In Pont-De-Lʼarche, traces of the medieval fortifications range from towers and remnants of walls to half-timbered houses. The town also has Notre-Dame-des-Arts, other historic buildings and green surroundings along the Eure. When looking for a hotel, you can first decide whether the focus of your trip should be the town’s history and culture, or whether you’d also like to explore the riverside landscape.
The Eure, paths and riverbanks
On the Poses–Rouen stage of La Seine à Vélo, the route follows the Eure along a greenway to Pont-De-Lʼarche. Check the route and conditions before your trip. The greenway along the Eure is 30 kilometres long and connects Pinterville with Pont-De-Lʼarche. It is intended exclusively for cyclists, pedestrians and people with reduced mobility. Surface conditions and diversions may change; check both before your visit.
The banks of the Eure below Pont-De-Lʼarche offer green surroundings for walks and a viewpoint. This gives you several different perspectives: a stage of La Seine à Vélo, the greenway connection between two places, and walks by the river. Routes and riverbanks are useful planning considerations in their own right.
Fortified town and historic buildings
Pont-De-Lʼarche originated as a fortified medieval town around the year 1000, following the Viking invasions. A surviving crenellated tower is part of the medieval townscape. The Tour du bailliage survives at the western corner of the town wall; an arrow slit and part of the former wall can be seen there.
Medieval half-timbered houses survive in the rue Sainte-Marie district; they once leaned against the town wall. The Tour de Crosne also tells the story of the town’s construction: its base dates from the 13th century and was commissioned under Philip II Augustus. The Maison du Gouverneur represents another chapter. Dating from the 16th century, the building served as the town’s military administration headquarters.
Church, art and cultural venues
The church of Notre-Dame-des-Arts was built in the Flamboyant Gothic style with Renaissance elements and has been listed as a historic monument since 1910. Its furnishings include 46 choir stalls from Bonport Abbey. Another piece from the abbey can be found in the Cour du Cerf: a column with a sculpted capital from the abbey founded by Richard the Lionheart.
The Salle d’Armes is housed in a former 13th-century Hôtel-Dieu and now hosts exhibitions and concerts. Check its current cultural programme before your visit. Alchimie du verre offers technical tours about the production and restoration of stained glass from all periods and of every kind. Group conferences are held in the workshop and at Notre-Dame-des-Arts; check reservation requirements and public access in advance.
Music and architecture add their own distinctive touches: Jules Massenet composed the opera “Manon” at the Vieux Manoir in the 19th century. The Villa des Lauriers combines Gothic architecture with Art Nouveau. The Maison en avant-solier is the last surviving example of this architectural type in the area. Together, these places add musical and architectural connections to the history of the town’s church and fortifications.
Choosing your stay
When looking for a hotel in Pont-De-Lʼarche, you can first decide what you’d like to focus on: will your trip centre on the medieval buildings and Notre-Dame-des-Arts, or would you also like to include the banks and paths along the Eure?
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Radepont, Ajou, Chavigny-Bailleul, Bouquelon, Fleury-La-Forêt, Verneusses, Piencourt, Sainte-Geneviève-Lès-Gasny
For the broader travel overview: Eure.
