Lyons-la-Forêt from Rouen

In the early twelfth century, Henry I Beauclerc had a royal castle built here, destroyed at the end of the Hundred Years' War. Dukes of Normandy and kings of France came here to hunt until the Revolution. The streets around the place de la Halle still follow the outline of the old castle and its ramparts.

The village lines up half-timbered and brick houses, former convents and mills along the Lieure. In the centre, the listed market hall dates from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century. It faces the house where the poet Isaac Benserade was born, and the town hall still has an eighteenth-century courtroom.

In the twentieth century, Maurice Ravel, the painter André Masson and the designer Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann all stayed here. Jean Renoir and later Claude Chabrol shot their Madame Bovary here. All around, 10,700 hectares of forest and hundreds of kilometres of trails are waiting for you.

The market hall

The listed market hall, in the heart of the village, which you'll recognise from Claude Chabrol's Madame Bovary. Free access.

The town hall and its courtroom

An eighteenth-century courtroom, created under the Duke of Penthièvre, the last lord of Lyons.

Saint-Denis church

Built outside the old ramparts, it still looks defensive with its bell tower.

Lyons state forest

Beech trees 25 to 40 m tall and waymarked trails, described in the tourist office's free leaflets. Free access.

Lyons arboretum

Trees from five continents in a large park deep in the forest, with orienteering trails to pick up at the tourist office.

Lyons-la-Forêt on the map

Tap a point to see its name. Base map © OpenStreetMap, Protomaps.

Getting there from Rouen

By Nomad coach line 218

Departs from Rouen coach station, 11 rue des Charrettes, near the Théâtre des Arts and the quai du Havre (Gare Routière stop). Get off at the Lyons-la-Forêt Église stop. About 50 min. Monday to Saturday only: no coaches on Sundays or bank holidays. Allow about 13 min on foot from the Busmandy stop (left bank) to this coach station.

For a day trip

Monday to Friday, during term time and the short school holidays: out at 11:00 (arriving 11:48), back at 13:10 (arriving in Rouen 14:05). On Saturdays, this outbound coach only runs during term time. That gives you about 1 h 20 there.

To stay longer

All year round, Monday to Saturday, a coach leaves Lyons at 6:50 (Rouen 7:50). In the other direction, a coach leaves Rouen at 18:15 on weekdays (arriving 19:10) and at 18:00 on Saturdays (arriving 18:55). Handy if you're staying the night.

During the summer holidays

The 11:00 outbound coach doesn't run: a return trip in the day is no longer possible by coach.

Fare

Nomad single ticket from €2 to €5 depending on the number of zones crossed. The timetable recommends the M-Ticket on the Atoumod app. Validate your ticket every time you board.

Prices and opening hours

Prices

The village and the forest are free to explore.

Opening hours

Village and forest open all year round. Tourist office, 25 bis place Benserade: from 1 November to 31 January, Tuesday to Friday 14:00 to 17:00 and Saturday 10:00 to 13:00, closed Sunday and Monday. From 1 February to 30 June and from 1 September to 31 October, Monday 14:00 to 17:00, Tuesday to Friday 10:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 17:00, Saturday 10:00 to 14:00. In July and August, every day 10:00 to 18:00.

Prices and times can change: check the official website before you go.

Top tips

• Pick your day carefully: no coaches on Sundays or bank holidays, and no return trip possible in the day during the summer holidays. Check the 218 timetable for your date.
• Start at the tourist office, near the market hall: village map and free leaflets on the waymarked hikes. It holds the Tourisme et Handicap label.
• During the hunting season, the ONF publishes the days and plots being hunted in the Lyons forest. Check the calendar before your walk: each hunting day only covers a small area, signposted on site.
• If there are two of you, look at the Pass Normandie Découverte: €20 at the weekend or €35 on weekdays for 2 people and 2 days of unlimited Nomad trains and coaches in Normandy.

Flying into Beauvais airport?

The Busmandy shuttle, official partner of Beauvais airport, takes you to Rouen by direct coach, in 1 h 40, from €23.90. You arrive at the Busmandy stop, halte de Champlain (see on Google Maps), about 10 min walk from the centre: base yourself in Rouen and visit Lyons-la-Forêt as a day trip.

Frequently asked questions