Route: from the Château de Vincennes to the banks of the Marne at Maisons-Alfort

The Château de Vincennes is a must-see in the Paris region. Discover a landmark of French history at the gateway to Paris, on the edge of the Bois de Vincennes.The history of the Château de Vincennes begins in the 12th century, when King Louis VII ordered the construction of a hunting lodge in the forest of Vincennes. Under Louis IX (also known as Saint Louis), the site became an official royal residence. By the 14th century, the château took on the appearance we recognize today. King Charles V transformed the modest lodge into a formidable fortress, surrounded by massive walls and towers, and dominated by a 52-metre (170-foot) keep — now considered the tallest medieval fortified structure in Europe. He also commissioned the construction of the Sainte-Chapelle of Vincennes in 1379, though it would not be completed until 1552, during the reign of Henry II. In the 17th century, architect Louis Le Vau—who also worked on Versailles—built the elegant King’s and Queen’s pavilions in a classical style for the young Louis XIV, his mother, and Cardinal Mazarin. When the royal court moved permanently to Versailles in 1682, Vincennes lost its status as a royal residence. The keep (donjon), which had already served as a prison since the 16th century, took on this role more fully in the 18th century. Among its most famous prisoners were Diderot, Latude, Mirabeau, and the infamous Marquis de Sade. Over the following decades, various manufactories — porcelain, faience, and armaments — occupied the site. By the end of the 18th century, the château had fallen into disrepair, until the establishment of the Paris Arsenal in 1796 saved it from ruin. This new military function, however, led to major transformations: the manor of Saint Louis was demolished, some towers were levelled, and casemates were added. Vincennes became home to one of the largest military garrisons in the Paris region. Designated a historic monument in 1913, the Château de Vincennes still reflects this dual heritage. Today, the Ministry of Culture, through the Centre des Monuments Nationaux, manages the Sainte-Chapelle and the keep, both open to the public. The Ministry of Defence oversees the rest of the site, housing the Historical Service of the French Armed Forces, which includes libraries and archives accessible to visitors and researchers alike.

Currently part of the Paris-Est Val de Marne Hospitals, the former Imperial, and later National, Convalescent Home stands as a symbol of the thinking around the design of healthcare institutions in the second half of the 19th century.The construction of the Imperial Convalescent Home of Saint-Maurice was initiated by Napoleon III in response to a longstanding concern: caring for the sick or injured who had recovered enough to leave the hospital, yet were still unable to support themselves. Various attempts to establish such a facility around Paris had been made since the 17th century. Under the Second Empire, the rapid growth of the Parisian population and the scale of construction work in the capital—along with the resulting number of workplace accidents among construction workers—made the issue even more pressing. Napoleon thus decided to create a convalescent home. Just over 16 hectares were allocated from the Bois de Vincennes, which at the time belonged to the crown estate. The term asile (asylum) was chosen to designate the new institution—a word which, at that time, was not associated with psychiatry or even strictly with the medical world. Construction took place between 1855 and 1857. Around a central courtyard, architect Laval designed a facility that was neither a hospice nor a prison, with a strong emphasis on hygiene and the comfort of its residents: all rooms faced south, and unlike the standard hospital practice of the time, no large dormitories were built. The site itself was chosen for its healthful qualities: located on the edge of the Bois de Vincennes, in a largely rural commune, on an elevated plateau that ensured good air circulation. To preserve this environment, any type of construction that might disturb the residents was prohibited in the surrounding area. The “treatment” consisted mainly of rest in the open air, far from the city, combined with a healthy and plentiful diet. Verlaine, who stayed there three times, particularly praised the quality of the desserts. Renamed the National Convalescent Home of Saint-Maurice in 1900, the institution gradually developed a specialization in rehabilitative care. After an initial merger with the nearby Esquirol Hospital, it is now part of the Paris-Est Val de Marne Hospitals, following its integration with the Les Murets Hospital Center in La Queue-en-Brie.

Built in 1924 in a Romano-Byzantine style, the Church of Saint-André stands as both a testament to the development of the Plateau neighborhood in which it is located, and a poignant reminder of the First World War.Until its construction, the town had only the Church of Saint-Maurice, located on the Grande Rue at the foot of the slope leading up to the Bois de Vincennes. However, as the town expanded over the course of the 19th century, this old place of worship proved too small and too far from the newly built homes. In 1912, Abbé Bressange, parish priest of Saint-Maurice, noted that residents of the Plateau had taken to attending services in the church of Charenton-le-Pont, but appeared willing to help finance a new building. It was ultimately in the aftermath of the First World War that the current sanctuary was erected. Mr. André Lemoine, who had served as the parish organist for forty years, and his wife, donated the land and financed the construction to honor the memory of their son, who was killed in action on December 17, 1914, at the age of 28. He is buried in a vault beneath the altar, later joined by the remains of his parents. Designed by architect Jacquemin, the church was built in just one year using a concrete structure clad in brick, in a style combining Romanesque and Byzantine influences, which was common in churches built during the interwar period. The bell tower, however, was not completed until 1931. In the years that followed, other families connected to Saint-Maurice donated stained glass windows commemorating the deaths of their loved ones, further strengthening the bond between the church and the memory of the Great War.

A plaque in Saint-Maurice marks the site of the Charenton Temple, which was built following the proclamation of the Edict of Nantes in 1598 and whose construction began in 1607.The Edict of Nantes granted freedom of worship but prohibited the construction of Protestant temples within five leagues (just over 15 kilometers) of a bishop’s seat. As a result, the first places of worship for Parisian Protestants were established in Grigny, and later in Ablon. However, the distance proved burdensome, prompting numerous complaints from the Reformed community. In response, Henry IV authorized the construction of a temple on the territory of what is now the commune of Saint-Maurice, then part of the parish of Charenton-Saint-Maurice. The first building was designed by architect Jacques Androuet du Cerceau, but it was ransacked as early as 1615 and then set on fire in 1621. Louis XIII permitted its reconstruction, which was carried out under the direction of Salomon de Brosse, architect of the Luxembourg Palace in Paris. Completed in 1624, it was a particularly large structure, capable of accommodating up to 4,000 worshippers. The Charenton Temple was ultimately destroyed in 1685, in just five days, following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. In 1700, the land was sold to the Benedictine nuns of the Val d’Osne, who established a convent there. Though the convent was dismantled during the French Revolution, its memory endures in the name of the street that now leads from the Plateau district to the Marne River. Two hundred years later, in 1890, a new temple was built in the nearby commune of Charenton-le-Pont.

A major figure of Romanticism, Eugène Delacroix was born in Saint-Maurice on April 26, 1798, in the bourgeois house his family then occupied.Delacroix spent his first two years there, until his father was appointed prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône and the family moved to Marseille in 1800. Later, the house was notably occupied by Edmond Nocard (1850–1903), professor and then director of the Alfort Veterinary School. From 1880 onward, Nocard was a key collaborator of Louis Pasteur, who first recruited him to assist in his work on anthrax. They then created a joint laboratory, where Nocard developed new techniques to combat tuberculosis and tetanus. He died in 1903 at his home in Saint-Maurice and is buried in the local cemetery. Abandoned in the mid-20th century, the house was threatened with demolition before being classified as a Historic Monument in 1973. It was eventually restored by the city to house the municipal library. The new media library was inaugurated on December 12, 1988, and underwent further renovation in 2016.

Although the current Charenton Bridge dates only from 1974, it marks the site of a crossing over the Marne River that has held major economic and strategic importance since Antiquity.Caesar, in the Gallic Wars, already mentions the crossing by his lieutenant Labienus at this spot, as he prepared to attack the Parisians with four legions, crossing the Marne thanks to its many islands. The existence of a wooden bridge is first recorded in the 7th century. Carried away by storms and damaged by wars, it was rebuilt many times—first in wood, then in stone, and later in concrete. At one time fortified, its towers were destroyed by Henry IV. In 1664, d’Artagnan passed over it, escorting Nicolas Fouquet as a prisoner to Paris. On March 3, 1814, students from the Alfort Veterinary School resisted the coalition armies there. Like many bridges, it also supported mills, the last of which disappeared in 1811. The bridge’s significance contributed to the gradual formation of the present-day communes of Charenton, Saint-Maurice, and Maisons-Alfort. From the bridge, you can reach the right bank of the Marne by following the path alongside departmental road 6, either upstream or downstream.

The current Quai Fernand-Saguet follows the route of the old Alfort towpath. Long dominated by automobile traffic, the first section of the quay was redesigned as a landscaped promenade between 1994 and 2000 by the landscape architect Jacques Coulon.Opening onto the Marne, the towpath quay became, at the end of the 19th century, a leisure destination for Parisians arriving from boats operated by the Compagnie des Bateaux-Express. Continuing from the Bercy warehouses, it also developed into a site of significant industrial activity, notably related to the alcohol trade. One of the most important establishments was the Suze distillery, located at number 10 Quai d’Alfort from 1875. Once you reach the banks of the Marne, you have two options. If you want to take a break from your walk, you can take Rue Nordling to find public transport at the Maisons-Alfort Ecole Vétérinaire stop. Alternatively, you can also continue along the Marne by following the Promenade Paul-Cézanne, which starts at the foot of the Charenton Bridge and extends to Joinville and Créteil. Enjoy the discovery!