4 ways to immerse yourself in Seine-et-Marne

Main image: Le Château de Fontainebleau (Emmanuel Berthier)

At the gateway to Paris lies Seine-et-Marne, a wonderfully rural slice of France. Named after two of the rivers that flow gently through its fertile landscape, the region is filled with vast swathes of wild forest, expertly landscaped gardens, magnificent castles and picturesque villages that have inspired visitors for centuries.

Getting there and around

Lying east of Paris, Seine-et-Marne is easy to reach with regular trains ferrying passengers from the capital to destinations including Fontainebleau, Provins and Moret-sur-Loing. One of the best ways to travel around, however, is on board the Seine-et-Marne Express, a nifty bus service with 14 lines criss-crossing the territory. Visitors combining stays in Seine-et-Marne with time in Paris should consider the Paris Visite pass that allows you to travel anywhere in Paris and the Île-de-France region (that includes Seine-et-Marne) by metro, train and bus. It also includes discounts at some tourist sites.

Find out more about getting around Seine-et-Marne

1. Check out its châteaux

Châteaux of varying styles, size and grandeur lie scattered across the Seine-et-Marne countryside. The most famous address is the Palace of Fontainebleau that sits surrounded by ancient forest. Once a hunting lodge for sporting royals it later became a home for the Kings of France, passed down through generations. Highlights for visitors today include Marie Antoinette’s Turkish boudoir and the throne room - the only one left in France - ordered by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1808.

Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte is one of the most dazzling in all of France, which is not surprising given that Nicolas Fouquet, then finance minister for Louis XIV, spared no expense in its creation. Sadly, he couldn’t enjoy it for long; the Sun King had Fouquet thrown in prison for embezzlement and then hired the château’s design trio to create his own palace at Versailles. Just four kilometres away is the hulking mediaeval Château de Blandy-les-Tours that dates from the Hundred Years' War. What it might lack in grace it more than makes up for in spooky goings-on; this is one of the most haunted sites in France.

2. Visit its historic cities

The cathedral city of Meaux (pronounced mow) is the largest in Seine-et-Marne famous for its Roman Catholic cathedral and its ancient Gallo-Roman ramparts that hug the historic heart of the city. Get the lowdown on Meaux’s 2,000-year-old history in the Musée Bossuet (Museum of Bossuet of Meaux) housed within the former episcopal palace before visiting the Musée de la Grande Guerre (World War I Museum), the largest museum in Europe dedicated to the First World War. Cheese and mustard are two of Meaux’s other star attractions; the city has been producing its very own Brie de Meaux and Pommery mustard for centuries.

South of Meaux lies Provins, once a vital trading hub during the Middle Ages. Echoes of its past can be seen in its remaining ramparts and two fortified gates that were built between the 11th and 14th centuries. Wander along the old walls for fantastic views over the medieval town and then venture underground to discover the network of tunnels lying beneath the cobbled streets. Don’t forget your tunic if visiting in June, the annual Médiévales de Provins is one of Europe's biggest medieval festivals and a colourful calendar highlight. Expect costumed performers, battle re-enactments, a lively parade and plenty more Middle Age merrymaking. And every day from April to November, you can see knightly and falconry shows in the authentic setting on Provins' ramparts.

3. Explore its picturesque villages

Seine-et-Marne is packed full of picturesque villages. Lying on the edge of the Foret de Fontainebleau is Barbizon, once the playground for painters including Jean-François Millet and Théodore Rousseau, the loose brushstrokes and free-form approach of their oil sketches and landscape paintings inspiring the Impressionist movement. The studio and house belonging to Rousseau still stand today. Follow in their footsteps and others from the Barbizon School along a marked trail through the pretty town and into the woods.

From Barbizon it is a gentle cycle ride through Fontainebleau Forest or, alternatively, if you prefer a riverside ride you can pedal a portion of the country-wide Scandibérique cycling route from Melun to Samois-sur-Seine on the banks of the Seine River. The elegant town is famous for its flamboyant 19th century villas (known as 'les affolantes') with theatrical facades and ornate Neo-Gothic architecture. Revered jazz guitarist and composer, Django Reinhardt, lived there during his later years and you can still see his house, grave and a statue in his honour in the town. If you felt more adventurous, you could tackle an even longer section of the Scandibérique, tracing the 50km between Bois-le-Roi to Souppes-sur-Loing by bicycle, kayak or electric boat.

Grez-sur-Loing's 17th-century stone bridge and remains of its Ganne tower (once an important defence post against threats from Burgundy and Champagne), is the perfect place to begin a kayaking adventure. Paddle along the blue-green waters of the river Loing to the charming town of Moret-sur-Loing, where Impressionist painter Alfred Sisley spent the final 20 years of his life capturing the river's delicate light and movements on canvas.

4. Channel its French art of living

The French art of eating well is a given in Seine-et-Marne, a region chock full of delicious local produce from baguette de tradition, bought from age-old family-run boulangeries and gooey soft cheeses made following centuries-old methods to intricate millefeuille pastries and artisanal craft beers.

The towns of Meaux, Melun, Nangis, Coulommiers and Montereau all produce Brie cheese, but it is the AOC Brie cheese of Meaux that is the most famous and has been for centuries. King Henry IV reportedly liked to spread Brie de Meaux on his toast and Charles of Orléans would gift rounds of the soft-ripened cheese to the ladies of his court. Today, there are plenty of ways to experience Seine-et-Marne's cheese heritage for yourself, whether it's making your own cheese at La Maison du Brie de Meaux or enjoying a guided tour of cheese dairy La Fromagerie Ganot in Jouarre, which has been operating since 1895.

From savoury to sweet, look out for Sucre d’Orge in Moret-sur-Loing. This barley sugar bonbon is one of the oldest in France originally created by nuns in a Benedictine convent. Its secret recipe has remained unchanged for centuries. Scented rose concoctions line store windows in the city of Provins, well known for its eponymous roses. Once used to craft perfume and for medicinal purposes, today Provins tastemakers create rose-petal jam, honey, syrup and confectionery. Niflettes de Provins are another speciality, small tarts filled with cream and infused with orange blossom water.