La Bouille, a creative village
It nestles in one of the beautiful loops of the Seine.
With its spectacular cliffs, this charming village has inspired the greatest painters from Gauguin to Turner.
La Bouille also saw the birth of the author of
Sans famille
, Hector Malot and Victor Hugo.
Push the door of the art galleries which perpetuate the pictorial tradition of the village and stroll on the quays to admire the Norman villas of the 19th century, when La Bouille was the favorite holiday resort of Rouen.
Our recommendation:
in summer, get on a bike to cover the 35 km that separate La Bouille from Jumièges.
In just over two hours, you will discover the fruit route along the loops of the Seine.
Apple, pear, plum and cherry orchards follow one another.
And in Yville-sur-Seine, take the ferry to Jumièges and its impressive Benedictine abbey.
Practical:
exit 24 - Bourgtheroulde on the A13, less than 3 km from La Bouille.
Good food:
stop off at
Saint-Pierre
for its view of the Seine and its elegant cuisine.
Seafood platter, perfect egg, herb-crusted haddock, tiramisu or pavlova… And, conveniently, the restaurant is open on Sunday evenings.
Le Saint-Pierre, 4 place du Bateau, 76530 La Bouille.
Phone.
: 02 35 18 79 39.
La Haye de Routot, bucolic
La Chaumière aux ortie, an old traditional Roumois house.
Y Lollier / Press photo
A few kilometers from the motorway, this village, in the heart of the Parc des loops de la Seine, instantly plunges the curious into a somewhat magical world.
Nestled in the huge hollow trunk of a yew dating from the 6th century according to legend, the Sainte-Anne chapel is a must-see.
To continue this timeless stroll, the village bread oven operates on Sundays.
A spectacle not to be missed.
Our recommendation:
opposite the chapel, go to the Chaumière aux netties.
Dating from the 17th century, it is home to enthusiasts of wild plants who are keen to make them discover in all their glory ... Where we learn the many virtues of nettles, dandelion and elderberry.
In the adjoining garden many local species grow.
Practical:
exit 25 - Bourg Achard on the A13, less than 10 km from La Haye de Routot.
Where to sleep:
The happy cabin
.
In the small village of La Haye Routot, nature lovers who want to live better with less have built a tiny house all in wood.
Its 15m2 square are an ode to simplicity in the heart of an LPO refuge garden where you can sometimes also see rabbits.
Bright and ecological, the happy cabin does not forget to be comfortable with a queen-size bed, a living area and a small kitchen.
85 € per night.
La Cabane Heureuse, 50A rue du Village, 27350 La Haye-de-Routot.
Phone.
: 06 87 55 18 37.
The Marais-Vernier, 100% nature
A former bend of the Seine, the Marais-Vernier is a vast 4500 hectare wetland located on an important bird migration corridor.
Department of Eure / Press photo
It is a village on a human scale which is located in a veritable marsh, also called the Marais-Vernier.
So as not to get lost, go to the village and admire the houses with thatched roofs on the tops of which grow irises.
Then follow the route des chaumières, a walk of several tens of kilometers in the heart of the marsh, to be done by car but also by bike, accompanied by a donkey (gitedelanerie.fr) or in a horse-drawn carriage (Roulotte en Seine normande).
On the way, you will come across magnificent orange cows with long hair from the north of Scotland and Camargue horses, all adapted to the humid and bucolic atmosphere of the marsh.
Our recommendation:
bring a pair of binoculars and take the walk to the Grand Mare.
There, you can climb into the observatory of the reserve and discover many species of birds including storks.
From the top floor of this cabin on stilts, the view of the marsh is remarkable.
Practical:
exit 30 - Marais-Vernier on the A13, less than 7 km from the Marais-Vernier.
Where to sleep:
at Isabelle and Christian's, who welcome guests with warmth and discretion in their pretty Norman house.
In the garden, hides a "pod", a sort of wooden hut for two people, another hut houses a jacuzzi.
Rental of bicycles, electric or not, to explore the Vernier marsh.
From € 99 per night in the pod.
Les Cigognes, 211bis Chemin Du Roy, 27680 Marais-Vernier.
Phone.
: 06 68 03 39 39.
Cormeilles, king of the flea market
The Sainte-Croix church in Cormeilles.
Press photo
We stop there for its half-timbered houses and second-hand dealers and cutting-edge antique dealers such as the Serre Décoration, specializing in the past century.
The village is known for its finds and every year in October the “Cormeillaises flea market” is held there with more than 300 exhibitors.
Stroll while looking up to discover the sculpted facades.
Go up to the Sainte-Croix church.
Its nave rises gently, a detail unique in the region which gives it all its charm.
Our recommendation:
plan a stopover at 6 rue Paul Mare.
A small den dedicated to decoration, the shop is above all the place to choose your Saints Esprits scented candle.
The owners create and manufacture these artisanal candles in the neighboring village, based on rapeseed wax and perfumes from Grasse, without any doubtful additives.
Top of the range at low prices
made in Normandy
that hotels and communities are already snapping up!
Practical:
exit 27 - Toutainville on the A13, less than 17 km from Cormeilles.
Good food: La goule et le Pif
, a pocket-sized restaurant serving the cuisine of friends where it is always a pleasure to sit down.
On the menu: duck breast with honey, beef tartare, Norman veal chop, tarte tatin and homemade ice cream.
Everything is homemade.
The wines play the nature and biodynamic menu at low prices.
The ghoul and the Pif, 5 rue de l'Abbaye, 27260 Cormeilles.
Phone.
: 09 51 56 82 28.
Beuvron-en-Auge, the charm of yesteryear
Half-timbered manor house.
Thomas Boivin
Ranked among the most beautiful villages in France, Beuvron-en-Auge is a concentrate of Normandy all by itself.
This village offers visitors a journey back in time with its 16th century manor house, its cobbled square where a central half-timbered hall is surrounded by restored 17th and 18th century houses.
Most of the businesses are now second-hand goods.
We plunge into the small alleys adjoining the main square without disturbing the inhabitants and we think of looking up to appreciate the details of the half-timbered houses.
Our recommendation:
the old school hosts artisan workshops.
Take a look at Argile Créative.
Éric Favre, passionate ceramic craftsman, offers bowls, dishes and plates at reasonable prices and adapts to requests on order.
Practical:
exit 27 - Toutainville on the A13, less than 17 km from Cormeilles.
Good food:
Café Forges
.
An annex table of the Michelin-starred Pavé d'Auge.
Country terrine, mackerel in white wine, sirloin steak and cod in aioli, plate of Norman cheeses and teurgoule.
Menu at € 20.50.
Grande Rue, 14430 Beuvron-en-Auge.
Phone.
: 02 31 74 01 78.
Where to sleep:
at the
Château de la Bribourdière
, a Norman residence that became a hotel in 2020 with five spacious and elegant rooms, nestled in a 12-hectare park.
Calm guaranteed.
From 160 € per night.
Château de la Bribourdière, La Bribourdière, 14430 Putot-en-Auge.
Phone.
: 06 29 95 12 21.
