Cresseveuille is a small village of nearly 300 souls, just a quarter of an hour from the Flowered coast and 5 minutes from Dozulé. Like many towns in the intercommunality Normandy Cabourg Pays d'Auge, you have to dare to go there and travel its small country roads to soak up the atmosphere of Auger. Nothing suggested that Cresseveuille would become the resting place of the Gainsbourg family, and yet, you just have to let yourself go to stroll around to glimpse its points of interest and discover crisp anecdotes.
Cresseveuille: the haven of peace of Birkin and Gainsbourg
Cresseveuille is peaceful and you will surely appreciate its peace and quiet. This is undoubtedly the reason why Jane Birkin set his sights, in the 1970s, on the old presbytery of Cresseveuille. For 15 years, she came to recharge her batteries in her Norman country house, surrounded by Serge Gainsbourg and his 2 daughters, Kate and Charlotte.
La Pays d'Auge countryside reminded her of her native land, even if she declared that she found the area “more beautiful than England and Scotland with this greenery, these hedges, these round and soothing landscapes.
The inhabitants of Cresseveuille remember images of the famous couple and maintain this memory, discreetly, like their passage.
Nature and hiking in Cresseveuille
Did you know ? Cresseveuille bears a name of Scandinavian origin, as many Norman towns, which means the watercress river. This is perhaps one of the reasons why it is nicknamed the "village of a thousand streams". In reality, it has a little less than that... But it is still bordered by several rivers: the Ancre, the Caudemuche, Douet-Champion, Vaudeuil and Fontaine Gautier.
If you like the nature and hikes, Cresseveuille is a good choice for a quiet stroll, in the hilly landscapes of the Pays d'Auge and far from the bustle of seaside resorts on the coast. You can also go there by car, on the way leading to the Cider Route.
Coming from Dozulé, on the road to Vendeuil, a panel and a white line on the ground indicate the passage of the Greenwich Mean Time, whose existence is recalled in August by the La Méridienne running race.
Continuing on your way, you may come across the 5-hectare field which each year hosts La Gitane, Jazz-Guitare au Pré, a gypsy jazz festival, who puts down his suitcases between Cabourg and Cresseveuille.
A few meters further, you arrive in front of the tiny town hall of Cresseville. Go past the useless road, and continue to wash from the village, more than 2 km away.
Below the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption of the XVIIe century, a panel indicates the route of the hike “From mounds to valleys”. This walk will take you 124 meters above sea level, between valleys and streams. It offers beautiful views of the Aubergine countryside, dotted with typical half-timbered farmhouses. It takes 2h30 to complete the 9,5 km loop. One of the most beautiful sections is undoubtedly the Caudemuche Valley, which follows the route of the GR Tour of the Pays d'Auge.
Good local products from Cresseveuille
It is on this rural road that you can take a break from cavelande farm to taste a glass of cider, certified organic since 2021.
François-Xavier, the cider house producer, will explain its history to you. He is the 7e generation to manage this family farm, which is over 100 years old. He will also tell you about this rich "terroir" with green meadows and hillsides planted with apple trees high stems, sufficiently high and spaced to allow the cows to graze there quietly. You too will surely let yourself be seized by this typical atmosphere of the Pays d'Auge.
