles a walk in the mountains, the ground is slippery, the steps are painted in trompe l’oeil and irregular, the tower is not equipped ramp.

Mastaba 1
This architecturally unique building is covered in white tiles with black grout, the artist’s trademark. Conceptualized in 1986 by visual artist Jean-Pierre Raynaud then built shortly after in La Garenne-Colombes with the help of Monuments de France architect Jean Dedieu, Mastaba 1 is a unique original work. Described as a “semi-buried shelter” by the artist, the Mastaba is inspired by the funerary monuments of ancient Egypt. Discover this exceptional residence lit by an immense skylight. Outside, a monumental red pot, a version of the famous golden pot from the Georges Pompidou center, contrasts with the whiteness of the terrace. This visit will be an opportunity for you to discover the works of one of the greatest French visual artists, inside the house he designed and lived in.

Miró’s characters
This strange duo of half-fantastic, half-familiar characters, in bright colors (blue, yellow and red) marks, with its twelve meters height, the entrance to Quatre-Temps but was established before the opening of the shopping center. This work Mirò’s predilection for colorful universes, with fanciful, ill-defined shapes, snubs to the conformism of everyday life. These two Fantastic Characters, inaugurated in 1978, are made of polyester resin.

Natural space

In the west of Paris, several places preserve and bring to life traces of the past. Thus, you can discover great places of memory such as Mont Valérien which houses the Memorial to Combatant France and the American military cemetery in Suresnes or the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial.

Located at the Boulogne-Billancourt metro exit, Albert Kahn Museum is surrounded by a magnificent 4-hectare park. This museum contains a large collection of 20th century photography. It also contains very beautiful typical gardens including two Japanese, an English garden and a French. A very large collection of artistic masterpieces in the form of gardens left by the pacifist banker Albert Kahn.

The Wolf Valley is a magnificent park extends over more than 50 hectares, entirely landscaped in an artistic manner. In this park you can see the house of Chateaubriand. In this park you can visit three parts: the arboretum, the wooded park and the green island. The arboretum is intended exclusively for a collection of trees of approximately 500 species. Discover magnificent plants specially designed for the enjoyment of visitors. The wooded park is an excellent place for a peaceful stroll on the steep little paths. And finally the green island is a true corner of paradise where flora and pond mix to give rise to a masterpiece.

The 450-hectare Parc de Saint Cloud can be reached from Paris by metro. Although the park’s broad lines were designed by André Le Nötre, the master horticulturist of the Palace Park of Versailles, it is less accurately drawn and more natural than the Bois de Boulogne, in short, more idyllic. Today a garden occupies the site of the former castle, which was destroyed in the Franco-German War and was home to, among others, Liselotte of the Palatinate, Marie-Antoinette, Napoléon Bonaparte, King Charles X and Napoléon III. served as a residence. The Oranger’s terrace offers an incomparable view of Paris. In the Allee des Marnes, which leads straight to the west behind the large cascade, the pretty terrace of the tiny green-painted Châlet de Chamillard beckons under tall trees and promises rest and physical well-being for the tired hiker.

For football fans, the Parc des Princes stadium is a must. It serves as the home of Paris Saint-Germain. Attend a match or take a guided tour to see behind the scenes of the stadium.

The impressionist Seine
Impressionism is one of the most fascinating artistic eras of modern art. It bears witness to the radical changes that occurred simultaneously in art and in society in the second half of the 19th century. Many impressionist works highlight the Seine, particularly in western Paris. The second half of the 19th century saw the birth, in France, of a new artistic movement which marked a real break with academic painting: impressionism. Shunned by the public, the painters who were followers of this movement were also the laughing stock of critics, each more virulent than the other.

In the heart of Hauts-de-Seine, it is the landscapes of the towns along the Seine which largely inspired Caillebotte, Seurat, Manet, Monet and many others. Thus, Argenteuil and Gennevilliers, Rueil-Malmaison, Chatou, Levallois and even Asnières and Sèvres were the subjects of numerous paintings. By choosing to represent the “impression” felt during scenes of daily life or when contemplating nature and landscapes, Impressionism conquered the whole world. There are many paintings that evoke the villages of Ile-de-France and the banks of the Seine where boaters and swimmers flourish.

Stroll along the banks of the Seine and immerse yourself in the Belle Epoque thanks to this impressionist trail inaugurated in September 2013. From the Asnières bridge to the Clichy bridge, discover the landscapes that inspired famous painters such as Van Gogh, Émile Bernard, Paul Signac or Seurat who had chosen the city as a place of residence or inspiration. In the footsteps of the great painters, the urban stroll from the wedding hall of the Town Hall can complete the walk: The Town Hall and its superb wedding hall perfectly reflect the atmosphere of the town at the beginning of the last century. The painted decoration, entrusted to Henri Bouvet and completed in 1904, shows views of Asnières and its surroundings, notably the banks of the Seine.

The promenade of Rueil-Malmaison, this beautiful and long 13 kilometer walk will discover the treasures of the town of Rueil-Malmaison. Mixed, it offers a half-urban, half-nature route. Departing from the Rueil-Malmaison RER A station, discover the Parc des Impressionnistes, whose landscapes are inspired by the paintings of 19th century masters. Walk with a long route along the Seine. You will notably walk along the Island of the Impressionists and will see the Maison Fournaise, famous for having been represented in Auguste Renoir’s Le Déjeuner des canotiers. After walking along the Rueil-Malmaison golf course and admiring the Petite Malmaison castle, begin a course in the heights of the town and climb to the Gallicourts orchards. Admire a panorama of Paris and La Défense. The end of the route in the footsteps of Joséphine and Napoleon around the Château de Malmaison.

Located in the towns of Levallois Perret and Neuilly-sur-Seine, at the end of the 19th century, Jatte island quickly became a place of parties and leisure for Parisians who came to indulge in boating, rest and relax. Many taverns were set up there and impressionist painters, notably Georges Seurat, brought world fame to this island in western Paris, particularly with the painting A Sunday Afternoon at La Grande Jatte. As you stroll around this impressionist island, you can relive this artistic past by discovering the Impressionist Journey. Take a walk along the banks and discover, for example, the House of Fishing and Nature, enjoy the peace and quiet of these bucolic landscapes and the many restaurants on the Island. Also take a detour to the southern tip of the Island to discover the Temple of Love, a listed historic monument.

For approximately ten kilometers, follow the Promenade Bleue from Colombes towards the southwest to discover the banks of the Seine. On foot or by bike, enjoy a stroll along the tree-lined and uninterrupted Seine between the Colombes bridge and Rueil-Malmaison. Along this developed walk of approximately 10 kilometers, discover the Chemin de l’Ile Departmental Park with its enchanting and contemporary setting. The surroundings of the Pierre Lagravère Departmental Park, a footbridge was built by the Hauts-de-Seine Departmental Council at the Nanterre port area to bypass the obstacle posed by an arm of the Seine. The route end at the limit of the department of Hauts-de-Seine with that of Yvelines at the Pont de Chatou after passing in front of the Parc des Impressionnistes in Rueil-Malmaison whose landscapes are inspired in particular by the gardens of Giverny dear to Claude Monet. The Hauts-de-Seine Department is continuing to develop the banks of the Seine in order to achieve the objective of a continuous promenade along all of the banks of the territory.

Discover the preserved setting of the Corot ponds, in the Pond Park in Ville d’Avray. Discover the enchanting setting of the Etangs de Ville d’Avray, also known colloquially as the Etangs de Corot. They have been represented on numerous occasions by the famous impressionist painter. The Maison des Jardies which was in turn the property of Balzac and Gambetta. At the end of Avenue de Balzac is the Fontaine du Roy. The water that gushed from it was reputed to be the best around Paris. Then pass near the Saint-Nicolas-Saint-Marc church which houses splendid paintings by Camille Corot. Walking towards the ponds, there is Corot’s house where the painter spent his spring and summer months painting. A few meters away is the Cabassud inn where Alphonse Daudet stayed. After walking along the ponds, the second part of the walk takes you straight through the Fausses Reposes national forest to the Martinière park. Then stroll along the small steep paths of Chaville.

Impressionist park is an enchanting park inspired by the paintings of impressionist painters. Located opposite the Island of the Impressionists, this park concretizes the development of the Rueil-sur-Seine district. Facing the Seine, it is inspired by Monet’s Gardens at Giverny and truly enchanting. Perennial plants and shrubs in fresh and elegant colors follow one another, forming paintings reminiscent of the landscapes dear to the Impressionists. Wisteria, lilacs, geraniums and other varieties are to be discovered. Decorated with a water feature, a small kiosk and a natural wooden onesie.

Gastronomy
Hauts-de-Seine offers a varied culinary experience, with many restaurants offering quality French cuisine, taste traditional dishes such as coq au vin, beef bourguignon and delicious French pastries. As in the other départements of the Île-de-France, in the Hauts-de-Seine the cultivation of wine, fruit and vegetables, which was flourishing at the time, has been displaced by urbanization, so that the local cuisine is next to the usual dishes of the country specific dishes has more to offer. It is worth trying to ask in the restaurants in the area or to arrange a tasting on site: the distillery buildings can be visited by prior arrangement and can even be rented for parties by arrangement.

Clacquesin liqueur distillery is a family business founded in 1775 by the pharmacist Paul Clacquesin on rue Quincampoix in Paris and later located on rue du Dragon, which moved its factory to Malakoff in 1900. The old brick distillery with its copper vessels not only stands as ever, it is also a listed building and sells the herbal liqueur that the chic crowd of the Roaring 20s swore by and which stars such as Maurice Chevalier, Josephine Baker and Fernandel praised beyond measure. The aromatic brew, a type of pine liqueur, is made from pine buds, plants and herbs such as juniper, orange blossoms, lemongrass, cinnamon and cloves, and is enjoyed in a variety of ways: pure or as a long drink, cold mixed with beer or milk, or hot Grog.

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