Wedged between the Marne and Seine rivers, Créteil is a triangular-shaped commune south-east of Paris. It’s home to a large shopping mall and a sprawling recreational lake where you can fish, boat and windsurf, as well as a performing arts centre named after the French novelist, André Malraux.
Things to do in Créteil
In the heart of Créteil is the historic Saint-Christophe Church, which was constructed between the 11th and 13th centuries in a combination of Romanesque and Gothic styles. Listed as a Monument Historique, it is topped by a 30-metre-high bell tower and houses 19th-century stained-glass windows that depict the life of Christ.
A short walk from the Saint-Christophe Church is Parc Dupeyroux, an English-style garden laid out in the mid-19th century. Encompassing around 3.5 hectares, it features rolling lawns traversed by leafy paths lined with landscaped flower beds. Highlights of the park include its 200-year-old trees and an Italian-style villa that serves as a prefectural residence.
Sprawling across the commune’s south is the Lac de Créteil, a former gypsum and gravel quarry that was transformed into a lake in the mid-1970s. It’s an idyllic recreational destination, with walking and cycling trails, a large children’s playground and a wave pool where you can cool off in the summer months. At the Maison de la Nature, you can learn about the connection between people and the environment before strolling through the lakeside Parc du Val-de-Marne.
Getting around Créteil
Créteil is around 15 minutes’ drive from the centre of Paris and 30 minutes from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Regular trains connect to the Créteil-Universite and Créteil-Prefecture railway stations and buses travel throughout the commune.