The city of Vernon lies along the banks of the Seine River in the Haute-Normandie region of northern France, around 65 kilometers southeast of Rouen and 100 kilometers northeast of Paris. Settled since the 10th century BCE, today it is a popular stop for tourists traveling through the region by rented car.

While visiting Vernon, be sure to stop at the 11th century church of Notre Dame, which boasts an impressive, Gothic-style rose window on the western façade. Also of note, the 12th century ruins of Vernon castle are magnificent to behold, while the 16th century mill was once the subject of Claude Monet. In fact, the artist’s Giverny-area house and gardens are only 10 kilometers away and open to the public from April to November. In addition, the Tourelles castle dates back to the Middle Ages and was designed as a stronghold to protect the town of Vernon.