Eure

Visit Eure

The Eure department of Normandy contains two of France's most loved destinations - Monet's gardens at Giverny and Richard the Lionheart's Chateau Gaillard - and a fascinating selection of monuments, towns and villages to explore

Selected places to visit in Eure

Eure, Normandy highlights

Eure is the more southerly of the two French departments in the 'Upper Normandy' region (the more northern department is Seine-Maritime).

Although the Eure department of Normandy loses out in terms of visitor numbers to the coastal departments of Normandy with their resorts and coastal scenery, there are still plenty of highlights and places to explore in Eure to make a visit worthwhile. Due to its accessibility from Paris the Eure is also a popular 'long-weekend' destination with Parisians.

There are two attractions for which the Eure department is especially well known:

- the Giverny gardens where famous impressionist painter Monet painted many of his most well known paintings is one of the most visited attractions in France

- the substantial ruins of the 12th century Chateau Gaillard, one time home to Richard the Lionheart, standing above the River Seine at Les Andelys

Monuments and buildings in Eure, Normandy

There are a good number of impressive buildings to explore across the department, starting perhaps with the 'flamboyant' cathedral at Evreux, and its associated museum.

Other religious monuments include the Abbey of Notre-Dame at Fontaine-Guerard and the Abbey of Notre-Dame du Bec at Le Bec-Hellouin (a listed National Monument in France).

As well as Chateau Gaillard there are several other castles of interest in Eure including:

• the Chateau de Vascoeuil (more of a manor house than a castle, the castle is well known for the quality of its annual art exhibitions);
• the medieval Chateau d'Harcourt,
• the Chateau d'Ivry la Bataille, a ruined castle dating from the 10th-12th centuries in the south-east of the Eure

Other attractions in the Eure department

There is a particularly attractive village, classified as one of the 'most beautiful village in France' in the Eure, at Lyons-la-Foret towards the east, while the historical centre of Pont-Audemer, to the west, also merits exploration.

The Eure region of Normandy is popular with visitors because of its gently attractive scenery, with the quiet lanes and roads providing numerous opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, usually either walking or cycling, and there are ample opportunities to discover the traditional Normandy countryside and architecture.

As well as the famous Giverny gardens, there are several others gardens in the Eure that are officially listed as 'remarkable gardens' - see the arboretum at Harcourt, and the gardens at the castles of Champ-de-Bataille, Miserey, Saint-Just and Vandrimare.

The region is also well known for the local produce such as cheese and apples, cider and calvados - and many visitors make the 'gastronomic experience' an important part of a visit.

See a list of all Eure communes.

Page in French? See Eure (Francais)