Predating the châteaux of Versailles and Marly-le-Roi, the unattractively renovated Château of St-Germain-en-Laye, 4km north of Marly and 20km out of Paris, was one of the main residences of the French court before the move to Versailles. It now houses the extraordinary Musée des Antiquités Nationales (daily except Tues 9am–5.15pm; €4, Sun €2.60) or national archeology museum.The presentation and lighting make the visit a real pleasure, although modern panelling covers up many of the original features of the Château. The extensive Stone Age section includes mock-ups of several cave drawings and carvings, as well as a beautiful collection of decorative objects and tools. All ages of prehistory are covered, as well as more recent history, with exhibitions on the Celts, Romans and Franks. There's a great section on the battle of Alésia when the Gallic chieftain Vercingétorix found himself and his armies besieged by the Romans. A model of Caesar's double fortifications that ringed the bottom of the hill of Alésia shows how, despite being attacked from the inside by Vercingétorix's army, as well as from the outside by the called-for reinforcements, the Romans, thanks to their ingenious fortifications, managed to win. The end piece is a room of comparative archeology, with objects from cultures across the globe. From right outside the Château, a terrace – Le Nôtre arranging the landscape again – stretches for more than 2km above the Seine, with a view over the whole of Paris. Behind it is the forest of St-Germain, a sizeable expanse of woodland that's nowadays crisscrossed by too many roads to make it a convincing wilderness. If you've got time to spare, the centre of St-Germain-en-Laye is pleasant for a wander, with a fair few pedestrianized streets and upmarket shops. To reach St-Germain-en-Laye take RER line A direct to the terminus at St-Germain-en-Laye; the journey takes roughly twenty minutes.
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