The life of the river

A region nourished by the Seine

From Rouen down to Le Havre, the Seine travels some 132 km, carving out a sinuous valley, where the contrast between the steep slopes and the more gentle ones is often very marked. The Seine Valley is also surprisingly vast. Since 1846, the river has frequently been modified and worked on in order to make it navigable for shipping. A series of dykes, for example, has brought the infamous tidal bore, responsible for many a wrecked ship in the past, under control. Nestling in the Seine very last loop, the region is a veritable "bubble" of nature, in sharp contrast to the industrial zone of Port-Jérôme. The Seine, the "link" between the two banks, forms both a natural and a political frontier. It is the northeast border of the Eure department. On either side of the river, the small towns and ancient ports are almost too numerous to name: Aizier, Vieux-Port, Tocqueville, Bourneville, Trouville-la-Haule…

The story of Quillebeuf

Quillebeuf owes its reputation as a maritime town to its strategic geographical location. The whole town is stamped with the history of its famous sailors. The town name is thought to be of Norse origin. In Scandinavia, Kylboe means the village of the bay, and it is here that the great Marais Vernier bay opens out. The local inhabitants claim that their only master is the King, who returned the favour by granting them the monopoly of piloting on the Seine. Henri IV even allowed them to change the name of the town, which for a few years became Henriqueville or Henriquarville.

There is nothing like a walk around Quillebeuf-sur-Seine to appreciate the full beauty of its architecture. Beyond the lighthouse, which was built in 1862, there is Notre-Dame-de- Bon-Port, one of the finest specimens of Roman Norman ecclesiastical architecture. Note the numerous inscriptions depicting boats around the walls and the collection of models boats in the nave.

Out of the church, and on to the Gard Well. Anybody who wanted to be a pilot on the Seine had to have been born in Quillebeuf and to have been baptised using the water from this well. On up the Grand Rue, with its 16th century halftimbered houses. On the head plates of some of them, there are inscriptions dating back to the time when they were inhabited by Protestants. Others bear patterns that remind visitors of the town river-based history. The visit ends on the ferry slip.

Saint-Samson de la Roque

A promontory situated between the River Risle and the Marais Vernier, perched on the top of a 50-metre high cliff. The modern church dates back to the 19th century. The Roque Headland used to be the seat of a coast guard authority, set up to protect the mouth of the Seine. The lighthouse here was built in 1839. Just a few yards away, a picnic area has been set up. Illustrated panels give information on local wildlife, and a viewing table helps visitors discover the whole bay of the Seine. Walkers will want to follow the "chemin de la Roque", marked out in yellow. picnic area has been set up.

The Quillebeuf-sur- Seine ferry

By linking the two banks of the river, the ferry ends the notions of "frontier" and "obstacle" embodied by the wide River Seine. The ferry that is currently in service began operating in 1970.

Tancarville Bridge

Majestic, grandiose, architectural success story, there is no end to the superlatives. This was the first bridge to link the two banks downstream from Rouen, built in 1959. It is some 1,400 metres long, and because it is now linked to the Normandy motorway, it has brought Le Havre to within just 2 hours from Paris. The GR23 long-distance footpath crosses it.