Private property until very recently, this wood located between Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne was acquired by the region as part of the Green Plan.
Since this Saturday, November 20, Ile-de-France residents can get some fresh air in the Bois Saint-Martin. Located on the borders of Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne – straddling the municipalities of Noisy-le-Grand, Plessis-Trévise and Villiers-sur-Marne – this forest of nearly 300 hectares was until then a private domain. It took forty years of negotiations with the owners for the Île-de-France Region to acquire it.
It’s a godsend for athletes in the Ile-de-France region, but also for local residents who simply want to walk and stroll. “Since it’s opened, it’s the first time I come“, confides a runner who has come to let off steam. “It’s cool. It’s another wood to enjoy the beautiful nature (…) it allows you to make loops of about 10 kilometers“, he adds. “I’m not going to say, at my age, that I’m going to start jogging again. But take a walk yes”, says humorously Guy Chétard, a resident of Villiers-sur-Marne. “There are beautiful paths that are very passable. The only minor complaint we can make is that it is forbidden for bicycles. It is kind of a shame“, he believes.
🗓️ As of today, Saint-Martin wood is open to the public!
🌳 Extending over nearly 300 hectares, the wood is rich in its fauna, flora and varied landscapes @aeviledefrance
➕ Check it out on video ↘️ pic.twitter.com/FuaieiAHFy
— Ile-de-France Region (@iledefrance) November 20, 2021
“Immediate proximity”
Bois Saint-Martin was acquired for 14 million euros by the Region as part of the Green Plan – launched in March 2017. The community’s objective is to acquire 1,000 hectares of greenery by 2027. “The acquisition of Bois Saint-Martin and opening it to the public will benefit 115,000 residents in the immediate vicinity of the municipalities of Noisy-le-Grand, Plessis-Trévise and Villiers-sur-Marne“, explains Philippe Helleisen, general manager of the Ile-de-France Green Spaces Agency (AEV). The latter also adds that this will also benefit Ile-de-France residents across the region. “There is an RER station nearby [celle des Yvris-Noisy-le-Grand sur le RER E, ndlr]. This allows many people to enjoy this new natural space.“.
The Paris region now has 100,000 hectares of green spaces open to the public, according to data from the Paris region institute. And although certain parcels of the Saint-Martin wood will remain preserved from visitors, bathing in nature is within reach, for the most part, of all walkers.
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