Located in the Île de France and with a population hovering around forty thousand people, the pretty town of Saint Germain en Laye is best known as being the birthplace of Debussy.
And with an amazing view over Paris and vast woodlands to walk in, the town also has a rich history.
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1. Visit the Musée Archéologie
The château at Saint-Germain-en-Laye was once key to the French court and kings of France before they moved to Versailles. It was here that Napoleon I created his cavalry training school in the 19th Century.
Today the palace is a museum, the National Archaeology Museum for France. There are particularly good displays about pre-History. There is also a chapel that you can visit.
Visit: between Wednesday and Monday.
2. Explore the Domaine Saint-Germain-en-Laye
The amazing view over the former gardens allows you to see all the way to La Defense (and on a clear day, Paris itself). The woodland and long plane tree-lined avenues are lovely to walk around and make a great place to have a picnic.
At the very end of the garden is the Jardin Anglais (English Garden). The wending pathways here were created with the introduction of the railway line in order to ‘beautify’ the garden when the new tracks cut up its previous periphery.
3. Learn about Debussy at Maison Debussy
Located on the first floor above the Tourism office, the house of the composer Debussy is free to visit. Although it is not known in exactly which room the famous French composer was born, the museum consists of many of his personal possessions and it is here that he lived with his wife and daughter ChouChou.
Visit: between Wednesday and Monday.
4. Eat a pastry at Gouley
This award-winning patisserie shop has more patisseries that I have ever seen in my life! From macarons to tarts, there is a rainbow of flavors, fruits, and sweets to choose from. After a lot of deliberation, I decided to go for the pistachio and raspberry tart.
5. Wander around Place des Marchés
Situated in the very heart of the town is the main square. Surrounded by independent boutiques, cheese shops, boulangeries and, of course, patisserie shops, it is a great place to stop, drink espresso and go people watching.
6. From royal residence to National Museum of Archaeology
The home of many French sovereigns — from Louis VI to Louis XIV, who was born here — the palace was listed as a historic monument in 1863. Today, it holds the collection of the Musée d'Archéologie Nationale.
The archaeological museum's permanent collections are counted as amongst the finest in the world. Stretching from the Paleolithic period to the Early Middle Ages, it contains around 29,000 objects, including tools and artworks from ancient times.
The museum also holds temporary exhibitions tied to specific themes, as well as lecture tours to learn more about archaeology and the history of the château.
7. A verdant paradise, a stone's throw from Paris
In search of nature? The national park and gardens surrounding the château are also open to visitors. Accessible from a large terrace, the grounds, designed by André Le Nôtre, gardener to Louis XIV, are a masterpiece of perspective that today overlooks the La Défense business district and the Seine.
8. Artists in Saint-Germain en Laye
Your visit to Saint-Germain en Laye can also be a cultural excursion. The town has strong links with the arts and was once home to the composer Claude Debussy and the painter Maurice Denis.
A good starting point would be the Espace Paul-et-André Vera, a stunning museum named after two brothers from Saint-Germain en Laye, who were pioneers of the Art Déco movement.
Paul Vera was a painter and illustrator, and André Vera a theoretician on garden design. Here, you can admire tapestries, furniture, drawings and paintings by Paul Véra, which were bequeathed to the town by his brother André.
9. A spot of shopping
The heart of the town is heaving with exciting stores – from the welcoming Place du Marché to the bustling center, packed with fashion boutiques, design stores and art ateliers – and will appeal to shoppers and window-shoppers alike!
Another must-see reference is the Pacific Wear store. This shop has been a reference for skate- and street-wear since 1992, with clients flocking from across the region for its selection of skateboards and longboards!
10. C2l St Germain
A nice cinema, it's got a bunch of different viewing rooms and shows all the latest films, with original audio subbed in french and then in French, you can get popcorn and drinks too, the wait isn't too long, even with major movies and the seating is comfortable.
More ideals for you: Top 10 things to do in Rueil Malmaison
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