In Chessy, an astonishing walk through the Dhyus sculpture garden

Unless you live nearby, it's not easy to find this sculpture garden. From Paris, hop on a train to Gare de l'Est in the direction of Meaux. After about 20 minutes, get off at Gare de Lagny-Lorigny, then take bus 4 to the Hazard stop.

From here, it's a 15-minute walk across fields and paths. Arriving at the Chessy-Dampmart footbridge, which spans the Marne with its metal structure, inanimate stone silhouettes loom on the opposite bank. Welcome to the Dhuys sculpture garden.

For thirty years, Jacques Servières- a self-described "doux-dingue" artist - relentlessly and freely fashioned the ancient stone blocks of theDhuys aqueduct, which was bombed by Nazi troops in 1939.

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For these works, the sculptor- now painter - drew inspiration from Indian, Cambodian and South American mythology, as well as his own imagination. " For me, this place is like an intrigue in Nature, a kind of secular cathedral, a form of creative, unformatted dream ," he explains.

Interwoven with imaginary creatures, both human and animal, the forty sculptures create an astonishing score with the site's tall grasses. In the central islet, benches allow you to observe these stone behemoths (some of them up to 4m tall!) at your leisure, while enjoying the peace and quiet of the site. And for those who prefer to walk, there's a path to the right of the bridge. Marked out by a succession of scultptures of varying shapes, it also offers views of the deep green Marne.