Discover Sotteville-sur-Mer

Sotteville-sur-Mer offers clearly distinct areas of interest when planning a stay: the coast and the Escalier de Sotteville, historic buildings, and routes of varying lengths and types. When planning your days, you can first decide whether you want to focus on the coastal landscape, history or a particular walk.

The coast and the Escalier de Sotteville

Sotteville-sur-Mer lies within the ZNIEFF “Le littoral de Veules-les-Roses à Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer”. This section of coastline, between Veules-les-Roses and Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer, is part of this natural inventory and is characterized by steep, active cliffs that are eroding rapidly. The Escalier de Sotteville leads down to the sea via 231 steps. Information updated on October 2, 2025, reported that only some of the steps were accessible because of the risk of falling rocks. Check access before your excursion rather than relying solely on the total number of steps.

Two routes, two different forms

The 6.2 km Circuit No. 8 “L’escalier de Sotteville” is a loop walk that starts at Sotteville-sur-Mer town hall on Place de la Libération. The historic “Tenir coûte que coûte” trail runs from Saint-Pierre-le-Viger to Sotteville-sur-Mer. It is 36 km long, waymarked and can be walked independently. The two routes therefore differ not only in length: one is a loop starting at the town hall, while the other runs between two places. When planning your walk, you can take both distance and route type into account. Check local conditions for the historic trail before setting out.

The chapel and church: different architectural histories

Only the Chapelle Notre-Dame-du-Val remains of the leper colony. It was built in the 13th century, and its west gable was rebuilt in the 16th century. The chapel is fully listed as a Monument historique. Its architectural history thus reveals both its 13th-century origins and a later alteration to the west gable.

The Notre-Dame church in Sotteville-sur-Mer was built in the age of Saint Louis and restored in the 16th century using local sandstone. The two buildings therefore foreground different historical aspects: the chapel as a surviving link to the leper colony, and the church through its construction period and restoration using local materials. Admission to Notre-Dame church is free; check access conditions before your visit.

An earlier use of the stairway

The features of the Escalier de Sotteville also tell a story of its past: rails were installed to carry small carts up the steps, transporting pebbles collected on the beach. So alongside providing access to the sea, the stairway also recalls the former transport of pebbles uphill. This practical purpose differs from its present-day significance as a route down to the sea via 231 steps.

Discover more destinations: Ectot-L'auber, Mont-Saint-Aignan, Boudeville, Saint-Pierre-Le-Vieux, Autigny, Isneauville, Fontaine-Le-Dun, Le Thil-Riberpré

Back to the regional travel overview: Seine-Maritime.