Arriving at Vernon, Pont Clémenceau takes you into the town centre. From the bridge can be seen the piles of the original 12th century bridge and the Vieux Moulin (old mill) built on them.
The town was created in the 9th century by Rollo, first Duke of Normandy, and became French when Phillippe Auguste invaded Richard's kingdom around 300 years later. The keep of the castle (Tour des Archives) built by him is accessible by a spiral staircase which leads to the former ramparts with fine views over the town.
The company responsible for manufacturing the engines for the Ariane space rocket is based here along with other high-tech industries.
There is a nice Youth Hostel on the way out of town (towards Paris) on the left (28 Avenue de l'Île de France).
