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Walk from the Colonial Museum to the Château de Vincennes

The walk takes place mainly in the Bois de Vincennes in Paris. It ends with a visit of the Château de Vincennes.

This rather long walk starts from the Porte Dorée metro station to the Château de Vincennes station. On the way, you can visit the former museum of colonies which is now called the cité nationale de l'histoire de l'immigration. It is absolutely necessary to go inside to admire the art deco architecture. The visit is short and lasts only fifteen minutes. Then you can continue the walk and cross a part of the Bois de Vincennes to get to the Château de Vincennes. When you arrive, you are struck by this monumental complex. The Château de Vincennes is not well known and not much visited by tourists but it is worth a visit. Its history is rich, it was used as a royal residence and then as a prison and its architecture is impressive.

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Difficulty: difficulty
Duration: 4 h.
Departure point (Google Maps)

The National Center for the History of Immigration

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The National Center for the History of Immigration
The building was built for the colonial exhibition of 1931. It is the only remaining vestige of this exhibition with the pavilions around the lake. You can go inside to see the magnificent art deco architecture of the whole. The hall and the two rooms at the ends can be visited free of charge. Inside there is also an aquarium and a museum on the history of immigration.

The Paul Reynaud Lounge

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The Paul Reynaud Lounge
At the entrance you have to go to the two wings of the building to see the salons. The Paul Reynaud room is classified as a historical monument. In the background, the frescoes represent elements of Islamic culture. Exotic materials were used to highlight the products of the former French colonies. The desk is covered with ebony and ivory.

Frescoes in the Paul Reynaud Salon

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Frescoes in the Paul Reynaud Salon
The salon has not been modified since the origin and the frescoes on the walls can still be seen. This work by Louis Bouquet shows the positive influence of the French colonization. On the other side of the building is another salon in the same style representing Asia.

The boats

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The boats
You can hire boats to take you around the lake (€13 per hour). Bikes can be hired nearby, and children can enjoy a pony ride.

The Buddhist center

The colonial exhibition of 1931 showed the different facets of the French colonies through several pavilions. Only a few traces remain today. The last remaining pavilions of the colonial exhibition have become a Buddhist center and cannot be visited.

The lake of the Bois de Vincennes

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The lake of the Bois de Vincennes
Lake Daumesnil is the largest of the lakes in the Bois de Vincennes which includes three other lakes. The lake dates from the 1860s and is of course totally artificial.

The Gravelles Brook

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The Gravelles Brook
The stream of Gravelles feeds the lake of Daumesnil. It is artificial but has a lot of charm. Moreover, if you move away from the lake the wood is much less frequented.

Detour

If you want, you can make a detour to see the Royal Alley.

The courtyard of the Château de Vincennes

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The courtyard of the Château de Vincennes
The castle of Vincennes is composed of several buildings built at different times. The courtyard can be crossed free of charge, but access to the dungeon and the Sainte-Chapelle is not free.

The Sainte-Chapelle of the Château de Vincennes

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The Sainte-Chapelle of the Château de Vincennes
It is designed on the same principle as the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris next to Notre-Dame. It also housed relics including a piece of the cross and a thorn from the crown of thorns of Christ.

Interior of the Sainte-Chapelle of the Château de Vincennes

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Interior of the Sainte-Chapelle of the Château de Vincennes
The interior is very similar to the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris and is very representative of the flamboyant gothic style. A single room, an impressive height and many stained glass windows. The church is no longer in use and is completely empty of any religious accessories.

The dungeon of the Château de Vincennes

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The dungeon of the Château de Vincennes
The Paris of the Middle Ages was destroyed by the works of Baron Haussmann and only a few traces remain. The dungeon of Vincennes allows to go back in the past and to discover how a king lived in the Middle Ages. The dungeon of Vincennes is the highest dungeon in Europe.

The interior of the dungeon

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The interior of the dungeon
The dungeon was a royal residence in the Middle Ages, then it was transformed into a prison. It has known illustrious residents like Mirabeau or the Marquis de Sade. The Marquis de Sade was imprisoned twice in the castle, the second time for seven years, you can visit his cell. In the picture you can see the frescoes that the prisoners painted on the walls.

Le chemin de garde

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Le chemin de garde
You can visit a part of the guard road. Note that the simple visit does not allow to go up to the top of the keep. Only the visit with a guide on Sunday at 11 am allows it. It is necessary to climb the 250 steps of a medieval staircase!

🚶‍ Practical information 🌳

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