Just a stone's throw from the Cergy St Christophe RER A station, theAxe Majeur is a beautiful stroll combining architecture, forest walks and discovery. Comprising twelve stations, the Axe Majeur is best known for its huge , bright red footbridge over the river Oise.
This is the work of Dani Karavan, an Israeli sculptor who began the project in the 1980s: the Axe now comprises twelve stations, for a total length of around 3.2 kilometers. You start on the heights of Cergy with the imposing Tour Belvédère, which, with its very modern architecture, is vaguely reminiscent of Ricardo Bofill's Espaces d'Abraxas in Noisy-le-Grand: and not by chance, since the architect of both these buildings was Ricardo Bofill!
The 36-metre-high tower towers over Cergy, and as you leave the building, you'll discover the 2.5-hectare Verger des Impressionnistes Camille Pissarro orchard, planted with over 190 fruit trees. For this second stop, Dani Karavan paid tribute to the region's Impressionist painters, including Camille Pissarro.
As you continue your stroll, you'll discover the Esplanade de Paris, where you'll also find the famous Douze Colonnes of white concrete, seen in Céline Schiamma's La naissance des pieuvres! More discreetly, you then discover theGérard-Philippe amphitheatre, the Bassin de l'Axe Majeur, but above all, the majestic footbridge, all painted bright red, allowing you to cross the Oise. Along with the Twelve Columns, this is certainly the best-known work of the Axe Majeur: cross it and you'll arrive on theIle de Loisirs de Cergy, immersing yourself in a completely different landscape, one that's much more natural this time!
Base de Loisirs de Cergy-Pontoise: Water Sports and Barbecue, beach opening
The Ile de loisirs de Cergy-Pontoise awaits you once again to fill up on sunshine and activities. Located 30 km from Paris, in the heart of the Cergy-Pontoise conurbation, the Cergy-Pontoise leisure park is a veritable jewel of greenery, open all year round. The beach opens on June 10, 2023, so it's time to get out your swimsuit! [Read more]
From the island, you can see the Pyramid floating on the artificial ponds of Cergy and theAstronomical Island: all you have to do is follow the paths (indicated) on the leisure island to get around it, and, if you feel like it, go and try your hand at kayaking, canoeing and the other water sports on offer all summer long! Of course, on a day like this, don't forget to bring a picnic or snack to keep you going.
Before heading back to the Cergy Préfecture train station to return to Paris, take a stroll around Port Cergy, the first marina in the Île-de-France region, which is also a marina. Port Cergy's two architects, François and Bernard Spoerry, have imagined a small town with the feel of a typical village, with half-timbered turrets, colorful facades and pedestrian lanes: very charming!
In short, here's a great idea for a day out discovering the different neighborhoods and architectural nuggets of Cergy, in the Val-d'Oise!
The Twelve Stations of the Axe Majeur :
The order of the stations is geographical, following the axis from Place Hubert-Renaud to the hamlet of Ham.
Base de Loisirs de Cergy-Pontoise: Water Sports and Barbecue, beach opening
