For one of our outside-of-Paris trips, we took the RER train the Saint-Germain-en-Laye, a charming town about 19 km (12 mi) from the center of Paris, with a population of about 50,000. The RER system complements the metro by providing high-speed train service out to the Paris suburbs.
The highlight of the trip was the Musée d’Archéologie nationale (National Archaeological Museum). The museum collections are housed in a beautifully well-preserved castle dating from the 12th century. Around the perimeter were the remains of a moat, now just a wide trench on all sides, without water.
Inside the museum we saw some of the oldest artifacts of all. It was a great collection with items from prehistoric times up through Roman Gaul and the early middle ages.
They had a lot of gold items, with most looking like they were just made yesterday.
After several hours in the museum, we emerged to face rainy weather, and this view of Saint-Germain-en-Laye from across the castle moat.
Paris 2019 