Melun Vaux te Fiets en te Voet (fietsroute nr. 2)

In the Middle Ages, this land on the banks of the Almont was made available to the Carmelite community.Following a number of disputes and damage to the common property, in 1864 the Municipal Council ordered the creation of drainage ditches, the restoration of the meadow and the construction of a path along the banks of the Almont. In order to show the inhabitants of the suburb how much he cared for them, King Louis VII of France, who was very fond of Melun, granted the inhabitants the right to use and graze "la prairie des Carmes". Today, this land is still used for market gardening and is known as the Jardins familiaux des Carmes. As part of its Agenda 21 initiative, the town recently rehabilitated 33 plots to give them a more coherent visual appearance. At the same time, an occupancy agreement was signed with the "Union des locataires des jardins des Carmes" management association, setting out the rights and obligations of both the City and the gardeners, as well as a number of measures to promote environmentally-friendly gardening. The City is also committed to preserving and enhancing biodiversity and the quality of water resources.

The Moulin du Roy, also known as the "Moulin d'en Haut", belongs to the commune of Rubelles. Its existence is documented as far back as 980 AD.It is said to have been named in honour of King Robert the Pious, who had the town of Melun liberated around the year 1000. It remained in royal ownership until 1594, when Henry IV sold it to Monsieur De la Grange, governor of Melun. In 1889, the mill was converted into a dairy by the Mollereau family and renamed the "Grande Laiterie de Trois-Moulins". The dairy collected milk from farms in nearby towns such as Maincy, Rubelles, Blandy and Champeaux. The milk was then delivered to Melun. In 1897, the dairy was awarded a Diplôme d'Honneur for "Speciality Cream Cheese" at the "Exposition de l'Industrie et Fêtes du Commerce" in Paris. It was then taken over by the future writer and adventurer Henri de Monfreid from 1909 to 1910. In 1913, the Jonot family moved in and continued to run the dairy until the 1960s, when it was forced to close for good due to a lack of milk. The mill, which has recently been renovated, is now used as a home. It faces a residence that once belonged to the academician Count Franz de Champagny, who is buried in the chapel on the property.

The Maincy Bridge is located in the hamlet of Trois-Moulins, near the "Moulin d'en bas". It crosses the river Almont, and was built in 1822 by Colonel Thomson to access his home (Château de Coudray).In August 2004, the wooden section was completely restored. This rural spot is now protected, as it forms the boundary of the site classified as the picturesque character of the Ru de l'Ancoeur Valley. The bridge became famous thanks to Paul Cézanne's painting of it. The work is currently on display at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. The artist painted this spot during his stay in Melun from April 1879 to March 1880, in a house on Place de la Préfecture. A recluse, he led a very discreet life there, devoting himself to painting. From time to time, he made a brief trip to Paris, visiting Emile Zola for a fortnight. He wrote him several letters from Melun.

The world-famous 17th-century château and its estate represent the most perfect "harmony between architecture and landscape". To visit Vaux-le-Vicomte is to immerse yourself in French magnificence.Vaux-le-Vicomte: the perfection of a château Grand siècle... The Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte was designed in the 1650s by some of the greatest artists of the time: architect Louis Le Vau, painter Charles Le Brun, landscape architect André Le Nôtre, master mason Michel Villedo and maître d'hôtel François Vatel. Dazzled by their work, Louis XIV called on them to build the Château de Versailles. Magnificent old horse-drawn carriages and their crews are on display in the large stables. The carriages are presented in settings based on the themes of town, country and hunting. The Vaux-le-Vicomte estate is also the venue for a succession of cultural and tourist events: Easter celebrations in the gardens; the Grand Siècle Day and its costumes; candlelit tours, etc. The ponds, fountains and waterfalls are filled with water every second and last Saturday of the month.