Pont-Audemer walks

From the banks of the Risle, which have been developed for walking, to the forest bordering the valley, this varied route links the residential village of Manneville and the town of Pont-Audemer. It offers a lovely walk in Normandy between town and country, with interesting heritage sites and beautiful views. The route is not signposted in its entirety (geolocation recommended with Visorando) but is based in part on theGR® 224 and the yellow-marked Chemin des Résistants.

A short, completely flat walk amongst the ponds of Toutainville.

Starting from Bouquelon church, take a long descent along a wooded path, then follow the Route des Chaumières along the Marais Vernier, finally returning via the Bois du Plessis.

In the lower Risle valley, from Fourmetot the route heads south and soon reaches the Roumois bocage. The route continues due south to Corneville-sur-Risle, with its Auberge des Cloches and the former Le Foll factory. It crosses the River Risle and then heads west, passing the Lillebec wash house, crossing a ford and a footbridge before reaching Pont-Audemer. It then passes through the ‘Venice of Normandy’, offering the chance to explore the town’s medieval quarter. The walk leaves Pont-Audemer to the north and heads due east to Manneville-sur-Risle, where it runs alongside the Bonnebos Chapel and its Resistance Museum. Beyond Manneville, the path turns northwards again to reach Fourmetot.

A walk through the Risle Maritime Marsh Sensitive Natural Area, then along the River Risle and the Pont-Audemer ponds, finishing with a slightly hilly stretch through the Bois d’Aubigny, home to majestic beech trees. Amateur birdwatchers will be able to observe – and, above all, listen to – a wide variety of birds, ranging from small passerines to the majestic stork. Aubrac cows with their enormous horns graze peacefully in the marsh all year round; you may spot them from a distance. Walk suggested by the Honfleur Terre d’Estuaire Tourist Office https://www.ot-honfleur.fr/

In Normandy, in the countryside near Pont-Audemer, there is a valley that has been preserved from urbanisation. The Véronne valley is ideal for walking along its sunken paths, which offer beautiful rural landscapes, natural sites of great beauty and interesting examples of built heritage. This unmarked route crosses three official marked routes: one light blue route starting from Campigny (CY), one yellow route and one dark blue route starting from Saint Martin Saint Firmin (SM).

This very hilly and shaded circuit, between forests and hedgerows, will allow you to discover the Saint-Laurent spring and numerous yew trees. The route follows a well-marked blue PR® trail that you can rely on.

A walk alongside racehorses through the countryside and along forest paths.

The stork has become the marsh’s iconic symbol: when the young stork takes flight from its family nest, it discovers this unspoilt natural landscape as it circles this ancient circular bend of the Seine, nestled within a vast amphitheatre of greenery. With its wet meadows stretching as far as the eye can see and its pretty thatched cottages, the Marais Vernier offers a landscape unique in Normandy that invites you to take a stroll, particularly in spring when the apple trees are in bloom.

The Grand Huit goes around the ponds of Condé-sur-Risle and Appeville-Annebault. This route crosses the Risle on a bridge and offers a panoramic view and a discovery of the fauna and flora of the wetlands at the bottom of the valley. Three quarters of the route is located along the water's edge. Some poplar trees are remarkably tall.

In the Risle Valley in Normandy, a hike alternating between forest, sunken lanes and open plains. Stroll through the Sarrasins valley to discover a fountain lost in the heart of nature. The forest is the dominant feature, with numerous panoramic views. The bocage is very common, with many trees of remarkable size, especially the Chêne à Leude, which has been there since the Middle Ages.

A flat, marshy valley, especially in winter, the Risle valley is bordered by forests on both sides. The ponds dug inthe 20th century alternate with the wet meadows of the ancestral Norman bocage. Encompassing all these landscapes, this route offers one of the few possible crossings of the Risle valley on footpaths.

You’ll be charmed by this refreshing walk, which offers numerous panoramic views of the Véronne valley, which has retained its traditional landscape of meadows enclosed by hedgerows and embankments, with its sunken paths lined with trees that are sometimes spectacular. The route crosses the Véronne (a tributary of the Risle) and follows the river several times; we are truly on the ‘waterways’.

Overlooking the Seine, the pretty village of Sainte-Croix-sur-Aizier borders the Brotonne State Forest, offering a hilly, shaded walk that alternates between the charms of the bocage and the canopy of tall beech trees.

Vieux-Port is the smallest commune in the Eure department. It has preserved the characteristic houses of eastern Normandy, half-timbered farmhouses with cob walls and thatched roofs. It is a popular stopover for boaters sailing on the Seine. The hike crosses the village, but also beautiful forests and typical Norman hamlets, and offers beautiful views of the Seine.