When most travelers think of the Seine, they think of Paris. But this river is a 777-kilometer (483 mile) long ribbon, winding from quiet Burgundy to the salty English Channel. There are dozens of hidden historical sites etched along its banks in France. And when you board Trafalgar’s brand new Seine River Cruise, you’ll float past medieval fortresses carved into chalk and meet a mummified cat.
Drift away from the glow of the French capital aboard the Trafalgar Harmonie and discover the layered stories and hidden historic sights that you’d miss if you didn’t know the story behind the stones. From floating parishes to mummified cats, here are six hidden historical sights on our new Seine River Cruise through France.
1. The Aître Saint-Maclou’s mummified cat, Rouen
The Aître Saint-Maclou in Rouen is one of the last medieval plague cemeteries (ossuaries) in Europe. Tucked down a timber-framed alley you’ll find some haunting secrets… look closely at the 16th-century wooden beams to see carved skulls, crossbones and gravedigger tools. But the real hidden detail is a mummified cat, found in the walls during 19th-century renovations. In the 1600s, it was likely walled up alive to ward off evil spirits. Today it sits in a small glass case watching over the courtyard.
2. Rommel’s carved cliffside bunkers, La Roche-Guyon
One of France’s most beautiful villages hides a high-stakes WWII command center. The 18th-century Château de La Roche-Guyon is built directly onto a limestone cliff – and much of the fortress is actually carved into the rock. A secret, claustrophobic stairway of 250 steps connects the riverside château to the medieval keep high above.
In 1944 it served as the headquarters for Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. To protect his staff from Allied air raids while they planned the defense of Normandy, Rommel had specialized bunkers and casemates carved deep into the soft chalk of the cliff. You can still see the heavy steel doors and concrete blast walls just steps away from the castle’s elegant Enlightenment-era gardens. Trafalgar guests have the option to join a guided crest trail hike earlier in the morning, taking a forested route with open views before meeting the group inside.
TAKE THE TOUR: Seine River Cruise
3. The paratrooper on the church steeple, Sainte-Mère-Église
On the night of June 5, 1944, Private John Steele’s parachute snagged on the steeple of this village church, leaving him dangling for two hours while the battle raged below. He survived by feigning death until he was eventually taken prisoner (and later escaped). Today, a paratrooper effigy still hangs from the tower as a memorial.
The effigy is actually on the wrong side of the steeple – it was moved to the side facing the square because it makes for a better view (and a better story) for visitors!
Trafalgar guests also visit the Airborne Museum, where the story of the paratroopers is brought to life through original artefacts, soundscapes and a walk-through replica of a C-47 aircraft.
4. The grave of the Van Gogh brothers, Auvers-sur-Oise
Vincent van Gogh spent his final 70 days in the village of Auvers-sur-Oise, producing roughly 80 paintings right before his death. Begin your artist’s walk at Auberge Ravoux, where he died, see the church he painted and walk through the fields he captured in his last works.
Most don’t know his grave is in the local cemetery, alongside his brother Theo who died six months after Vincent and was exhumed and moved from Utrecht years later to lie beside him. The two simple headstones are perpetually covered in a thick blanket of ivy – a vine cutting taken from the garden of Dr. Gachet, the physician who treated Vincent in his final days.
5. Follow Joan of Arc’s martyrdom, Rouen
A giant modern cross in the Place du Vieux-Marché marks the exact spot where the 19-year-old ‘Maid of Orleans’ was burned at the stake in 1431. You can also visit the Tower of Joan of Arc, a 13th-century tower that was once part of the Rouen’s medieval castle.
But the extra hidden historic layer is found just a few blocks away at the Historial Jeanne d’Arc. Located inside the Archbishop’s Palace, this is the very historical site in France where her two trials took place. The first that condemned her and the second, 25 years later, that finally exonerated her long after her death.
6. The “Heart of a Lion” at Rouen Cathedral
While the orientation tour covers the gothic facade, go deeper to find the tomb of Richard the Lionheart inside the Rouen Cathedral. What most people don’t realize that Richard’s heart – like, literally just his heart – is buried inside the tomb, but his body is elsewhere. Yep, it’s an odd historical detail that connects the English Crown to the French soil!
TAKE THE TOUR: Seine River Cruise
Book your Seine River Cruise with Trafalgar now and discover these historical sites in France for yourself.