From Le Pollet (the fishing district) to the charming Puys Beach, by way of amazing vistas by Notre-Dame de Bonsecours Chapel, discover a different facet of Dieppe.
This walk through Dieppe includes a visit to the Pollet District, one of Dieppe’s most authentic areas, traditionally known as the “fishing district”. The trail then continues along the cliff, following the coastal trail to the charming beach in Puys. This walking trail supplements the tour of Dieppe offered by Trail No. 1. The route however is a little more difficult.
Points of interest
Points of interest
Points of interest
1Dieppe-Normandy Tourist Office
Located at a former marine terminal, the Tourist Office shares its premises with the Port of Dieppe and Cercle de la Voile de Dieppe. There, you can find all of the documentation about the region, as well as other hiking routes to do in the area.
2Pont Ango bridge
The Pont Ango, or “Fishmongers’ Bridge”, was built in 1881 and then destroyed in 1944, before being rebuilt in 1950 in the form of a vertical-lift bridge.
3Pont Colbert bridge
In operation since 1889, the 70 metres long Pont Colbert is the last and biggest swing bridge in Europe that is still in use in its original configuration. A contemporary of the Eiffel Tower, it was built using the same methods but by a rival company, the Société de Ponts et Travaux en Fer. It was designed by Paul Alexandre, the chief engineer at the CGPC (Civil Engineering General Council), to fit into the urban landscape.
It takes just 95 seconds to life its 800 tonne weight. An iconic landmark in the town, it has been a listed Historic Monument since 2020.
4Le Pollet district
This area has been a fishing district since the Middle Ages. Spared by the fire that ravaged the town in 1694, Le Pollet is home to modest homes made of flint arranged along narrow, winding streets. The district has been deeply marked by the industrialization of the port and, beginning in 1880, by a man-made channel leading to the commercial docks and dividing the port in two. Le Pollet is now the centre of a modernization programme encompassing the construction and renovation of port facilities.
5 Notre-Dame de Bonsecours Chapel
Sitting atop the cliff to the east of town, Notre-Dame de Bonsecours Chapel was built in 1876. Initially a place of pilgrimage, it later became a place dedicated to the memory of sailors lost at sea. The brick chapel’s façade faces west, with a belfry framed by two turrets topped with little conical-roofed bell towers. This contrasts with the lighter aspect of the nave and apse bristling with pointy gables. Inside, the church is bedecked with stained glass windows, statues and numerous votive offerings and commemorative plaques from families who come to reflect in private prayer and lay flowers in memory of sailors lost at sea.
6Puys Beach
Just to the east of Dieppe, you will find the lovely hamlet of Puys, with its look and feel of a small seaside town, that experienced its greatest moments back in the early days of sea bathing. Georges Sand and both Alexandre Dumas (father and son) stayed there for a time.
