Hour from Paris

Annabel Simms was born in England, of Hungarian parentage. In 1991 she moved to Paris on a year's sabbatical from her job as a college lecturer in London, and never left. She now works as a freelance journalist, editor and English teacher.

• ContentsMap showing journey times from Paris Map of the Ile de France Rail map of the Ile de France Preface Preface to the Fourth Edition The Ile de France: past and present How to use this guide Gare du Nord1. Montmorency Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s house/museum, market, Renaissance church2. Ecouen Château-museum of the Renaissance, woodland walk3. Chantilly Château-museum, horse-racing, canal walk4. Auvers-sur-Oise Vincent Van Gogh and the Impressionists, village and river walk5. Royaumont St Louis, Cistercian abbey, concerts, country walk6. Luzarches Erik Satie, country walk7. Senlis The first French kings, cathedral, rampart walk Gare de l’Est8. Crécy-la-Chapelle Corot, Gothic church, moats, river walk9. La Ferté-Milon Racine, La Fontaine, Leonardo da Vinci, ruined castle, canal walk, boat trip10. Provins Medieval tournaments, rampartsGare de Lyon11. Moret-sur-Loing Alfred Sisley and the Impressionists, river walk to port of Saint Mammès Gare de Montparnasse12. Rambouillet Château, park : Marie Antoinette, Napoleon, De Gaulle13. Montfort-l’Amaury Simon de Montfort, Maurice Ravel, Victor Hugo, country walkGare St Lazare14. Poissy St Louis, Monet, Le Corbusier, Emile Zola’s house-museum, river walk15. Conflans-Sainte Honorine River port, boat museum, island restaurant accessed by speedboat, island and river walkSt Michel-Notre Dame RER16. Sceaux Château, park : Colbert, Le Nôtre, walk to Chateaubriand’s house and gardenChâtelet-Les Halles RER17. Champigny-sur-Marne Traditional French music/dancing by the river, Abbey ruins at St Maur, island, river bus to Joinville18. The islands of Créteil Victor Hugo, island walk19. Champs-sur-Marne Menier chocolate factory, river walk, Madame de Pompadour’s château and park20. Saint Germain-en-Laye Le Nôtre, Debussy, Maurice Denis’ house-museum, château On the Tourist Trail Versailles, Giverny, FontainebleauGetting around the Ile de France: The cultural context getting into the local rhythm, the pleasures of provincial life, the love of numbers, the French attitude to informationPractical details public transport, maps, useful sources of information, books, bookshopsBest days to visit markets, museums and châteaux, other attractions Glossary Train traveller’s glossary Chronology of French rulers Acknowledgements Picture credits Index