From Paris to Normandy, there’s just one river (and its meanders)
To follow in the footsteps of the Impressionists, set your sights on the loops of the Seine. Take it easy as you trace the river from Paris all the way to its mouth. Along the way: postcard-perfect villages hiding charming rental homes, pristine landscapes, and invigorating walks.
From Paris to Normandy, there’s just one river (and its meanders)
In the Boucles de la Seine Normande Regional Natural Park, the Seine and its sweeping loops are at the heart of the landscape. From Rouen to its mouth between Honfleur and Le Havre, this 180 km route reveals ever changing moods and a light that has long inspired Impressionist painters.
Just a short trip out of Paris and the city already slips from view, replaced by the calmer breath of the Seine. The river winds through landscapes that invite you to slow down, wander, and let curiosity take its time. Between peaceful villages and welcoming places to stay, this route becomes an easy escape where nature, history, and unhurried discovery all come together.
The most scenic routes
of the Boucles de la Seine Normande Regional Natural Park
The Fruit Route
This trail truly earns its name, especially in high season when you can enjoy local fruit at its best, from cherries and berries to plums, apples and pears. To cross the Seine, you can rely on three well-known bridges, Brotonne, Tancarville and Normandy, which make it easy to move from one bank to the other. The real pleasure, however, comes from the six remaining ferries. They bring you right onto the water and offer a simple, direct way to explore the region’s landscapes and its deep historical roots.
The Thatched Cottage Route
The Thatched Cottage Route follows the region’s traditional architecture from the Park Visitor Center to the Marais Vernier, between the Seine and the forest. The path leads through peaceful villages, past the characteristic thatched cottages, and into landscapes that open up at a series of viewpoints. Some of these lookouts include orientation tables that help you read the river’s shape and understand its geography.
A glimpse of the charming Thatched Cottage Route. © Annie Spratt
The park also offers more than 1,200 kilometres of marked hiking trails that weave through valleys, cliffs, hills, plateaus, forests and marshes. Its wetlands, which are among the area’s most precious natural habitats, are carefully maintained thanks to the presence of Highland cattle and Camargue horses.
The Boucles de la Seine Normande is one of the region’s key birdwatching areas, with close to three hundred recorded species. Many trails offer easy opportunities to observe them, and the number of birds you can spot shifts with the breeding periods and the migration seasons.
The charming Anneville thatched cottage by Velvet House. © De Pasquale & Maffini
In Muids,
welcome to Rive
The lovely Rive living room. © November Studio
Impressionist-Style Normandy
Just an hour and a quarter from Paris, Rive sits on the banks of the Seine in a nineteenth-century house that brings the Impressionist spirit back to life. It is easy to imagine the lively riverside guinguettes and the long lunches that once filled the area with music and conversation.
Today, Rive welcomes guests with seven en-suite bedrooms, a private dock, a garden where children can play, and bright, calm rooms where time seems to slow. It is a peaceful retreat that balances modern comfort with a quiet, old-world charm.
In Anneville-Ambourville
welcome to Anneville
The Little Cottage in the Forest
A little further north, Anneville has the quiet charm of a place you stumble upon in a dream. A traditional thatched cottage, a private pond, a dockside sauna and a few ducks for neighbours create an atmosphere made for pure relaxation.
Set within three hectares of woodland, meadows and open nature, this Velvet House retreat is a gentle invitation to switch off. It sits only an hour and a half from Paris yet feels wonderfully far from everything.
In Anneville, life flows along the pond (and the Seine). © De Pasquale & Maffini
Book Anneville
The lovely Maisons Pommes.
In Ablon
welcome to Maisons Pommes
In Ablon, the apple reigns supreme.
Norman charm for large groups
Near Honfleur, the Maisons Pommes offer an easy countryside getaway for families and groups of friends. Three typical Norman houses, Maison Chaume, Maison Ardoise and Les 3 Fresnes, sit within a wooded estate of nine thousand square metres with two swimming pools, and together they can host up to twenty-three guests.
Thatched roofs, timber-framed walls and generous apple trees create a fairytale setting where you can unwind, play and enjoy time together, only minutes from Honfleur and Deauville.
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Between each stop, the GR hiking routes and the towpaths offer gentle walks and bike rides, with picturesque villages and wide views of the Seine along the way.
Each loop brings its own small surprises, from pretty bridges and old mills to little riverside cafés and quiet viewpoints that are perfect for an impromptu picnic. The river becomes the thread that ties the whole journey together!
