Fourges: Mill, church and the Epte landscape

When looking for a hotel in Fourges, you can consider architectural history, cycling and hiking as different interests. The Église Saint-Pierre and the Moulin de Fourges offer historical points of interest. Whether architecture, the history of the mill or a particular route shapes your stay depends on your plans.

Église Saint-Pierre: two periods of construction

At the Église Saint-Pierre, two dates are associated with specific parts of the building: the choir and apse date from the 12th century, while the bell tower dates from the 14th century. This distinction is useful if you want to understand the building’s history. It prevents the date of one part from being too readily applied to the entire church. Together with the mill, built later, this reveals a clear contrast in age between the medieval parts of the church and an 18th-century mill.

Moulin de Fourges and listed sites

The Moulin de Fourges was built in 1750. Another historical detail concerns not the year it was built, but the waterwheel: it was used during the filming of “La Grande Vadrouille.” These two facts tell different parts of its history—the construction of the building and the wheel’s later use in a film. It is also important to note that the mill, its bridge, locks and neighboring trees together form an ensemble that was designated a listed site on December 14, 1933. The protected status therefore applies to the named features as an ensemble. Fourges is also part of the listed site “Vallée de l’Epte,” designated by decree on January 20, 1982.

Cycling: Voie Verte and bicycle rentals

The Voie Verte de la vallée de l’Epte connects Gisors and Gasny along a 28-kilometer route. It links up with the Avenue Verte Paris-Londres and with the section of “La Seine à vélo” between Vernon and La Roche-Guyon, which passes through Giverny. When planning your trip, both the 28 kilometers between the endpoints and the connections to other named routes are relevant. Check the current signage before setting off so you can follow the connections using the route markers.

Bicycles can be rented at the Moulin de Fourges for €15 per half-day to explore the surrounding area. As availability may change, check in advance whether bicycles are available for your preferred date.

Hiking and route characteristics

The “Les Coteaux de l’Epte” loop alternates between sections through fields and woodland and offers beautiful views of the Epte Valley. The two routes have different emphases: the Voie Verte is defined by its endpoints and 28-kilometer distance, while the loop focuses on changing landscapes and views. This lets you assess the routes according to the features that matter for your plans.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Etienne-Sous-Bailleul, Gisay-La-Coudre, Tourville-La-Campagne, Château-sur-Epte, Villiers-en-Désœuvre, Toutainville, Saint-Samson-De-La-Roque, Damville.

For the broader travel overview: Eure.