The best traffic-free bike rides around Saint-Léonard

Quiet with nice shops and restaurants nearby

The tower of a Christian church is usually crowned with a cross – symbolizing the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ – or a rooster – symbolizing the denial of Jesus by the Apostle Peter. In this chapel, dedicated to "Notre-Damé" ("Our Lady"), the viewer instead finds a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary at the top. From this prominent position, it overlooks land and sea. The builders surely understood this primarily as a sign of blessing the earth and water – and especially the people who sail the sea.

Close to the castle of Baron Pierre de Coubertin

The church was built in the 12th century. With the exception of the north side nave and the tower, it is classified as a historical monument by decree of June 8, 1914.

The church of Saint Anne was given to the priory of the Madeleine of Rouen by Richard the Lionheart. This old Romanesque church from the 11th century suffered damage during the revolution. It was burned and rebuilt at the beginning of the 19th century, but without its bell tower which would be erected later. The bell was suspended from scaffolding in the cemetery, which earned Bénouville the nickname of a village without a bell tower. The church retains some vestiges of its original construction and a baptismal font from the 12th century.

Latin cross plan with one vessel. A nave intersected by a transept. Ogival windows and buttresses punctuate the cut stone walls topped with a double-sloped slate roof. At the crossing of the transept emerges a bell tower crowned with a polygonal slate spire.

It looks quite nice from the outside, but unfortunately the entrance is closed for security reasons.

The Notre-Dame church in Bénouville is a little gem in Normandy that contains a lot of history and art. The choir of the church dates from the late 12th century and impresses with its pointed vaults. The nave was probably built in the 16th or early 17th century. Particularly worth seeing are the frescoes by the religious painter Louis Chifflet from 1895, depicting scenes from the childhood of Christ. Two beautiful wooden statues - Saint Eutrope and Our Lady of the Port - draw attention here. The tombstone of Antoine Gillain, Marquis de Bénouville, from 1768, as well as the coat of arms of the Gillain family, give the interior a historical depth. Another highlight is the remarkable Eucharistic reserve in polychrome stone, crowned by a dove. Despite the often large number of visitors who enliven the village, especially in season, this place retains its charm and offers you a glimpse into the rich history of the region. If you are walking through Bénouville, it is worth taking a short stop here to take in the silence and atmosphere of this historic place