This route takes you through Normandy, from the outskirts of Paris to the area around Dieppe. At the crossroads of history, nature, and art, the Normandy Impressionist Festival offers you a discovery of Impressionist heritage and contemporary creations, in dialogue with each other, accessible by sustainable transport.
Stage 1
Train: 50 min + Bike: 4.7 km
Take the train from Paris to Vernon, a charming little town founded in the 9th century. Don't miss the Blanche-Hoschedé-Monet Museum to see the Lionel Sabatté exhibition, " Mémoire de limon," a tribute to Claude Monet.
Cycle to Giverny to explore this iconic Impressionist location. Visit Claude Monet's house and explore the gardens, where you can admire the famous water lilies, Japanese bridges, and flowerbeds that inspired his great series of paintings.
© Lionel Sabatté, Dust of the Peaks, June 21, 2023, Chambord, 2023 – Photograph revealed by dust on canvas, 195 x 360 cm © Margot Montigny
Then travel around the city to get to the Museum of Impressionisms, where you can discover the Plantations exhibition, in situ works by Daniel Buren, a new creation in dialogue with the garden and the museum's collections.
Stage 2
Cycling: 83.4 km
Follow the Seine by bike and reach Rouen. On the way, be sure to stop at Les Andelys, which offers a magnificent panorama of the Seine valley.
Rouen, the capital of Normandy, was the source of inspiration for many Impressionists such as Monet, Pissarro or Sisley, whose works you can admire at the Museum of Fine Arts.
Follow in the footsteps of the artists and discover some events of the Normandy Impressionist Festival with the Rouen Urban Trail.
Don't miss the Fago at the Shed in Maromme.
© Géraldine Longueville
Stage 3
Train: 50 min + Bike: 9.8 km
From Rouen, take a train to Dieppe. From Dieppe station, head to Hautot-sur-Mer, to the Jardin des Loups (Garden of Wolves) to participate in the Révolutions du Vivant: Art'griculture. On site: tours, creative workshops, and an exhibition in a 1.5-hectare garden.
Next, cycle to Varengeville-sur-Mer. In this village, often visited by many artists such as Renoir, Monet or Pissarro, you can discover an exhibition, À fleur de forêt, by Jacques Perconte, a visual artist and experimental filmmaker, creating works based on the digital transformation of video images in an impressionist aesthetic.
© Thibault Lucas, The Beacons, Valley
In Varengeville-sur-Mer, you can also see a minimalist installation, Les Balises, which questions the retreat of the cliffs that threaten the gardens of the coast.
