Travel Guide Louviers

Built on the banks of the Eure River in the 13th century, Louviers was a cloth-making town with nearly a thousand master clothmakers! Taken by the English during the Hundred Years' War, the town was liberated in 1440 by its own inhabitants. They were rewarded with privileges granted by Charles VII. The cloth industry flourished, specializing in the manufacture of fine sheets. Industrialization gave the industry a new lease of life: the town saw the birth of the first mechanical wool spinning mill, and began producing textiles for the army, flannel underwear and sheets. Today, the town retains its fine half-timbered houses in rue Terneaux, rue des Grands-Carreaux and rue du Polhomet, despite the damage suffered during the 1940 bombings. As for the good smell of chocolate that regularly wafts over the town, we owe it to the Barry Callebaut chocolate factory, located in the commune. Unfortunately, this fragrant chocolate factory is not open to the public. More than 10% of the world's cocoa bean production is roasted here, before being shipped off either to artisan chocolatiers or to global agribusiness groups. The town continues to attract visitors, curious to discover the typical Norman charm of the former cloth-making town. Crossed by some twenty rivers and waterways, it offers picturesque walks that are a must for anyone wishing to see the mill, Bigard's garden, Villa Caldéron and many other monuments...