The Rocks of Orival

Located in Orival, along the river Seine, you can see white cliffs: the Roches d’Orival (Orival Rocks). The calcareous grassland and the woods of this sensitive natural area are teeming with plants and animals. There is an exceptional array of orchids, insects typical of calcareous grassland (butterflies, etc.) and southern species like the praying mantis and the western green lizard.
This nature site boasts a lot of remains from its history since the Neolithic period. There are ruins of the Château-Fouet built by Richard the Lion heart in 1195, traces of troglodytic houses dating back to the 17th century, the remains of a Roman camp, a Gallo-Roman temple, as well as a brick ovens used during the 19th century.
This site belongs to the National Forestry Office and private owners, and is managed by the Department of Seine-Maritime.