La Brotonne

The forest of Brotonne lies in a bend of the Seine, further cut off from the rest of Normandy by the river Risle to the south. For centuries it was well off the beaten track, with only a ferry to cross the river.

In recent years the construction of the Pont de Brotonne has opened the area up, so for its preservation it has become part of the Parc naturel Régional des Boucles de la Seine, with a many-sited Écomusée. This includes a windmill, a tithe barn, a bakery, a trades museum, a clog-maker's workshop and places once dedicated to the production of honey, cider and linen. There are also Museums dedicated to river navigation, and to Victor Hugo, whose daughter Léopoldine tragically drowned at Villequier.

The Park also takes in the ferry across the Seine (toll free, unlike the bridge) and the abbey of Jumièges on the other side.

 

 

  

  

  

  

  

 

 

The Ferry across the Seine to Jumièges