One is on the left bank, and is the largest: the Brotonne forest. The second, on the right bank, is the Trait-Maulévrier forest. Each has its own charms, but both harbor a few treasures that we’d like to share with you.
Halfway between Rouen and Le Havre, the Brotonne state forest overlooks the penultimate bend in the Seine.
The original name “Forêt Arelaune” was changed to “Forêt de l’Union nationale” during the French Revolution.The 6750-hectare state-owned forest is part of the Boucles de la Seine Normande Regional Nature Park.It belongs to the State and is managed by the ONF – Office National des Forêts.
There are different parts of the Brotonne forest, state, municipal and private, covering a total area of 10,000 hectares.
Oaks, beeches and Scots pines offer a magnificent spectacle, whose colors change with the seasons.
The Brotonne forest is also characterized by its ponds and viewpoints over the valley and the Seine, such as the belvedere at La Mailleraye-sur-Seine, which offers a panoramic view of the river and Jumièges Abbey.
The Vat Oak is another of the forest’s attractions. Over 380 years old, it is made up of four barrels forming a vat at the center, where water collects. The water is said to have therapeutic properties.
And then there’s the Saint-Maur chapel in the commune of Vatteville-la-Rue. A place of worship, but also of superstition. Pilgrims used to come here to ask for children’s healing by forming knots with the finest branches of trees.
Even today, pieces of cloth are still tied to the branches. This is known as the “rag tree”.
