Pleasures of yesterday and today
Bernay, one of the rare towns in France to have entire streets with traditional timber frame houses, offers a miraculously preserved image of what Norman towns once were. Here, historical buildings (museum, abbey…) intermingle with modern pleasures: cafés with inviting terraces, boutiques and stalls, a Norman market on Saturday mornings…Bernay is also a town to discover along the riverbanks of the Charentonne. And why not let yourself guided by the river, towards Broglie, for a delicious walk or ride among the cool undergrowth of the nature trail the "Voie Verte" ?
Did you know?
Edith Piaf, the famous singer, spent a good part of her childhood in Bernay. In fact, when she was 18 months old her father put her in the good care of his own mother who ran… a brothel. Here she lived until she was 7 surrounded by the affection of her grandmother and of the tenants. These same residents also took her on a pilgrimage to the tomb of Saint Thérèse in the hope (granted!) of curing a sight problem.
