A Day Trip From Paris - Saint-Germain-En-Laye
- Helen
- Nov 2, 2018
- 4 min read
Updated: Jan 16, 2019
If you are visiting Paris and you have more than a couple of days, why not take some time out of the hustle and bustle of the busy city and explore local suburbs? Some of the local towns on the fringe of Paris offer amazing architecture, historical sites, art, shopping, green spaces and all without the busy crowds of Paris itself.... Perfect opportunities for a day trip from Paris.
During my latest house-sit I stayed in a home on the train line out of Paris that serves both Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Rueil Malmaison. It would have been a missed opportunity not to take advantage of my location and explore these two towns.
In this post, I will tell you why Saint-Germain-En-Laye is a town you should visit, while my next post will concentrate on Rueil Malmaison.
Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is located on the RER A train line from central Paris and it takes less than 30 minutes to reach the town at the very end of the branch.
There is plenty to do in Saint-Germain-en-Laye to spend a leisurely day but if you are tighter on time then you could see the highlights in a half day and combine it with an afternoon in Rueil Malmaison (situated on the same line).
Stepping from the train station at St Germain-en-Laye I was immediately overwhelmed by the impressive dominance of the town’s Chateau immediately to my left. The rest of the town did not disappoint either...
History, art, culture, gardens, views, shopping, cafes, patisseries… what is not to like!
To ensure you are prepared when you visit this suburban gem, let me tell you why you should visit.
The top things to see and do in St Germain-en-Laye:
Chateau de Saint-Germain-en-Laye
The Chateau dominates the town with its Gothic architecture and impressive grounds.
Once the home to royalty spanning from Louis VI to Louis XIV (who was born here), the building now houses the Musee de Archeologee Nationale (or France’s national Archaeological Museum).
This popular museum contains archaeological displays ranging from the Stone Age to the 11th Century and is the world’s largest collection of prehistoric art.
A ticket to the museum will also gain you access to the original chapel of the Chateau and to the roof terrace with some incredible views.
The Chateau sits within extensive gardens which are free to walk around and marvel at. If you are blessed with good weather then you could easily spend more than a couple of hours in the grounds alone.
Notable to see within the grounds are the 2.4km (yep that’s right!) terrace which offers views all across La Defense business region of Paris and the Seine.
Also be sure to seek out the vineyard and English Garden.
A ticket to see the chapel and the archaeology exhibition in the Chateau is currently 7 Euros.
The museum, like many in the Paris region, is free the first Sunday of every month. However, unlike it’s central Paris counterparts, the non-city location here ensures these free entry do not attract the same volume of crowds.
The Claude Debussy Museum
Located in Saint-Germain-en-Laye behind the Chateau is the birthplace of the French composer, Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918).
The ground floor of the building, which dates from the 17th century, is now the Tourist Information Centre of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the small museum dedicated to the composer is located on the upper floor.
The museum displays some of the personal belongings, historical documents and art collections of Debussy.
Entry to the museum is 5 Euro with concessions available.
Priory Museum (Musee Maurice Denis)
The former home of Maurice Denis, French symbolist painter and Nabis school member, is now a museum housing information about the artist alongside symbolist and post-impressionist artwork from the Pont-Aven School in Brittany.
The collection includes paintings from artists Paul Gauguin, Emile Bernard, Pierre Bonnard and others.
Maurice Denis purchased the building here in Saint-Germain-En-Laye as a derelict hospital and spent some years restoring and adding his own artwork to it. He lived at this home until his death in 1943.
The adjacent chapel was painted by Denis in memory of his wife who had died after 26 years of marriage in 1919, leaving the artist heartbroken.
This is also available to see, alongside the artist’s workshop.
The museum is also housed in some beautiful and extensive gardens which are free to visit and contain more sculptures by Gauguin.
Entry to the museum is 4.50 Euro with concessions available.
Place du Marche Neuf
The Place du Marche Neuf or ‘New Market’ has been located at its site here since 1776… perhaps not so new any longer!
This market square in the centre of the town is large, clean and open. To one end is the Post Office and arcades form the opposite end of the square where you will find restaurants and cafes to sit, eat, drink and people watch.
The market square does also house the town’s market, which is held on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday mornings. This is when the local community will also come together to shop and mingle, so if you can, aim to time your visit on one of these days.
Shopping ‘Galerie’ & More..
Boutiques, Boulangeries, Patisseries, Cafes, Restaurants, Cheese Shops, Wine Shops and so much more!
If you want to shop while in France then St-Germain-en-Laye will serve you well.
Earning the title, "the biggest open-air shopping centre in west Paris" it could be seen as a shopper’s paradise.
This is also a rich and upmarket town and the shops are testimony to this (so not necessarily cheap!).
The town offers its own Galerie… or small covered shopping arcade which is beautiful and contains more areas to sit, drink coffee and people watch or simply stroll through, taking in the shop fronts and architecture.
And... if you have covered all the above and still want more to do while in Saint-Germain-en-Laye then take time to just wander the streets made up of old houses and mansions dating from the 17th and 18th centuries.
On the outskirts of the town there is also the Forest of St-Germain-en-Laye, which will keep any nature lovers, hikers or bikers happy!
Hopefully this small guide to this gorgeous place has motivated you to visit.
If you do think I have missed anything crucial or you know of updates to prices or other information here then please share!
Finally, don’t miss the next guide covering Rueil Malmaison -another historically fascinating Parisian suburb you will want to see.
**To make my travels possible and affordable I do so through international house-sitting, using both Trusted Housesitters and Kiwi Housesitters**
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