Does anyone know what this Chateau is famous for?

We went back and stopped in Les Andelys today to take a morning hike. Some may know it best since it was the first expedition in balloon from France to England.

Others may know the village for not only it’s amazing bakery, but also for this special St. Savior church built for someone famous.

The first clue is the very rare lions heads at the top of the columns in the church.

It was pretty cool to see a lot of the similar historical homes just like we see all across Normandie like in Honfleur.

But the best part is the great hike you can take up to a famous landmark.

It is not too strenuous and the trails are fairly easy to navigate. It does change weather frequently so we recommend taking a light jacket as the winds can pick up across the Seine.

Anyone figure it out yet? It is the conquered castle and fortress of Richard the Lionheart. This is a view of the giant dry moat and some of the remaining defense wall.

It was believed that 400 people could live in the outer alcoves that were carved under the outer wall,

and they could store food for a full year to outlast any attackers that tried to starve out the inhabitants to get them to surrender,

The legend says that the attackers got into the fortress through the stained glass windows of the chapel area of the overall castle.

It is a great 2 hour morning hike for those that like to adventure in Normandie France!