2-day cycling loop starting from Fécamp

Would you like to discover the beauty of the Alabaster Coast, stretching from Fécamp to the Durdent Valley? This route takes you through picturesque Norman villages and offers stunning sea and cliff views.

Two friends and I decided to spend a weekend cycling in Normandy, enjoying the fresh sea air and the tranquillity of the Fécamp hinterland. Starting from the coastal town of Fécamp on the Alabaster Coast, we planned a loop that would take us along both the Véloroute du Lin and La Vélomaritime cycle routes. The Véloroute du Lin, which follows an old railway line converted into a cycle path, is renowned for being easy and accessible to all. In contrast, La Vélomaritime — the French section of EuroVelo 4 — promises a few climbs on small country roads, adding an element of challenge to our adventure.

Day 1: Drom Fécamp to Malleville-les-Grès (38,4 km)

Arrival in Fécamp

After a 2½-hour train journey from Paris, we arrive in Fécamp at the end of the morning. After leaving the station, we walked to the tourist office, where we met our travelling companions: three electric bikes equipped with panniers, hired from Coffee Bike. The team at the Fécamp Intercommunal Tourist Office gave us a warm welcome and accompanied us to the lockers, from which we collected our helmets, locks, and repair kits. Everything was perfectly organised, and we were ready for our adventure!

Discovering the Véloroute du Lin (Flax Route)

Once we’re ready, we head into the town centre of Fécamp to pick up a picnic before cycling a few kilometres to join the Véloroute du Lin cycle route. This cycle path follows an old railway line and is named after the region’s iconic crop, flax. Normandy is France’s leading producer of flax. The path is well equipped with service and rest areas, and its flat surface makes our journey easier. As we cycle along the greenway, we are surrounded by small hills and lakes, and we follow La Valmont river as well as the lakes and fish ponds of Colleville.

We make a slight detour in Valmont, a charming little country village, to discover the 11th- and 14th-century Notre-Dame-du-Pré Abbey and the medieval castle. Then, we return to the cycle route and cross a fishpond with a well-equipped picnic area, where we can re-inflate our tyres if necessary.

On the way to Cany-Barville

We continue our journey to Cany-Barville, a typical Pays de Caux village. Here, we take a different route: Entre Seine et Mer à Vélo to the village of Malleville-les-Grés. Following the signposted route, we ride along a peaceful road and pass the Lac de Caniel leisure centre on the way to Vittefleur. We stop to admire the village’s manor house, barony, prison and listed calvary. Before reaching our accommodation, we see a sign pointing to a viewpoint. Intrigued, we climb the pretty hill to enjoy the exceptional view of the Durdent Valley.

Welcome to the guest house ‘Au Gré du Vent’!

When we get to the guest house in Malleville-les-Grès, Martine and Stéphane, the owners, give us a warm welcome. Thanks to their ‘Accueil Vélo’ certification, we were guaranteed a welcome and services tailored to cyclists. They offer us two options for dinner: we can use the shared kitchen in the house, or we can go to the seaside village of Veulettes-sur-Mer, just 2 km away. We choose the second option, meaning we have to get back on our bikes and take the Chemin des Courses, a greenway crossing an area of marshes and canals that separates the village from the sea. After enjoying a pleasant evening at the restaurant and watching a magnificent sunset by the sea, we return to the guest house to rest after our first day of cycling.

Day 2: From Malleville-les-Grès to Fécamp (35,1 km)

After enjoying a hearty breakfast with the owners of our guest house, we set off again on our bikes. It was hard to leave, as Martine and Stéphane’s warm welcome had made us feel so at home. We loaded our luggage and began our descent towards the sea.

The Pont Rouge site

Our first stop is the Pont Rouge site in Paluel. Here, we will walk along narrow paths to discover the remains of the German occupation (1940–1944), including four bunkers, two machine gun posts facing the beach at Veulettes-sur-Mer, an R677 anti-tank defence post and an R134 ammunition bunker. The site also offers walks with breathtaking views of the Durdent estuary and the Catelier cliffs.

On the Vélomaritime-EV4

We continue along the Vélomaritime-EV4 shared road towards Auberville-la-Manuel. This small, rural village boasts a hidden treasure: a 15th and 16th-century castle that is representative of the region’s architecture, with its half-timbering, flint masonry, glazed bricks, and traditional circular dovecote.

Détour to Saint-Martin-aux-Buneaux

We leave the main route and head to Saint-Martin-aux-Buneaux, where we approach the chapel and enjoy the view of the pebble beach at Les Petites Dalles. This is also where Empress Sissi of Austria loved to swim. This village’s perfectly preserved late 19th-century seaside villas inspired Impressionist painters such as Claude Monet and Berthe Morisot.

Stop-off at the Château de Sissi before a picnic on the beach at Les Grandes Dalles

Returning to the Vélomaritime cycle route, we pass through Sassetot-le-Mauconduit and stop in front of the stunning Château de Sissi. Now a hotel and restaurant, it once welcomed the Empress of Austria. We take the opportunity to buy our lunch from the village bakery and grocery store. Although there are picnic tables set up in the shade in front of the château entrance, we decide to continue on to Les Grandes Dalles Beach. Sitting facing the sea and surrounded by impressive chalk cliffs, we enjoy the homemade quiches that we bought on the way. It’s an idyllic setting for our lunch break! We resume the marked route towards Fécamp, crossing plateaus and flax fields with the occasional glimpse of the sea. The closer we get to Fécamp, the more the sea air becomes apparent.

Relaxing at Cap Fagnet before returning to Fécamp

Before reaching Fécamp, we will stop at Cap Fagnet, which is the highest point on the Alabaster Coast at 110 metres above sea level. Here, you will find the Notre-Dame du Salut chapel, as well as a section of the Atlantic Wall. The site offers fabulous views of the sea, the harbour and the cliffs. To access the site, we pass through a gate reserved for cyclists, since part of the road is closed to vehicles.

From Cap Fagnet, we enjoy a pleasant bike ride down to Fécamp. Before returning the bikes to the Intercommunal Tourist Office and leaving by train, we take the time to visit Fécamp, a ‘Town of Art and History’. We see the port, the beach, the Bénédictine Palace (a Normandy Low Caron Rate partner), the Fisheries Museum and the Abbey Church of the Holy Trinity.

This cycling weekend in Normandy was a real breath of fresh air. We discovered varied landscapes and charming villages on the easy and accessible Véloroute du Lin and the more challenging Vélomaritime. The combination of sea air and country roads made our adventure truly unforgettable. The magnificent panoramas, rich history, and warm welcome from the locals won us over. We will be back with great pleasure!

How to get to Fécamp?

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