Excursions
Excursions
around Villa Quartz
To discover !
From Villa Quartz, if you want to take a day or half-day car trip, we can recommend some particularly interesting excursions. They will take you either to the West (Veules-les-Roses, Fécamp, Etretat, the bay of the Seine), to the south (the Rouen metropolis), or to the North (Dieppe, Eu, Mers-les-Bains, bay de Somme). These few car rides are not the only ones to do. We went to the essentials, but the Alabaster Coast and its hinterland deserve to be lost on the small country roads. Do not hesitate to move away from the coast and explore all the valleys which are magnificent to discover: Valley of the Scie and Varenne, Valley of the Sâane, Dun, Durdent.
Dieppe
Port, castle, pedestrian streets, churches, etc.
You can go there every day by car, on foot or by bike! Dieppe is only 4-5 kilometers from Villa Quartz! When we're in Pourville, it's our center of gravity. You can find most of the local shops, bars, restaurants and services. It is a city that deserves our attention: stroll through the city center, which is very lively during the day, pedestrianized and very commercial, strolling around the marina along the Quai Henri IV, stroll on the main beach. ...You can visit the Chateau-Musée or the Cité de la Mer, go swimming on the beach or in the bathhouse, have a drink in the town center, go to dinner at the Epsom, at the DNS cinema ...
Even in the middle of winter, Dieppe remains a very lively city during the day. So do not hesitate to make some regular getaways there.
Veules-Les-Roses
One of the most beautiful villages in France, 20 minutes
Veules is a charming seaside village, elected among the most beautiful villages in France. Numerous art galleries and exhibitions. Restaurants. Walk to do along the Veules in the middle of the rose gardens. Nice beach. An excursion not to be missed, just 20 minutes by car from Villa Quartz. Take the coastal road (D75), which passes through Quiberville, Sainte-Marguerite and Saint-Aubin. It is much prettier from the interior road (D925).
In Veules, you can spend half a day there, enhanced by a coffee break or a small restaurant. Sunday is to be avoided, because the Village has become very touristy and it is a hassle to park!
Etretat
A must-see site at 1 hour 15 minutes!
A visit to Etretat is essential! The most beautiful cliffs in Europe are indeed only about 1 hour 15 minutes drive from Villa Quartz along the coast. So it would be a shame to do without! You should plan to leave at least for the day. On the way, you can have a drink in the port of Fécamp, which has remained in its "juice", visit the Museum of Terres Neuvas and the Palais de la Bénédictine.
In Etretat, you have 2 walks to do on the cliffs: downstream side, and upstream side. At both ends of the beach there are stairs that provide access to the customs officers' paths. These two walks are sublime! Be careful, as with Veules, Sunday should be avoided because of the crowds. When there are a lot of people, the ideal is to pass Etretat by 3km to park in the parking lot at Tilleul beach, and then access Etretat on foot via the cliff path.
The estuary of the Seine
Le Havre, Honfleur, the Normandy bridge
The Seine estuary is a good hour's drive from Pourville, via the A29 motorway. But the interest of the site is well worth the trip. The crossing of the Normandy bridge, a beautiful design work, is impressive. The charm of the small port of Honfleur is well established. As for Le Havre, its town planning, we either hate it or we love it ... We love it. A city of water. The port is nested in the City. Stroll around the basins, take a little tour of the Docks (large port sheds rehabilitated into shops), and have a drink on the beach of Sainte-Adresse at the bar-restaurant "Le Bout du Monde" while admiring the landscape on everything the estuary!
If you are not afraid of the car, you can go to Lower Normandy to explore the Caen Memorial and the landing beaches in Lower Normandy, but it takes around 2 hours to drive. The opportunity to take a little detour along the way in the elegant seaside resorts of Deauville, Trouville and Cabourg. We are often asked the question: how long to go to Mont-Saint-Michel? Count 3:30. For us, it's really too far to do it in a day, unless we love the car.
Rouen
The city of 100 spiers
Rouen is often compared to Strasbourg. It is indeed a magnificent city, also called the "City of 100 bell towers". Located 40 minutes from Villa Quartz by motorway (55 km), it conceals beautiful architectural, cultural and tourist gems. To name but a few: the cathedral, the Fine Arts Museum, the Gros Horloge, etc.
It is good to stroll and shop in the pedestrian streets of the hypercentre, around the Place du Vieux Marché or the Saint-Maclou church. There are all the major commercial brands and a FNAC.
Many performance halls also for the evening and an opera, with a beautiful lyrical season. On the other hand, car traffic is a real pain, and you have to take your troubles patiently. You have to get there after 9 am in the morning and avoid leaving around 5 pm, because it really gets stuck.
Eu, Seas, the Bay of the Somme
The Bay of Somme is well worth a day ...
We are less "fans" of the coast northeast of Dieppe, in our opinion less interesting than the coastal portion going towards Etretat. However, the imperial city of Eu and the small art deco seaside resort of Mers-Les-Bains are worth a visit and can leave nice memories! Le Tréport is not our "cup of tea": too touristy and flashy for our taste.
On the other hand, do not hesitate to go north to the magnificent Bay of the Somme
which in itself deserves a good day's visit: cinemascope landscapes, an impression of the end of the world, cliffs, sands, dunes, pebbles, marshes follow one another to compose an extraordinary landscape, far from the concrete coasts. Saint-Valéry-sur-Somme and Le Crotoy are charming little towns to discover!