Our favorite : The Ile des Impressionnistes, as it name suggests, has retained the charm of the era of Renoir, Monet, Maupassant et al, partly due to the hamlet of Fournaise and Sequana’s boat restoration workshops.

The village of Chatou has existed since the Merovingian era, and was originally a village of fishers, farmers and wine-growers.  In the 11^th century, the first ferry boat appeared, enabling people to cross the river, and the 17^th century saw the construction of the first wooden bridge. 
In the 18^th century, the lord’s estate of Chatou was the property of Henri Léonard de Bertin, the general controller of finance and one of Louis XV’s ministers; it was Bertin who commissioned the construction of the Nymphée, restored the old 14^th century château, and had a second château built, which was destroyed in 1910.
The 19^th century marked a turning-point in the town’s history: with the development of transport, Chatou became a holiday destination where middle-class Parisians began building residences.  In 1836, the wooden bridge was replaced by a stone one; the town was growing and becoming a favourite meeting-place for many artists, and Impressionist painters in particular.  It is said that Impressionism was born here; whether this is true or not, Alphonse Fournaise’s restaurant is where Renoir, Manet and Degas used to meet, as seen in Auguste Renoir’s famous painting, "Déjeuner des canotiers".