Discover Turqueville

Turqueville combines hiking trails with rural heritage. The village is a stop on the GR® 223; the “Retour aux sources” circular trail also passes through Turqueville. The two routes differ in length and stated duration. Church architecture, wall paintings and other historic features offer additional points of interest. If you are looking for a hotel for your trip, these themes can help you decide whether a longer stage hike, a shorter loop or the local heritage is your priority.

Hiking routes with different time requirements

The GR® 223 covers 135 km over eight days, from Isigny-sur-Mer to Anse du Brick. Its third day runs from Grand-Vey to Turqueville; this stage is 18 km long and is listed as taking 4 hours and 30 minutes. This makes Turqueville a day’s destination on a multi-day hike. Check current trail conditions before setting out.

The route page, updated on 23 December 2024, rates the “Retour aux sources” circular trail as easy; its 10 km are listed as taking three hours. It follows paths through the Bocage villages of the Plain, with washhouses and fountains along the way. Reuville is one of the route’s stops in Turqueville. There, typical rural features include ensembles of outbuildings, farmsteads or old houses, as well as washhouses, basins and fountains. Compared with the 18 km GR® 223 stage, the 10 km loop, at three hours, is the shorter of the two routes described; the GR® section is listed as taking four and a half hours.

Church architecture and historic paintings

The Eglise de Turqueville is classified as a “Monument historique.” Its floor plan is irregular, and the building dates mostly from the 13th century. The church also has a beautiful rood beam. The wall paintings at Notre-Dame de Turqueville date from the 14th century. They depict Christ of the Apocalypse with the symbols of the Evangelists and six apostles. The paintings were discovered in 2008 during restoration work on the choir. The architecture and paintings thus offer different insights into the village’s heritage.

Rural buildings and historic references

Bellefond is another stop on the circular trail; the manor house there is dated to the period from the 16th to the 19th century. Together with the ensembles in Reuville, this stop draws attention to different forms of rural architectural history: farmsteads, outbuildings and old houses, as well as a manor house with a long historical date range.

In the Turqueville cemetery stand a remarkable yew tree and a monumental sculpted cross. Behind the town hall is a dovecote. The Croix de la Maillère adds a different historical note: it is identified as a former milestone on the Roman road from Coutances to Barfleur. References to rural building styles and cemetery art thus complement the connection to the history of a road.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Foucarville, Gathemo, Hebecrevon, Saint-Vigor-des-Monts, Quettreville-Sur-Sienne, Prétot-Sainte-Suzanne, Sortosville-en-Beaumont, Lithaire.

For the regional travel overview: Manche.