Saint-Louis signed his documents “Louis de Poissy”.
Baptized in 1214 in this town nestled between the forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and a bend in the Seine, the King of France granted it the right to trade in 1245. Its walls still bear witness to this trading past.
Welcome to “Terres de Seine”.
To discover
Stays in France: weekends, hotels and tailor-made stays from our partners
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Weekend around Paris: all our ideas for outings
An architectural itinerary
The house of the architect Théophile Bourgeois.
Martine Carret / Le Figaro
Exit by the
North bus station
and cross the road, towards the
bridge
with the arches damaged on May 26, 1944 by American bombardments.
In the past, these arches were used by fishermen to install their nets and mills were placed on the bridge.
Once below, take a look at its left pillar.
In the air, very high, even higher!
Two plaques commemorate the floods of the Seine on March 18, 1876 and January 31, 1910. It is hard to imagine the Seine rising from its bed to reach a height of 7 meters!
On the left, the 15-room gourmet hotel-restaurant was named
L'Esturgeon
in memory of the 100-kilogram, 3-meter fish caught by the owner on July 22, 1839.
Continue on this arm of the Seine along the quay or shelter from the sun under the double row of lime trees painted by Claude Monet.
The
Villa Saint-Louis
where he lived from December 1881 to April 1883 is at the end of the driveway.
On the Seine, floats a cloud of these water lilies that he loved to paint.
20 meters away, on the corner, the
house of the architect Théophile Bourgeois
extends its convoluted turrets since 1894, according to its neo-Norman and neo-medieval style which has spread to neighboring towns.
Follow the sidewalk on the garden side (300 meters) then take the tunnel which leads to the
Meissonier park
.
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The House of Iron
The Iron House in the Meissonnier park.
Martine Carret / Le Figaro
Landscaped in the English style, Meissonier Park is a public garden named in honor of the painter and mayor of the city (1878-79) Ernest Meissonier.
Its 12 hectares include a rose garden, a large pond and many remarkable trees.
At the top of the hill, the
Iron House
appears in all its immaculate whiteness.
As you approach, you become aware of its metal structure, walls and roof, according to a stamped sheet construction system patented by the Belgian engineer Joseph Danly.
On the ground floor, a museum recalls the evolution of the city, its royal and commercial past, the importance of the railway (1843) in its opening up.
Upstairs, animal noises emanate from the exhibition
Bestiaux, la Foire!
(until November 6).
From the 11th century to 1867, books, newspapers and posters explain how Poissy supplied Paris with cattle, sheep and calves.
Visits:
€5 (€2 reduced rate) Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday, 1pm-6pm.
Closed July 14 and August 15.
Elevator available.
Combined ticket with the Toy Museum: €7.
And also:
On July 29, 2022, guinguette evening from 7:30 p.m. with free concert.
Museum open from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., €2.
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The Savoy Villa
Le Corbusier's Villa Savoye.
Adobe Stock / Takashi Images
Leaving the park, a 450m walk through a residential area leads to a 440m2 square residence.
Built on stilts, its gently sloping ramp leads to the first level, leading to an 86m2 living room and a 110m2 garden terrace.
On the second level, the solarium of 70m2.
Work of Le Corbusier completed in 1931, the
Villa Savoye
is built according to the theory of 5 points: free plan, free facade, pilotis, roof garden, window in band.
Completely innovative with its sliding windows and panoramic views of the 7-hectare garden, this weekend house had been commissioned from him by wealthy insurers, the Savoyes.
Visits:
€8 (€6.50 on presentation of a Navigo Pass).
Audio guide and guided tour extra.
And also:
Until September 25, exhibition of 12 works by visual artist Nathalie Du Pasquier.
Return to the city center:
bus 50, 51, 55.
Read alsoFrom north to south, three iconic 1930s villas to visit this summer
The Toy Museum
The Poissy Toy Museum.
Martine Carret / Le Figaro
We fell in love with the
Toy Museum
, located in the enclosure of the abbey, a district with narrow, cobbled streets.
Stone toys from the Egyptian Roman period, Middle Ages, Revolution, 1st Empire... Through these toys, we follow the evolution of social classes such as that of the place of the child within the family, especially when games become educational and stimulating in the 1970s. Do you know what a phenakistiscope, a zoetrope, a praxinoscope is?
The Museum will guide you.
We love the many play areas for children (puppets, riddles, costumes).
Do not miss the
Notre-Dame Collegiate Church
(12th century) whose two octagonal bell towers can be seen from afar.
Stained glass windows of great beauty, Gothic portal with Renaissance decoration and numerous evocations of Saint-Louis.
Visits:
Wednesday to Friday 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-6pm.
Saturday and Sunday: 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
€7 (€18 for a family), reduced price €5.
Closed July 14 and August 15.
Elevator available.
To finish: two nature activities
Wake & Gliss in Villennes-sur-Seine.
Nicolas Dubois / Photo press
For sports enthusiasts, from the Collegiate Church, take the Chemin du Bord de l'eau which leads (2.5 km) to
Villennes-sur-Seine
.
Wake & Gliss Club: wakeboard, wakesurf, wakeskate, towed buoy... Contact: Alexis on 06 68 66 04 80.
Have a drink:
at the guinguette de Villennes.
Sandy beach and easy chairs.
Festive atmosphere.
Return
: by the same route or take the 26 bus.
As a family, from the bus station, head towards
Carrières-sous-Poissy
to spend the afternoon at the Parc du Peuple de l'Herbe.
Territory of 113 ha where the biodiversity of wetlands is fully expressed, ponds, reedbeds, barge-houses, beach, towpath.
Picnic, petanque and basketball area, sports trail.
13 km of paths including 2.8 km of banks of the Seine.
If the entrance to the park is free, the visit of the House of insects is paying, 7€.
Getting there:
bus n° 1, 2, 3, 98. Bus stop Maison des Insectes.
On foot, count 40 minutes (3 km).
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Practical notebook
WHERE ARE WE GOING TO TAKE LUNCH ?
Sturgeon
Olivier Gremillet, Sturgeon Chef and Master Chef of France, has concocted a recipe for pancakes flambéed with Noyau de Poissy (apricot kernel almond-based liqueur).
Closed Thursday, Sunday evening and the whole month of August.
6 Cr of July 14, 78300 Poissy.
Such.
: 01 39 65 00 04.
The Good Hideout
We love the hot turmeric bread and the bowls of fresh and organic products cooked on site by Cécile and Layth.
To taste, the I-Grec yogurts made in the Yvelines.
112 b, rue du General de Gaulle.
Such.
: 06 19 63 58 03.
ASK ABOUT
Terres de Seine tourist office for reservations and certain guided tours.
GO
From La Défense-Grande Arche, RER A, terminus.
23 minutes.
From Saint-Lazare station, Line J, 20 minutes.
