The Impressionist Trail in Chatou | Saint Germain Boucles de Seine

Follow in the footsteps of the painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir in Chatou. Come and discover the landscapes and Fournaise hamlet so beloved by the painter, starting with a visit to the Fournaise museum, which tells this wonderful story. Enjoy the site on foot, by bike or by boat, with a picnic or a fine meal at the restaurant. And don’t miss the major events scheduled throughout the year on the Île des Impressionnistes in Chatou.

We invite you to follow the paths of the Impressionists and their works that dot our Saint Germain Boucles de Seine territory.

At a glance

The Island of the Impressionists

Walk in Renoir's footsteps

Come and discover the landscapes and the Fournaise hamlet so loved by the painter, starting with a visit to the Fournaise museum, which tells this wonderful story. Enjoy the site on foot, by bike or by boat, with a picnic or a fine meal at the restaurant. And don’t forget to visit the major events held throughout the year on the Île des Impressionnistes in Chatou.

©Family discovering Street Art in Chatou|NICOLAS MAUGE

©Cruises on the Seine in Chatou|OTI SGBS

L’île des Impressionnistes is 4.5 km long. Its name was given in memory of the painters who frequented the site in the 19th century: Renoir, Monet, Degas, Caillebotte, Sisley, Morisot and the Manet family.

From south to north follow the Parc des Impressionnistes, a family and sports walking area and its facilities (gymnasium, skatepark, basketball court, pony club) then the Exhibition Mall, the car park under the bridge, the Hameau Fournaise, the EDF research site and finally the Ile Fleurie Golf Course.

On the shores of Rueil-Malmaison and Chatou lie magnificent holiday resorts that were prized by families in search of a gentle way of life just a stone’s throw from Paris by rail from the 19th century.

Renoir in Chatou

In the 1860s, Renoir discovered Chatou and its riverbanks. It would seem that it was Prince Bibesco who took the penniless young painter to the restaurant Fournaise, newly rebuilt by its owners of the same name. Over the summers, Renoir returned to paint there. The festive atmosphere of the canoeists delighted him. Even if it’s a party, he spends hours at his easel: “I was always stuffed at Fournaise’s, I found there as many beautiful girls to paint as I could desire.”

He also enjoyed painting wonderful landscapes and two portraits of the Fournaises. The latter could only rejoice at the idea of Renoir choosing the balcony of their establishment as the setting for one of his most ambitious paintings: fourteen characters converse in the sun at the end of the summer of 1880. Renoir painted the joys of life. Now world-famous, it is – you guessed it – Le Déjeuner des canotiers.

©Aboard Chloé for a river trip on the Seine leaving from Chatou.|JOEL DAMASSE

A must to discover

Located in the Fournaise family’s former guinguette on the banks of the Seine, the Fournaise museum tells the story of a legendary 19th-century venue, prized by Parisians in search of leisure and Impressionist painters in search of light. It was here that Renoir painted Le Déjeuner des canotiers in 1881, surrounded by artists such as Monet, Degas and Caillebotte, who came to capture the atmosphere of the banks of the Seine.

The museum, renovated and open since 1992, today invites visitors to relive this era through exhibitions, works, archive documents and immersive experiences. An artistic and historical interlude, just a few minutes from Paris, in a natural and inspiring setting.

Road book

From Hameau Fournaise, walk along the Seine towards the car park under the Chatou bridge. You will discover the first two reproductions of paintings:

Les Rameurs à Chatou, circa 1879, Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, USA ©Bridgeman Images
La Seine à Chatou, circa 1874, Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), oil on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, Texas, USA ©The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection/Bridgeman Images.

Now head towards the large esplanade where major events such as the Foire de Chatou (international flea market) and the Elektric Park Festival take place every year. Go around it to the left and you will come to the Chatou Pony Club and, above all, to the third reproduction:

Rail bridge at Chatou, 1881, Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), oil on canvas, Bequest Gustave Caillebotte, 1894, Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France ©Musée d’Orsay, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Patrice Schmidt

You can then continue your walk by going back over the Chatou bridge and heading towards either Carrières-sur-Seine or Croissy-sur-Seine. There you can enjoy new reproductions of Impressionist paintings in situ.