Omonville-la-Rogue: in the land of Millet and Prévert

A route through the land of Millet (you know… *The Angelus*, *The Gleaners*, paintings of 19th-century rural life) and Prévert. Quaint hamlets and villages typical of the Northern Cotentin. We follow theGR®®223, a coastal path with some lovely open views, which takes you past the Bay of Cherbourg, jagged cliffs, cormorants drying their wings on the islets of Le Hablet, the abandoned Cotentine farmhouse, the ruins of a medieval fort and, finally, a bird’s-eye view of the little port of Le Hâble. A walk you’ll never forget!

Details

n°172871
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.60 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 732 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 728 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 384 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 13 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Start from Omonville-la-Rogue, at Port Coquignolet du Hâble, next to the sailing school.

(S/E) The path begins by following a small stream, the Vallace. Turn right onto the D45 for 50 metres, then turn left onto the small signposted path. At the church square, turn left to rejoin the D45, heading towards Gréville. Walk through Omonville and, as you go, take in the beauty of the houses and the distinctive character of this village at the tip of the Cotentin Peninsula.

(1) 400 m after leaving Omonville, take the small path on the right and, 50 m further on, the path on the left at the Fork in the road – the Chemin des Moulins – for 1 km. This wooded section of the path follows the Vallace stream (site of former mills).

(2) At a place called Le Pré de Bas, turn left, crossing the stream over a small bridge, and head up the steep slope. Cross the D45 at La Croix du Tourp (picnic area) then turn right towards the Ferme du Tourps.

(3) Cross the Epine stream to reach Maison d’Eculleville. Continue straight on towards Eculleville.

(4) Walk through the village and, on leaving it, near the church, take the path on the left and pass the Moulin de la Sabine.

(5) At the end of the path, turn right.

(6) Turn left towards the Hameau aux Ducs. Continue straight on until you reach Millet’s birthplace in the Hameau Gruchy.

(7) Turn left, ignore the road on the left, then head down the steep path towards theGR®®223(caution: steep descent which may be slippery).

(8) At the fork, turn right, pass a viewpoint, then continue along the path which winds its way down to the coastal path.

(9) Take this path to the left,the GR®®223, heading west, which overlooks a rocky slope below (some sections may be slippery).

(10) Pass the Mur Blanc, Quervière Bay, the ruins of the Cotentine farm, Pointe d’Etimbert and emerge at the fort above Port du Hâble.

(11) Turn right and head down towards the fort’s entrance (private property). At the bottom, continue to the left along the shore until you finally reach Port du Hâble (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 16 ft - Port du Hâble
  2. 1 : mi 0.8 - alt. 148 ft - Path on the right
  3. 2 : mi 1.51 - alt. 240 ft - Le Pré de Bas, on the left towards the bridge
  4. 3 : mi 2.02 - alt. 354 ft - Ferme du Tourps
  5. 4 : mi 2.97 - alt. 374 ft - Path on the left
  6. 5 : mi 3.62 - alt. 259 ft - Path on the right
  7. 6 : mi 3.69 - alt. 269 ft - Take the path on the left towards the hamlet of Les Ducs
  8. 7 : mi 4.56 - alt. 341 ft - Gruchy hamlet – turn left
  9. 8 : mi 4.86 - alt. 207 ft - Do not take the turn-off towards the viewpoint,
  10. 9 : mi 5.2 - alt. 75 ft - Coastal path
  11. 10 : mi 6.38 - alt. 79 ft - Mur Blanc
  12. 11 : mi 8.18 - alt. 141 ft - The Fort
  13. S/E : mi 8.6 - alt. 16 ft - Port du Hâble

Notes

To get to Omonville-la-Rogue:
Enter Beaumont-Hague (18 km west of Cherbourg). Take the D45E1, then the D45 towards Omonville-la-Rogue. Once you reach the village, carry on straight towards Port du Hâble. There is a car park next to the sailing school.

Worth a visit

(S/E) Port du Hâble: Well sheltered, known to the Gauls, Romans, Norman pirates, privateers and smugglers – a little-known gem on the Normandy coast.
(3) Manoir du Tourp: A 16th-century manor house, renovated and converted into a cultural centre dedicated to La Hague.
(7) The hamlet of Gruch: here you can visit the birthplace of J.F. Millet, a 19th-century naturalist painter who was part of the Barbizon School and drew inspiration from the landscapes of La Hague and the labour of the peasants (L’Angélus, Les Glaneuses, etc.).
(9), (10) Le Hablet: on theGR®®223, offering views of Cherbourg Harbour and a colony of cormorants.
(10) Le Mur Blanc: built in 1887 to serve as a landmark for sailors.
(10), (11) Ruines de la Cotentine: a former 18th-century farm, occupied by the Germans in 1940, ruined and left to fall into disrepair before being taken over by the Conservatoire du Littoral in 1991.
(11) The Fort: 16th-century? fortifications built for defence at Port du Hâble.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 65 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
Denis26
Denis26 ★

Thank you, User 27379997, for this information; I have just amended the route accordingly.

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User 27379997

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 28, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The descent on the Landemer side has been altered – it’s now longer and less steep – and the undergrowth was recently cleared when I walked through the ferns.
Not very busy on the land side, busier on the sea side.
A lovely walk.

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J86500
J86500

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 03, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The only downside to this route is after point 10: it’s difficult to find the path leading to the customs officers’ track amongst the ferns.

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CatherineGasco
CatherineGasco

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 01, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Brilliant! Nature and culture all in one. So make sure you allow plenty of time for exploring.
I didn’t get lost once. Still, knowing whether I was on a tarmac road or a track would have put my mind at ease at times. I’m not sure if I found the right path down through the ferns to the GR, but I made it there.
Thank you all

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GRANDE ASTRANCE
GRANDE ASTRANCE

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 20, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, challenging hike! The scenery along the way is very varied, which is what makes this hike so charming. We had a picnic at Hameau Gruchy, where there are picnic tables not far from the birthplace of JF Millet.
The return journey along the customs officers’ path is truly spectacular Thank you for sharing this!

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Aerobar F
Aerobar F

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 28, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We did the short route (~2 hours), joining the coastal GR via the PR after waypoint 4
Stunning views on the descent

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User 26705639

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route between land and sea with a possible stop at the Tourp maison de La Hague, the ruins of the Cotentin farm and the lively port of Omonville la Rogue! Highly recommended!

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User 27513833

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Not too many roads, lots of tree-lined paths, return via the customs officers' path with magnificent views.
A pleasant route to follow, we took the opportunity to visit the photo exhibition at the Manoir de la Tourp, which was nice.

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User 26705639

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Circuit between the valley and the customs officers' path. Opportunity to visit the Tourp manor house, gateway to the La Hague Geopark. Highly recommended!

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User 18866778

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike. Varied landscape. Land and sea. A very interesting photo exhibition along the route. I recommend it.

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jy caurant
jy caurant
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful landscapes.

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Lde14210
Lde14210

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike with varied landscapes. Allow extra time to stop at the Manoir du Tourp (always beautiful exhibitions and magnificent surroundings).

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annec1930
annec1930

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb walk, varied with a break at the Tourp manor house and at JF Millet's. Thank you for this beautiful itinerary.

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GALINE55
GALINE55

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A magnificent hike from start to finish, which is rare. Highly recommended...

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Algod
Algod

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant hike, very easy.
Good balance between inland and coastal areas.
Points of interest include the Manoir du Tourp and the birthplace of Jean-François Millet (small museum - admission fee - interesting).
Thanks to the authors.

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