[] Gérard Philipe and Dani Karavan: two cultural figures and two visions of Cergy

The actor Gérard Philipe, founder with Jean Vilar of the Théâtre National Populaire and the Avignon
Festival, lived in this house from 1954 to 1959. He fell in love with the long avenue of chestnut trees and the park, and employed an architect to transform the mansion to suit his own tastes, enabling
him to enjoy the area's peace and quiet.
As you walk along the banks of the Oise, notice the park railings, with their wrought-iron motifs representing African-style masks.

The walk leads to a stage, surrounded by water, and an amphitheatre. These form part of the Axe Majeur, a massive project devised by the Israeli architect
Dani Karavan, composed of twelve elements positioned along an avenue over two miles long. Begun in 1980, its construction is now nearing completion.

A symbol of the Cergy-Pontoise district, the Axe Majeur is intended to convey a message of peace. As you climb the slope, its layout gradually becomes clear.
As you walk across the Garden of Human Rights, an olive tree enclosed in a cage is visible or hidden, depending on the time of year. The climb up the steps to the terrace is rewarded by a splendid panoramic view of Paris and the region.
Next you reach an esplanade with twelve columns, corresponding to the twelve elements of the Axe Majeur, as well as a steam fountain; it is paved with cobblestones from the courtyard of the Louvre. The route continues through an orchard, then leads to a square surrounded by tall residential buildings designed by the architect Ricardo Bofill, nicknamed «little Versailles. » At its centre, a lookout tower leans in the direction of the Axe Majeur.
 
This is where Eric Rohmer shot the film L’ami de mon amie - one of the characters actually lived in one of the buildings on the square. Continuing on through the neighbourhood, we reach the Bastide: this section, constructed on the model of the medieval fortified villages of south-western France, is crossed by two main avenues which intersect at the marketplace.
 
The red brick buildings and the tower with its observatory in the shape of a belfry are reminiscent of the architecture of northern France. Off in the distance, the Axe Majeur-Horloge train station features the largest clock in Europe.
 

[] The Hauts de Cergy, town of tomorrow

The Place des Trois Gares actually has only two stations, not three: a bus station and an RER train station.
A third was to be built by Juste Lisch for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, but in the end a cinema was built on the site instead.
If you find the area reminds you a little of Paris, you won’t be far wrong: the buildings surrounding the Place imitate typical Parisian architecture with their rounded zinc roofs, shops at street level, and interior courtyards. Wide pavements and “Morris” advertising columns complete the effect.
 
Follow the Boulevard des Merveilles past the modern Ozanam church, and at the end of the boulevard you will reach the Collège des Explorateurs, built in 1999.
 
It was designed by architect Ricardo Porro, a disciple of Gaudi, with Art Nouveau style stained-glass windows and a facade whose outline evokes the forms of Gothic cathedrals.
 
Further along on the right-hand side of the boulevard, the Lycée Jules Verne, designed by Architecture Studio and built in 1993, looks like a submarine exploring the depths of the ocean. At the end of the Boulevard des Explorateurs, cross the Rond-point du Jour.
 
 
With the mall of the Point du Jour in front of you, turn right into the Square de la Vénus des Loups. Looking much like a square in Paris, its railings and cobblestones come from the courtyard of the Louvre.
Cross the square to exit, then continue straight to reach the Rue du Lendemain and return to the Place des Trois Gares.