We're all trying to get outdoors more thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, and a new 420km-long bike route running along the Seine is a welcome addition to the network of French cycle routes. La Seine à Vélo runs from Paris to Le Havre and Deauville in Normandy, and riders get to experience the cultural, historical and industrial heritage of different regions along the route.
The route passes through Seine-Saint-Denis, Hauts-de-Seine, Yvelines, Val-d’Oise, Eure, Seine-Maritime and Calvados. Highlights include Notre-Dame de Paris, Le Havre beach and Les Planches de Deauville, as well as an architectural voyage through the great cathedrals of Paris and Rouen, the Abbaye de Jumièges, the Château de Malmaison, Chateau de La Roche-Guyon and the Château Gaillard aux Andelys.
Developed in partnership with France Vélo Tourisme, a dedicated website has launched to provide those embarking on the route with guides and information on accommodation, food and service providers. It contains practical information related to the route, including a breakdown of the stages, complete with maps and GPX and descriptions of their levels of difficulty and accessibility.
The website describes where gastronomic discoveries can be made through the tasting of local specialties and products and helps to immerse riders in the heart of nature in the Ile-de-France and Normandy countryside. It also outlines the must-see sites along the route, including Street Art Avenue along the Saint-Denis canal, where artists have taken over spaces with their works. Art-lovers can also visit the house and garden of Claude Monet in Giverny, one of the founders of Impressionism.
For further information, visit the website of La Seine à Vélo here.
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