Saint Maur des Fossés: Paris Day Trips
Discover Roman ruins in Le Parc du Saint Maur. Photo: groume
Little medieval secrets dot this wealthy suburb on the Marne River. The medieval chapel houses an elongated Virgin Mary statue that has been venerated since 1328. It was miraculously created, legend has it. (The sculptor claimed that he returned to his workshop one morning to find the statue had been mysteriously completed during the night.)
The ruins of a 9th-century abbey can also be found in the center park of this city, known as Le Parc de Saint Maur, including archways, a stone tower and a cellar. Also in the park are ruins from a 19th-century Italian-style manor.
To enjoy Saint Maur to its utmost, consider assembling a picnic lunch from the traditional French shops situated the main road leading away from the train station, Avenue Charles de Gaulle, which include a bakery, a butcher, a cheese shop and a wine shop. After gathering whatever cheese, lunch meats, drinks and baked goods that suit your fancy, tuck into your hearty French lunch among the ruins in the park.
Logistics
Travel time:
25 minutes from central Paris
How to get there:
Take the RER A to Le Parc du Saint Maur
Travel cost:
€2.75 from Paris RER station Chatelet Les Halles
See the map below for directions.
Other day trips
This is just one of our recommended day trips from our guide to “Fantastic Day Trips less than an Hour from Paris”. Click below to read more:
• The Saint Denis Cathedral and market
• Chateau de Vincennes and Parc Floral
