3-days tour around the forest of Fontainebleau

You reach either by small country roads and through country villages or by forest paths, Barbizon. It is known as the village of painters. In fact, what in 1850 was only a place of lumberjacks quickly became a fashionable place for pre-impressionist painters who sought inspiration from nature. Your bike ride takes you beyond the Fontainebleau forest through the Regional Nature reserve. You cross charming little villages and ride along the picturesque Ecole river. You pass the Dannemois mill, where famous French singer Claude François lived until his death, and can stop at the small museum it houses. A little further on, the private castle of Courances welcomes you before arriving in Moigny-sur-Ecole. Along the way, you can also stop at a watercress farm, an emblematic product of the region, or at an art glass factory.

A path through the forest leads you to Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint-Phalle’s Cyclope, an immense sculpture (22.5m high!) Made of concrete, metal and partly covered with mirrors. You then pass through the pretty village of Milly-la-Forêt: do not miss the old wooden hall from the 15th century, the wash house, the Château de la Bonde, the St. Blaise chapel, a former leper colony from the 12th century and decorated by famous artist Jean Cocteau in 1959. You can also visit his house, now transformed into a museum. You continue passing the small villages located on the river Ecole or taking a detour through the beautiful Trois Pignons forest.
You may also extend your bike ride through the Commanderie forest, which is home to large rocks suitable for climbing with names as evocative as Devil’s Rock or Elephant. This route takes you to Larchant, a small medieval village in the heart of which stand the remains of a monumental basilica.

From the charming little village of Bourron you reach Grez-sur-Loing, a small village on the banks of the Loing, which inspired many French and foreign painters of the late 19th century. You cross the Loing on a nice old bridge and do not miss to turn around for a nice look at the village clinging to the hillsides. You will then ride on the towpath along the canal. A little further away the Episy marsh, a protected natural area, offers a pedestrian discovery trail to discover the very rich diversity of local flora and fauna.
You arrive in Moret-sur-Loing, a charming medieval city, which the painter Sisley liked so much. The ramparts, the keep, the church, the bridge and its mills, the Renaissance houses are all gems to discover .
After strolling through the city, continue your cycling route along the Loing canal until the confluence with the Seine. You now continue along the Seine where you will find the famous "Affolantes" villas. You pass through the charming village of Samois-sur-Seine, known to be the last residence of musician Django Rheinhardt. You can also take a detour through Fontainebleau and its castle.

You start the day north of the Fontainebleau forest. On small country roads and paths you quickly reach the charming village of Blandy-les-Tours and admire its fortified castle, a rare vestige of medieval military architecture. A few kilometers further you discover the magnificent 17th century castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte and its formal French gardens. After strolling there, you cut through the woods to reach Melun and the banks of the Seine. Along the Seine on the towpath, you can admire the "Affolantes", these 1900s mansions each competing in architectural boldness with the other.