From Pourville-sur-Mer, next to the port of Dieppe, the Véloroute du Lin takes you inland to Cany-Barville to start your discovery of the Pays de Caux area and its flax fields. First, though, you need to cycle through Offranville (a parish much appreciated by the artist Jacques Emile-Blanche), the tranquil Sâane Valley and the village of Luneray. Up to Saint-Pierre-le-Viger, the route leads you along a former railway track turned into a greenway; look closely to spot a few elements still in place recalling its past as a train line.

On this stage, you head towards the coast and Fécamp, a port closely associated with Normandy’s dukes. Leaving behind the Pays de Caux’s plateaux with their flax fields, discover the Valmont Valley. Savour the peaceful Valmont River, lined with fish ponds and with deck-chairs dotted around, allowing you to enjoy a relaxing break in the sunshine. The peace and quiet of the countryside around Fécamp allows you the time to mull over your bucolic cycling trip through Normandy’s flax country. Then Fécamp comes into view, set in a gap in the cliffs. Enjoy the many different aspects to this port so closely linked to the Channel.