The best road cycling routes around Saint-Aignan-Sur-Ry

Super Panorama

Very nice park with informative exhibitions and a restaurant that makes excellent Quiche Lorraine, with very friendly service.

To refill your water bottle there is a water point in the cemetery.

Nicholas was bishop of Myra (Asia Minor) in the first half of the 4th century. In the 6th century, a church in his name housed his tomb. But, in 1087, sailors from Bari seized his relics and took them to their city, which became the center of his cult. At the same time, the knight Aubert, from Port, near Nancy, brought back a relic of the saint from a trip to Bari. In this locality, which later took the name of Saint-Nicolas-de-Port, several churches were built successively until the beautiful current basilica where many pilgrims would come, following the example of Jeanne-la-Lorraine. When American Protestants, jealous of Catholic festivities, wanted to copy the Christmas celebrations where Saint Nicholas distributed gifts to children, they created the fictional character of Saint Claude ("Santa Claus").

"Beau-voir", the town would be well named: "Beautiful to see". The existence of Beauvoir is drowned in the mists of time, certainly in the first centuries of our era. The "Boutonnière" of the Pays de Bray is a depression 2 to 15 km wide, bordered on each side by more or less marked escarpments (cuestas). Soil erosion is uneven. Some points of resistance have given rise to witness mounds. (The Monts de Sigy, Beauvoir en Lyons..) In this depression, slight undulations create a varied landscape, composed of hedgerow meadows, wetlands, cultivated fields and vast forest massifs. There are clayey soils, suitable for pastures for dairy cattle breeding. On the summits and plateaus, the soil is made up of clay and flint, while the lowest areas are dominated by meadows and forests. The soil is very humid, with a ferruginous subsoil (thermal springs) and iron ore, as well as colored clays (ceramics) and glass industry linked to the forest. In Beauvoir en Lyons, the mosaicist Milan Uzelac has perpetuated the glassmaking tradition on the orientation table. (Orientation table 6 on the Route des Paysages)

The church of Mesnil-Lieubray was built at various times. The oldest parts date back to the 13th century. In the 19th century, the church was annexed by a chapel on the south wall of the choir. It has a very slender bell tower which houses a bell blessed in 1849 and still rung by hand. On your way, you will appreciate pretty houses and a dovecote.

The Château de Vascoeuil is a historic monument and regional center for art and culture. You can admire the castle's 14th and 16th-century architecture, the 12th-century octagonal tower, and the dovecote, which is protected as a historic monument. You can also explore the park and gardens, where you'll find more than 50 original sculptures by famous artists such as Braque, Cocteau, Dali, and Volti. And if you're a history buff, you can discover the Jules Michelet Museum, dedicated to the famous 19th-century French historian who lived and wrote here. The Château de Vascoeuil is open from April to November and offers guided tours and special events throughout the year.

Martainville Castle, built at the end of the 15th century by a rich Rouen merchant, is today a museum of Norman arts and traditions. You can discover the castle and its collections, as well as the park and the Renaissance-style garden. The castle is open every day except Tuesday, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (or 5:00 p.m. in winter), and the entrance fee is 5 euros. You can also enjoy a 3D virtual tour of the castle online.