Caillebotte and his artist’s house

From Bondy, the Scandibérique leads you boldly southwards along the Seine, through a mix of natural and industrial landscapes, offering a surprising way to cross Paris by bike! At the Rotonde de la Villette, you switch from following the Canal de l’Ourcq to riding beside the Canal St-Martin. Further southeast, the confluence of Seine and Marne Rivers is marked by the startling hotel complex Huatian Chinagora, built along the lines of Beijing’s Forbidden City. Note the industrial heritage visible alongside the cycle path, many old factories converted to new uses: the Saint-Raphaël Factory has become an offshoot of the University of Paris VI, the Eaux de Paris waste-water works a depot for Paris’s spare art works, while the former EDF Coal-fired Power Station, the Rhône-Poulenc Factory and the Hollander Factory are now home to a theatre company and artists’ studios! Reaching Vitry-sur-Seine, admire the Pont du Port à l’Anglais, completed in 1928, replacing the former ferry that linked the banks of the Seine here. At Choisy-le-Roi, take in the old Choisy train station dating from the first half of the 19th century. Note that there’s a ‘service station’ specifically for cyclists on the quays of Choisy’s industrial port!

After passing the big former Seine-side mills in the town of Corbeil-Essonnes, the Scandibérique then leads you south along calm riverside stretches, the Seine’s broad meanders lined with woods, the way well shaded. As there are no bridges over the Seine along these parts, this stage proves more peaceful than the preceding ones. Following the Seine’s west bank up to the town of Melun, you pass by some remarkable homes built at the turn of the 19th to the 20th centuries, recalling how prized the banks of the Seine had become for getting away from the city bustle. Many painters, writers, actors and stars were tempted by the charms of these parts to come and stay here!