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It’s worth penetrating the suburbs to find Bernay’s share of picturesque timbered houses (among them rue Gaston-Follope, lined with antiques shops), an abbey church begun in 1013, and a handsome municipal museum.

An excellent base for exploring the Risle Valley, this small market town is watched over by an 11th-century keep.

The stark ruins of the 13th-century priory, and the parish church of St-Nicolas are eye-catching sights in this war-torn riverside town.

This pretty stone-built village in the Suisse Normande (see La Suisse Normande, La Suisse Normande) boasts one of Europe’s largest model railways (see Musée du Chemin de Fer Miniature), but its main attraction is the wide range of holiday activities on offer.

Approached on the D830 from Evreux, the town’s fine setting above a bend in the River Rouloir is revealed.

This delightful country town seems unconcerned about the tourist potential of its many fine old buildings, including the Vieux Manoir of 1563 in rue Grande.

In the charming town centre, encased like a jewel in its nondescript surroundings, water and half-timbered houses are the defining features.

This workaday Pays d’Auge town is famous for its cheese. Nearby, at Château de Betteville, the Belle Époque motor museum is worth a visit.

Chequered walls and turrets catch the eye in this fortified town on the old Franco-Norman border, as do the 13th-century Tour Grise and the striking tower of Ste-Madeleine (see Notre-Dame, Verneuil-sur-Avre).

This smart residential town includes a former mill straddling two piers of a medieval bridge, the tiered Maison du Temps Jadis and the Tour des Archives, a castle keep (see Notre-Dame, Vernon).