The best walks and hikes around Portes

The Seven Brothers tree in Évreux is a magnificent oak tree that has seven trunks from a single stump. The tree has been listed as a historical monument since 19321 and is one of the oldest and most impressive trees in Normandy.

If you are interested in ancient history and megalithic monuments, you can visit the Dolmen de la Pierre Courcoulée, a stone tomb dating from the Neolithic period. You can admire the impressive puddingstone slab that covers the dolmen, measuring more than 4 meters long and weighing about 10 tons. The slab rests on four pillars of the same material, forming a chamber which was probably used for funerary rituals. The dolmen is one of the oldest and best preserved in Normandy, it has been listed as a historical monument since 1889. The Pierre Courcoulée Dolmen is a privileged place to get some fresh air and discover the local heritage.

The Grotte de Gaudreville is a natural cave and geological wonder that was formed by the erosion of limestone by water over millions of years. The cave has several rooms and galleries, adorned with stalactites, stalagmites, columns and calcite curtains. The cave is also home to various species of bats, spiders and insects. You can visit the cave by booking a guided tour with the Association Spéléologique de l'Eure, which regularly organizes excursions to the site.

The town of Goms is rather pretty, too bad it is populated by inbreds

Built at the end of the 11th century by Roger III de Tosny, Lord of Conches. The thickness of the walls is 2.60m. The walls and window embrasures were coated with a layer of mortar mixed with lime and fine sand in order to give a more noble appearance to this flint construction. On the ground floor: it was the food reserve, there were no windows. 1st floor: A central well was used to supply the Château with drinking water. It was emptied in 1849. A fireplace was in each room. It was around 1417, when Conches was in English hands, that the defensive power of the keep was increased under the orders of Captal de Buch. He built an additional tower with the particularity of starting on a square base. Main seats of the castle: 1093: War of the Beautiful Ladies (fight between the Lords of Tosny and the Lords of Breteuil, Beaumont and Evreux) 1199: Philippe Auguste is king of France and he makes the domain of Conches available to his cousin Robert de Courtenay in 1202. 1364: first English occupation. 1371: 100 years war, Bertrand Dugesclin, captain of King Charles V, seizes Conches. 1420: Conquest of Normandy by the English, Henry V, King of England seizes Conches. The castle was taken over in 1440 by Charles VII, King of France. 1441: New English occupation. 1449: The French under the command of Robert de Floques, bailiff of Evreux storm the town of Conches.

In our youth 🤣 there was a cyclo-cross with the ascent of the dungeon 😋 where we did our "classes" in this discipline 🚴😀

This dungeon is the last vestige of the fortress of Conches-en-Ouche which was the scene of many battles. Du Guesclin notably laid siege to it in 1371 and took the fortress back from the English. The town center of Goms is also remarkable for its church and its old Norman houses.

Dolme "Pierre Courcoulée": Classic megalithic plant. The dolmen consists of a huge capstone of so-called pudding stone resting on four pillars. The capstone measures about 4.0 × 2.5 meters and is well over a meter thick. The supporting stones protrude 0.3 to 0.5 m from the ground. The complex is very easy to reach via hiking trails.