Château Gaillard is one of the most dramatically sited medieval ruins in northern France. Richard the Lionheart — then Duke of Normandy as well as King of England — built this fortress on a chalk promontory above the Seine in 1196, intending it as an impregnable barrier to French expansion toward Rouen. He is said to have boasted that he could hold it even if its walls were made of butter.
The approach on foot from Petit-Andely takes about twenty minutes up a steep path. At the top, the ruined curtain walls and cylindrical keep stand against the sky, and the view over the Seine and the surrounding loops of the river is exceptional — one of the finest panoramas in Normandy. The interior ruins are freely accessible and atmospheric. Guided tours are available in summer from the Les Andelys tourist office.