BV25-40 Brothers Grimm

The original GPX file name I shared with a friend said Saint-Germain + Fairytale Reverse, and she read it as German Fairytale, hence the official route name: Brothers Grimm. A true nickname.

The route heads out of Paris along the quai, cutting through Trocadéro and into the Bois de Boulogne. There’s a short but spicy climb up and over Nanterre, followed by another ascent to the château in Saint-Germain-en-Laye. After passing the château, there’s a long straight stretch to Poissy. There’s a bike path on the side, but I often opt for the road since you can easily hold 35 kph+ there. Next up is a categorized ascent featured in the Tour de France a few years ago. It’s not too steep, but it’s pretty long by local standards at 2km. After the climb, the route connects to the Fairytale route… but in reverse.

The first half of this ride includes a fair bit of city riding, so entering the forest paths is a welcome change. At around km 48, you have to cross the same busy road as on the original Fairytale route. This time, though, you’re not directly at the crosswalk light. If it’s a busy day, it’s worth taking a quick left and riding about 100 m along the grass to cross safely at the light.

From there, you continue to snake your way back toward Saint-Cloud and the banks of the Seine. There’s another tricky intersection at km 62, right at the base of Sèvres. Ongoing construction makes it worse at the moment — the last time I rode it, I ended up heading up Sèvres, then immediately doing a U-turn to get back to Paris and finish at the café in the usual manner.

GPX File