Loose yourself in the medieval streets and cross the bridges of this city of character, nicknamed the Norman Venice.
Pont-Audemer is a mixture of canals, secret passageways, bourgeois residences and half-timbered houses where the reflections of the water create a unique light. Stroll around the town and you’ll discover old drying sheds, 15th and 16th century half-timbered houses and private mansions. Don’t miss the imposing church of Saint-Ouen, with its organ and Renaissance stained glass windows, and the Alfred Canel Museum, housed in the former home of the historian and politician, with its art and science gallery, old library collections and exhibitions.
Former tanners’ town
Pont-Audemer has always been renowned for the quality of its leather, which even equipped William the Conqueror’s army! The tanners washed the hides in the network of canals that criss-crossed the town. In the 18th century, English workers and their families settled here, bringing with them new techniques for tanning leather. Thierry Hermès, the founder of Hermès in Paris, also lived in this small town in the Eure department. He came from Prussia and worked for a saddler in Pont-Audemer in 1821.
Ride down the canals
A must: swap the gondola for a kayak trip on the canals of Normandy! Les Castors Rislois will take you along the two arms of the Risle that surround the medieval quarter. You’ll then go on a watery discovery tour of the Ruisseau des Pâtissiers and the Ruisseau des Carmes. A touch of Norman dolce vita… (spring to autumn by appointment).
The gateway to the Marais Vernier
A natural amphitheatre and the largest peat bog in France, the Marais Vernier is a 4,500-hectare Ramsar-listed wetland. A stone’s throw from Pont-Audemer, the site is ideal for nature walks along one of the 44 footpaths, fishing or water sports on the ponds, or discovering biodiversity. It is a paradise for migratory birds! You’ll also find many plant species. This is an opportunity to discover the ancestral art of wild basket weaving with Lucie Fourtier, who offers workshops in the heart of nature, where you can weave plants while walking in the open air.
The yummy Mirliton
Succumb to this local speciality. Filled with praline cream and closed at both ends with a small chocolate plug, this biscuit is a real delicacy! This recipe was invented in 1340 by Guillaume Tirel dit Taillevent, cook to the French Kings Charles V and Charles VI, as a tribute to the region where he was born. It must be said that Pont-Audemer is the home of great pastry chefs. It was here that the famous Gaston Lenôtre opened his first patisserie in 1947 before becoming a world reference in gastronomy.