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Les Gîtes de l'Epinay

The area

Saint-Saëns and the surrounding area

On the hills above Saint-Saëns, surrounded by pastures and fields, our houses offer the peace of the countryside without the isolation: the village centre, with its shops and restaurants, is five minutes away.

Horses in the pastures around the Gîtes de l'Epinay in Saint-Saëns

Saint-Saëns, on the doorstep

The village, on the Varenne river at the edge of the Eawy forest, is five minutes from the houses.

Forest and walks

  • The Eawy forest

    5 min

    Nearly 7,000 hectares of state forest, mostly beech, free to explore.

  • The Allée des Limousins

    A dead-straight, 14 km avenue cut through the forest in the 16th century.

  • Along the paths

    The Puits merveilleux, a 28 m sinkhole, the Saint-Étienne chapel and the Pimont viewpoint, deep in the forest.

  • Le Val Ygot

    20 min

    A V1 launch site built in 1943 in the Eawy forest, now a Second World War memorial.

  • Avenue Verte London-Paris

    25 min

    A 45 km greenway along the old Paris-Dieppe railway line, between Forges-les-Eaux and Arques-la-Bataille. The nearest access point is at Mesnières-en-Bray.

Family days out

  • Parc Canadien

    20 min

    In Muchedent, in the Eawy forest: bison seen from a military truck, four wolf packs on a guided walk, and canoeing. Open from mid-March to mid-November.

    Official website · Parc Canadien (opens in a new tab)
  • Parc de Clères

    20 min

    An animal and botanical park founded in 1919: cranes, flamingos, red pandas, gibbons and wallabies, below a château. Open from mid-March to early November.

    Official website · Parc de Clères (opens in a new tab)
  • Parc du Bocasse

    25 min

    An amusement park open since 1967, with around forty rides for young and old. Open from spring to the end of September.

    Official website · Parc du Bocasse (opens in a new tab)
  • Arb'Aventure

    35 min

    Tree-top adventure courses from age 3, zip lines including a 250 m one, paintball and laser tag, in Dénestanville.

  • Estran, Cité de la Mer

    50 min

    A sea museum in Dieppe: shipbuilding, fishing, cliffs and pebbles, with aquariums.

The seaside

  • Dieppe

    45 min

    The nearest beach, the harbour, and the château that houses the town museum and its collection of carved ivory.

  • Varengeville-sur-Mer

    50 min

    The Saint-Valery church on the clifftop with its Georges Braque stained-glass window, the Bois des Moutiers garden (by booking, April to October) and the Manoir d'Ango.

  • Veules-les-Roses

    1 hr

    One of the Most Beautiful Villages of France, on the Veules, the shortest river in France, among watercress beds and mills.

  • Fécamp

    1 hr

    The Palais Bénédictine, with its museum and distillery, and the Abbey Church of the Holy Trinity.

  • Le Tréport and Mers-les-Bains

    1 hr 05

    The Le Tréport funicular climbs to the top of the cliff, and Mers-les-Bains lines its Belle Époque villas along the seafront.

  • Étretat

    1 hr 15

    Its cliffs, its three arches and the Needle, about 55 m high.

Towns and heritage

  • Neufchâtel-en-Bray

    20 min

    Home of Neufchâtel, a PDO cow's milk cheese often shaped like a heart.

  • Château de Mesnières

    25 min

    A 16th-century Renaissance château and its Stag Gallery. Afternoon visits in July and August.

    Official website · Château de Mesnières (opens in a new tab)
  • Rouen

    30 min

    Notre-Dame Cathedral, painted by Monet, the Gros-Horloge, the Place du Vieux-Marché and the Museum of Fine Arts, rich in Impressionist works.

  • Forges-les-Eaux

    30 min

    A former spa town with its lakes, its casino and the start of the Avenue Verte.

  • Château de Miromesnil

    40 min

    The house where Guy de Maupassant was born in 1850, and its kitchen garden, listed as a Remarkable Garden. Visits from late March to late September.

    Official website · Château de Miromesnil (opens in a new tab)
  • Jumièges Abbey

    55 min

    The ruins of an abbey founded in the 7th century, with towers nearly 50 m high. Open all year round.

    Official website · Jumièges Abbey (opens in a new tab)
  • Honfleur

    1 hr

    The Old Harbour with its slate-hung façades, and the Church of Saint Catherine, built of wood in the 15th century.

Horse riding

Three riding centres no more than a quarter of an hour away, with activities for children. Check days and times with each one.

Whether you want to rest or explore, an ideal base between countryside, forest and coast.