Nogent-sur-Marne

Nogent-sur-Marne is a town in Val-de-Marne. The river Marne goes through the town and is a tributary of the Seine. It is famous for its castle: the Château de Vincennes.

Get in

You can access the town of Nogent using RER A Train. The ride takes approximately 15 minutes from the centre of Paris (Les Halles Station).

Get around

If you plan a journey into Nogent, you may be interested to visit other neighbouring towns. Vincennes is very close and its castle and woods are worth visiting. Neighbouring towns like Joinville and the wealthy Saint-Maur-Des-Fosses are less interesting. There is an interesting housing project in Fontenay-Sous-Bois called "Val de Fontenay" which you may visit if you are interested in that kind of architecture. Contrary to similar projects, a visit there is relatively safe. However, unlike Nogent or the remainder of Fontenay-Sous-Bois, the Val is a poor neighbourhood.

See

Above all Nogent is known for its guinguettes, restaurants on the Marne, where people in the 1960s loved to dance. Nowadays there are still guinguettes but not as many people dance anymore.

It is mainly a wealthy residential town and you may find some nice houses if you wander near the Marne River or the neighbourhoods near the Woods. If you go by the woods, don't miss the remains of Nogent's colonial exposition of 1907 (near the tropical gardens). Although the remain are now in Paris proper, the territory was annexed by Paris, and in 1907 it was a part of Nogent.

A landmark and icon of the city is the "Pavillon Baltard", an old market that used to be in Paris. When it was to be demolished in Paris, Nogent's mayor ordered it to be dismantled, and build back in Nogent. It is nowadays used for TV shows, concerts and other events.

In Nogent there's a cinema (which used to be a famous cabaret), a lot of renowned schools and an old church which is interesting to visit. There is also a harbour and a swimming pool.

On a side is the Marne and on the other side in the wood called “Le bois de Vincennes”, which is the beginning of Paris proper.

Château de Vincennes

• 1 Château de Vincennes. May 21 to September 22: 10:00-18:00, September 23 to May 20: 10:00-17:00. A former fortress and royal residence next to the town of Vincennes, alongside the Bois de Vincennes. It was largely built between 1361 and 1369, and was a preferred residence, after the Palais de la Cité, of French kings in the 14th to 16th century. It is particularly known for its "donjon" or keep, a fortified central tower, the tallest in Europe, built in the 14th century, and for the chapel, Sainte-Chapelle de Vincennes, begun in 1379 but not completed until 1552, which is an exceptional example of Flamboyant Gothic architecture. Most of the building is now open to the public. €9.50, free for EU residents under 26. (updated Dec 2023)

Do

Have a walk on the Marne or near the Woods if you are fed up with Paris's urban environment.

Go next

The city is mainly a residential one so don't expect the same nightlife as in Paris. However, some events and festivals are sometimes organized at the Pavillon Baltard or in the woods so called "Parc Floral". However, the city is well connected to other town in the Paris Region so if you booked a hotel there, you should be well positioned to profit from Paris nightlife while sleeping in a calm and quiet environment.