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The nature that surrounds the Île-de-France and Paris, through parks, estates and forests, offers many opportunities for fun and sporty getaways with the family. Our selection.

Read also10 weekend ideas less than 2 hours by train from Paris

at vélo, from Senlis to Chantilly (Oise)

The large state forests of the Oise invite you to pedal with your nose to the wind between village and forest. The Avenue Verte London Paris cycle route crosses seven departments and two countries for a total distance of 470 km. Before embarking on such a journey, you can cover the fifteen kilometers of track from Senlis to Chantilly, to observe the half-timbered houses, the Gallo-Roman and medieval ramparts, the Notre-Dame cathedral and the royal castle of Hugues Capet , before crossing the fields to Chantilly.

For those who are not yet equipped, it is possible to rent adult and children’s bikes from Bobebike in Chantilly, which even offers “baby vans” trailers to transport the little ones.

www.oise-nature.com; Tel.: 06.03.44.89.73 ; www.bobebike.com

The forest of Fontainebleau (Seine-et-Marne)

This immense forest, which is home to protected plant species and the largest arthropod fauna in Europe, offers endless possibilities for walks on its paths. The youngest will love the storytelling tours led by the storyteller-musician Dominique Motte or follow in the footsteps of wild boars, deer and foxes during a visit with Yannick Dagneau, wildlife photographer. The better you know the forest, the better you protect it: to learn all about the biotope, geology and vegetation of this place classified as a world biosphere reserve by Unesco, the biodiversity visit will fascinate teenagers.

Storytelling walk: €16 per adult, €9 for 5-12 year olds; Wildlife visit: €16 per adult, €9 for 8-12 year olds; Biodiversity visit: €16 per adult, €9 for 6-12 year olds. Tel.: 01.64.70.77.69; www.fontainebleau-tourisme.com

The castle of Breteuil (Yvelines)

Located in the heart of the Chevreuse valley 35 km from Paris, between Versailles and Rambouillet, the Breteuil estate covers 75 hectares. Built in 1610, the castle remained the property of the Breteuil family, who imagined a guided tour through the rooms of the castle, but also scenes from the tales of Perrault installed in the stables, where the wax mannequins designed by the museum Grévin light up as the story unfolds.

Classified as a “remarkable garden”, the park allows for a long walk under the three-hundred-year-old oaks, chestnut trees or rose pergolas, before joining the labyrinth of hedges which captivates children. On the tables, family picnics are allowed.

Park open from 10 a.m., visits to the castle from 2 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. Tickets from €11.30; Tel.: 01.30.52.05.11; www.breteuil.fr

Read alsoFontainebleau, Malmaison, Chantilly… These castles to discover at the gates of Paris

The Gally farm (Yvelines)

What could be more pleasant to harvest your own fruits and vegetables? All you have to do is borrow a wheelbarrow and travel the sixty hectares to fill it with lettuce, potatoes, rhubarb or iris. A few hundred meters away, the educational farm allows children to meet donkeys, goats, sheep and pigs. The only constraint: to regulate attendance, you have to register online and reserve your visit slot.

Picking : Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Entry to the farm: from €4.10 per person. Tel.: 01.39.63.30.90; www.lesfermesdegally.com

The Jean Racine path (Yvelines)

The Chevreuse Valley Regional Park is crisscrossed with hikes, mixing forest, plains, farms and many historical sites. Ideal for introducing the youngest to walking, the Chemin Jean-Racine is a ten-kilometre walk that connects the Château de la Madeleine to the Abbey of Port-Royal. The ramparts and the inner courtyard of the castle, a former medieval fortress, can be visited freely and offer a breathtaking view of the valley.

Then the marked trail winds between forest, houses and valley, to the ruins of the abbey. This five-kilometre route is not a loop, so you have to follow it again to reach the castle, where a car park has been set up to accommodate cars.

www.parc-naturel-chevreuse.com

Sleep in a hut (Oise)

Fall asleep to the sound of the forest, which rustles, whistles, hoots… Head to Raray, in the Oise, 45 minutes north of Paris. These huts perched in bicentenary oaks, thirteen meters above the ground for the highest, are equipped with unprecedented comfort and ecological Nordic baths.

To make sure not to damage the trees or slow down their development, the constructions were monitored by forestry experts. A moment out of time, both for parents and children, who fall asleep in front of the starry sky. Just seven meters above the ground, the Tribu hut is also perfectly secure to accommodate them.

Coucoo Grand Chêne, 1 rue Jean-Cocteau, 60810 Raray

From €255 per family cabin, breakfast included.

Tel: 03.44.58.39.08 ; www.cabanesdesgrandschenes.com

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Treasure hunt in the Bois de Vincennes

And if, to change traditional walks, we made them discover this immense green space by carrying out the investigation? Equipped with a logbook printed or downloaded on the smartphone, we advance for 2 to 3 hours on a course punctuated with questions, surprises and discoveries. From the pagoda to the temple of love via the zoo, young and old learn more about what was the hunting ground of the kings of France. A good idea to spend a nice afternoon with the family.

Kit €19.90 for 2 to 5 people. www.baladenigm

Barbizon, the circuit of painters (Seine-et-Marne)

The famous village of impressionist painters is also the ideal starting point for six hiking trails. The shortest, easy to explore with the little ones, leads from the city to the unusual rock of the elephant, while a six-kilometre loop rushes into the forest, to discover the Apremont gorges, of the cave of the brigands and the sandy desert.

Place Marc-Jacquet, 77630 Barbizon.

Tel.: 01.60.66.41.87. www.fontainebleau-tourisme.com

Lilac Park (Val de Marne)

From the heart of Vitry to the slopes of the Seine, this park unfolds 96 hectares of meadow, hedges, woods, agricultural and market gardening activities in the heart of the urban area. Enough to take a bath in greenery and introduce the youngest to a varied nature: since 1990 the park has been classified as a Sensitive Natural Area and thus protected because of its ecological interest.

To find out more about the different species of plants or animals encountered while walking, simply download the Eco Walks application and hope to see the carroyée decticella (a grasshopper), the plantain melite (a butterfly) or tree sparrow.

Entrance Rue Paul-Armangot, avenue Lemerle-Vetter or rue Julian-Grimau, 94 400 Vitry-sur-Seine. www.valdemarne.fr

AT fishing with Malowe Nature (Yvelines)

On the site of this small permaculture farm bordered by the Vaucouleurs river, three ponds on which it is possible to fish several varieties of trout. For those who don’t have rods, floats and reels in a closet, the shop lends all the necessary equipment and allows you to stock up on bait.

A few picnic tables placed at the edge of the water allow you to linger for a lunch or a snack with the family.

Half-day: €14.95 per child (up to 12 years old) and €15.95 per adult. Cane provided. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and in July and August. 4 chemin de la Maladrerie, 78790 Rosay. Tel.: 06.30.31.51.47; www.malowenature.com

See also – Do you know the most beautiful natural sites in Brittany?

This article is being updated.