Discover Connelles

Connelles lies in a valley hollow on the slopes. Hiking, cycling and climbing sit alongside a church, a historic mill and unusual homes. If you are looking for a hotel for your stay, you can focus on outdoor activities or on the buildings and local history.

Hiking, cycling and climbing

The slopes above the Seine at Connelles are included in the Natura 2000 programme and classified as a ZICO (Important Area for the Conservation of Birds). The second designation highlights the area’s importance for bird conservation; both classifications apply to the Seine slopes. The slopes themselves are also a distinctive landscape feature.

The GR2 long-distance hiking trail passes through Connelles. The “Autour de Connelles” walk is 7.0 km long. In the Eure department, Connelles is also one of the destinations on “La Seine à Vélo.” These routes have different connections to the village: the GR2 passes through Connelles, while the village is a destination on “La Seine à Vélo.” “Autour de Connelles” offers a third option—a named walk with a specific distance. This lets you choose between a long-distance trail, a shorter walk with a stated distance, and a cycling-route destination.

Connelles has natural climbing crags. The “Falaises en bord de Seine” site is an equipped outdoor area for independent climbing. This adds a distinct activity to the hiking and cycling options, one that can give your stay a different character.

Church, mill and homes

Saint-Vaast Church in Connelles stands on the banks of the Seine in a protected registered area. Its bell tower is crowned by a 12-metre-high polygonal spire; polygonal means that the spire has many sides. On the south side of the bell tower is a sundial dating from the 16th century. The church is thought to date back to the 12th century. The shape of the tower, the sundial and the cautiously worded dating offer different clues to the building’s history.

The Moulin de Connelles is described as a 15th-century mill, of which only the piers remain from that period. Historically, the Moulin de Connelles was a mill with a suspended waterwheel. Mills of this type were used exclusively to grind grain for the barony’s vassals. Its function points to a clearly defined task: processing the grain belonging to these vassals was its main purpose.

Connelles also has unusual homes described as troglodytic. The term generally refers to dwellings in rock or cave spaces and draws attention to a building style different from that of the church and mill. Together, these homes offer another perspective on the village’s architectural history. Connelles therefore brings together different interests: trails and outdoor activities on the one hand, and distinctive building forms and historical functions on the other.

Discover more destinations: Pont-Saint-Pierre, La Haye-Malherbe, Bazincourt-Sur-Epte, Bourneville, Saint-Denis-Le-Ferment, Tourville-La-Campagne, Bus-Saint-Rémy, Sainte-Geneviève-Lès-Gasny.

View the wider travel guide: Eure.