Marne-la-Vallée
Marne-la-Vallée is a new town east of Paris that is part of the conurbation that surrounds the French capital in Île-de-France. By far the most visited attraction is Disneyland Paris, and although there is little to see elsewhere for your average tourist, the commune of Noisy-le-Grand in particular may be of interest to those looking for quirky postmodern architecture.
Get in
Marne-la-Vallée can be reached from Paris via car, train, or bus, with the RER A serving most of the town. Marne-la-Vallée - Chessy station on the end of the RER A is located right in the middle of Disneyland.
Get around
See
- 1 Disneyland Resort Paris (RER A: Marne-la-Vallée - Chessy). The Disney corporation chose this city as the site for their European theme park franchise.
- 2 Les Espaces d'Abraxas (RER A: Noisy-le-Grand: Mont d'Est). A very ominous Postmodernist housing estate, completed in 1982 by the architect Ricardo Bofill, known as the filming location for dystopian films such The Hunger Games and Brazil.
- 3 Les Arènes de Picasso (RER A: Noisy-le-Grand: Mont d'Est). Postmodernist housing estate, also constructed by Ricardo Bofill but not quite as ominous and austere as the Espaces d'Abraxas.
- 4 Sea Life Val d'Europe (RER A: Val d'Europe), ☏ +33 1 60 42 33 50. M-F 10:30-17:00, Sa Su 10:30-18:00. Aquarium.
- 5 Château de Champs-sur-Marne (RER A: Noisiel), ☏ +33 1 64 62 74 42. W-M 10:00-17:30. Neoclassical château from the 17th century.
- 6 Maison Natale de Louis Braille, 13 Rue Louis Braille (Transilien P: Esbly), ☏ +33 1 60 04 82 80. Tu-Su 10:30-18:00. Museum dedicated to the life of Louis Braille, inventor of Braille script for the visually impaired.
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Stay safe
The Espaces d'Abraxas estate (aka the place where The Hunger Games was filmed) is a housing estate with a very poor reputation (even the architect responsible for it admitted it failed in its goals, and there have been calls for it to be demolished), and there have been cases of visiting tourists being harassed or even assaulted there. This is partly exacerbated by its design with its little alleyways that foster crime, particularly relating to drug trafficking. Avoid visiting at night or on the weekend when there are few people around, and be discreet about taking pictures. In general you should be wary of standing out too much as tourists, particularly if you are of East Asian appearance.