Attractions and Places To See around Sept-Meules - Top 20

Seine-Maritime has a rich 19th century industrial heritage in various forms. This is the case of the Touffreville-sur-Eu railway viaduct, which has just been awarded the "Rural Heritage of Seine-Maritime" label. The viaduct is part of the "Chemin Vert du Petit Caux" hiking trail. It all began in 1872 with the opening of the 40 km Dieppe-Eu railway line, on which the Touffreville-sur-Eu viaduct was built to cross the Yères valley. Inaugurated in 1885, the brick viaduct has nine arches and is operated by the Compagnie de l'Ouest, in particular for the transport of pebbles exported for industrial purposes. A coastal railway line then operates from Tréport to Le Havre to serve the beaches where seaside life is booming with casinos, villas and sumptuous hotels with architecture typical of the Normandy coast. From 1938, the line is closed to passenger traffic and reserved exclusively for freight transport. The Second World War led to the disappearance of most of the buildings on the coast and seaside activities were interrupted. Freight traffic then resumed until 1972, when it was stopped with the oil crisis. The SNCF then bought the 17 km line between Saint-Quentin-au-Bosc and Eu in 1986 to transform it into a hiking trail and that was the birth of the Chemin Vert du Petit Caux! Source: www.normandie-tourisme.fr

Bronze statue of a man on horseback

This former royal residence has hosted the kings and queens of France and England. It was built in the 16th century by Henri de Lorraine, third Duke of Guise, and renovated in the 17th century by the Grande Mademoiselle, cousin of Louis XIV. It became the property of Louis-Philippe, the last king of France, who twice hosted Queen Victoria there. You can walk around the castle from the station, and visit the museum there.

The equestrian statue of Ferdinand-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, is a work by the Italian sculptor Carlo Marochetti which pays tribute to the eldest son of King Louis-Philippe I and heir to the throne of France, who died in an accident in 1842. There are two copies of this statue: One is located in Neuilly-sur-Seine, place du Duc-d’Orléans. It was inaugurated in 1981 after being repatriated from Algeria where it had been installed in 1845 on the Government Square in Algiers. The other is located in the park of the Château d’Eu in Normandy, property of the Orléans family. It was created in 1844 thanks to a subscription opened after the death of the prince. The statue represents the Duke of Orléans on horseback, saluting with his sword. It symbolizes his courage and popularity, particularly during the conquest of Algeria.

Founded by Henri de Guise (1582), the college is now a lyceum and was named after the Anguier brothers, former pupils in the Jesuit era. Catharina van Kleef, widow of Henri 'Le Balafre' de Guise, had the chapel built in 1624, with a beautiful façade* in Louis XIII style. She had given her husband the earldom of Eu in 1570. When entering the nave, the visitor is struck by the warm and soft appearance, an effect caused by the beautifully restored masonry of natural and brick. The chapel has the same floor plan as the Chiesa del Gésu in Rome. The carved stone baptismal font (15th century) comes from the former Eglise de la Trinité. The choir houses the two tombs* of the Duke and Duchess of Guise (killed in Blois in 1588 by order of Henry III).

Eu residents lament that their town is really only known to crossword enthusiasts, who are familiar with the question of "a village in the valley of the Bresle with two letters." After all, Eu has a rich past, in which William the Conqueror married his cousin Mathilde of Flanders in 1050, and where more recently, at the end of the 19th century, King Louis-Philippe set up his summer residence here.

Nothing remains of the castle where William the Conqueror and Mathilde of Flanders married in 1050. Louis XI had it demolished in 1475. The current castle was built in 1578 by Henri de Guise and Catharina van Kleef and has been restored several times. It came into the possession of the Orléans family and became one of the favorite cuttings of Louis-Philippe, who received Queen Victoria twice. From 1874 to 1879, Violet-le-Duc was charged with the refurbishment by the Count of Paris, grandson of the King. He modernized the castle and installed gas lamps and central heating. Since 1964, the castle has been owned by the city of Eu. It houses the town hall and the Musée Louis-Philippe and has been listed as a protected monument since 1985.

This Gothic church (12th-13th century) is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St. Lawrence O'Toole, an Irish private who died in Eu in 1180. The apse was rebuilt in the 15th century and restored by Violet-le-Duc (19th century). On the outside, the chancel closure and the aisles attract attention, with their numerous buttresses with turrets and pinnacles. The interior stands out for its size and balanced proportions. In the nave there is a beautiful organ of carved oak, decorated with statues (1614). The statue of Notre-Dame d'Eu in the apse chapel is attributed to one of the Anguier brothers. In the left cross chapel is a 16th century statue of the Virgin Mary and behind the choir is a reliquary with the remains of St. Lawrence. In the second chapel of the ambulatory on the right (the Chapelle du Saint-Sépulcré) there is a 15th-century Entombment* under a flamboyant canopy. Against it you see a beautiful Christ of Sorrows (15th century). The crypt, just below the choir, is older than the church itself and has a pointed arch. Against the wall on the left you see the reclining statue (a giant) of St. Lawrence O'Tool (12th century). From the square behind the church you have a good view of the lower districts of the city and the Hôtel-Dieu. (Michelin)