This route takes you through Normandy, from the outskirts of Paris to the Dieppe area. At the crossroads of history, nature, and art, the Festival Normandie Expressioniste allows you to discover the Impressionist heritage and contemporary creations, set in dialogue with each other and accessible by sustainable transport.
Stage 1
38.8 km
From Dieppe, go to Hautot-sur-Mer, to the Jardin des Loups to participate in the Révolutions du Vivant: Art'griculture. On site: visits, creations and an exhibition in a 1.5 hectare garden.
Then, cycle to Varengeville-sur-Mer. In this village, which was a favourite destination for artists such as Renoir, Monet, or Pissarro, you can visit an exhibition, À fleur de forêt, by Jacques Perconte, a visual artist and experimental filmmaker, who created works based on the digital transformation of video images in the impressionist aesthetic.
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.
Continue your journey towards Saint-Valery-en-Caux. On your way, be sure to stop in Veules-les-Roses, a picturesque town with charming narrow streets. End your day in Saint-Valery-en-Caux with a stroll along the pebble beach in a town frequented by all the painters and writers who have stayed on the Alabaster Coast.
Stage 2
62.9 km
Go to Étretat, famous for its beautiful white cliffs. Stroll around the main square, which was a source of inspiration for artists like Claude Monet, who created more than 80 works about this place, immortalizing the fleeting moments of this poetic location.
In the Gardens of Étretat, a magnificent site combining landscape architecture and sculptures, you will be able to discover the choreographic performance Les Eaux Dormantes.
Stage 3
40.7 km
Head to Le Havre, the city where Monet painted Impression, Sunrise, the iconic work that gave its name to the Impressionist movement.
You can start at Le Havre, which is where Monet painted Impression, Sunrise, the iconic work that gave its name to the Impressionist movement. There, step into the Musée d’Art Moderne (The MuMa) which houses the second largest collection of impressionist masterpieces after the Orsay museum in Paris. On the Festival Normandie Impressioniste, you will have the opportunity to discover an exhibition of around 100 works by Monet, dedicated to his formative years in Le Havr e .
Au MuMa, vous pouvez également découvrir Water Lilies d’Ai Weiwei, l’œuvre composée de 650 000 pièces de LEGO® qui fait écho à la célèbre série de Monet, Nymphéas.
To end your day, head to Le Portique, a regional contemporary art center, to discover an exhibition of The Story of Fixity by Noémie Goudal, an artist who redefines the notion of landscape in our contemporary society.
