The Eure by bike

Good news, fine days are never far away for cyclists to head out along our cycle routes. Fun and sociable, outings by bike offer the chance to (re)discover the Eure’s landscapes and monuments. Let’s take this opportunity to draw your attention to cultural sites that have been accredited with the Accueil Vélo* label, ready to provide you with a suitable welcome during your sporting adventures by bike.

From Évreux to Le Neubourg to visit the Château du Champ de Bataille

Following the track of a former railway line that linked Évreux to Honfleur, the greenway Évreux – Le Bec Hellouin allows riders to enjoy lovely safe cycling outings. This route starts at the Golf d’Évreux, a golf course where it’s easy to leave your car. For those who don’t have a bike with them, it’s quite possible tohire a bike in the town centre. You might also head over to the tourist office located beside the Iton, close to town hall and belfry, to gather further information… 

Along the greenway

This route, some 20km in length, first leads you across Évreux golf course. Enjoy a splendid view over its lovely landscapes… then climb a wooded little slope which proves very pleasant on a hot sunny day. After a few kilometres, the route becomes flatter; you’ve reached the Le Neubourg Plain with its landscapes characterized by extensive farmland. In May-June, cycling along this greenway offers the perfect opportunity to admire the blue flax fields typical of this part of Normandy. A bit further on, tall thin silhouettes soar into the sky – Quittebeuf’s wind turbines. They’ll generate a strange feeling in you, making you feel so tiny!

After a further effort, you reach the municipality of Le Neubourg. It’s handy that the greenway finishes not far from the Accueil Vélo-accredited Office de Tourisme du Pays du Neubourg. It’s an essential place to stop, to leave your bike and to get information before heading into the town centre for lunch. Le Neubourg’s main square is very pleasant. With its brasseries, boulangeries and boutiques, you’ll find what you need to recover your strength!

The Château du Champ de Bataille lies 20 minutes by bike from the tourist office. Arriving here, you’ll find facilities allowing you to park up safely. Then you’re ready to explore this magnificent château with its gardens spectacularly restored by top designer Jacques Garcia, offering an intriguing journey back to the 18th-century and French grandeur.

From Vernon to Giverny for a day mixing cycling and culture

Even before the Seine à Vélo cycle route came into being, it was possible to go from Vernon to Giverny by bike. This path offers an excellent way to appreciate these parts that so inspired the Impressionist painters. Going from the Château de Bizy to the Musée des Impressionnismes, here we propose an idea for a day mixing cycling and culture.

Our journey begins at the Château de Bizy. The car park allows you to leave your car here for the day. We recommend that you arrive on the stroke of 10am.

Located above Vernon, this 18th-century château and its stables are surrounded by grounds where you can admire sculptures and trees that are 200 years old. At one time a royal residence, the place has been owned by many famous people, including the grandson of Louis XIV’s chief financier, Nicolas Fouquet, not forgetting French king Louis-Philippe. Note that the château can only be visited on a guided tour. In contrast, you can visit the gardens by yourself. 

Having explored the château, it’s simple to reach the centre of Vernon for lunch, leaving your bike close to the town hall, perhaps.

Count around 20 minutes to cycle from Vernon to Giverny. Having crossed the Seine via the Pont Clemenceau bridge, you begin to feel the artistic and poetic pull of these parts. The route leads you into a lovely, bucolic setting. You simply need to follow the cycle route’s signposting.

Arriving at Giverny’s Musée des Impressionnismes, you can leave your bike in one of the parking spots specially provided. Having visited the museum and its collections, walk to the gardens of the Fondation Claude Monet. Here, immerse yourself completely in the great painter’s world.

A little cycling extra! Follow the greenway along the Epte Valley

First a natural frontier, then turned into a fortified valley separating the Duchy of Normandy from the French Kingdom, the Epte Valley bristled with forts in the Middle Ages. Following this greenway that forms part of the greater Avenue Verte London-Paris cycle route, you can ride gently from Gisors with its famous fort to Giverny and the Seine Valley. You’ll discover the charms of a valley that, nowadays, proves bucolic and peaceful, its slopes dotted with authentic châteaux and villages, the source of inspiration for many Impressionist painters.

Don’t forget to record delightful moments on your cycling outings and post them on Instagram using #euretourisme and/or #jesuisailleursenNormandie

* Accueil Vélo (Cyclists Welcome) is a national accreditation scheme that guarantees a fine welcome and quality services for cyclists using French cycle routes.