Cote d’Albatre (Alabaster Coast)

The stunning white cliffs of the Alabaster Coast stretch approximately 130km from Le Treport to Le Havre.

Eroded into fantastic shapes by the power of the waves where Seine-Maritime meets the English Channel, they form the edge of the Pays de Caux plateau, north of the Seine estuary made of similar chalk to England’s South Downs and the white cliffs of Dover.

The deep cut inland valleys end in small coastal sites between the high cliffs where fishing ports and small summer resorts with shingle beaches such as Le Treport, St Valery-en-Caux, Veulettes-sur-Mer and Fecamp have developed.

Visitors looking for energetic activities will find sports centres and yacht marinas and there are wonderful cliff-top walks.

The most spectacular resort is Etretat where the cliffs rise to 90m and every view is worth a picture. Artists such as Gustave Corbet and impressionist painter Claude Monet were drawn to paint the rugged coastline and Guy de Maupassant, one of France’s favourite writers, uses descriptions of “that great line of white rocks” in his stories.     

Visit the Boucles de la Seine Normande Regional Natural Park

The Parc Naturel Régional des Boucles de la Seine Normande lies between Rouen and Le Havre, in the departments of Eure and the Seine-Maritime. Shaped by the meanders of the Seine, the area provides glorious panoramas and sweeps of well-watered meadows.

Plateaux, valleys and hillsides carved out by the river make up the landscapes of the 5 natural regions of the Park: the Seine Valley, the Pays de Caux, the Roumois, the Basse Vallée de la Risle and the Marais Vernier.

Three abbeys, rural museums, châteaux and thatched cottages forge the identity of the Park's cultural heritage. The wetlands, the Park's ecological highlight, sink into soft silences, punctuated by pollarded trees.

There are natural sites to be visited in the Marais Vernier and the Basse Vallée de la Risle, with or without a guide. These habitats, which are of vital importance to the Park as a whole, are the subject of special awareness and preservation campaigns.

Tel: (00 33) 2 35 37 23 16

www.pnr-seine-normande.com