REPORTAGE
Its 190 kilometers of stroll on the Alabaster coast, between Le Havre and Le Tréport, are acclaimed by walkers. The GR21 has been voted the favorite hiking trail of the French, in a competition organized as every year by the French Federation of hiking, and succeeds the GR31 of Reunion. Europe 1, went on a portion of this path, near Etretat, and met there particular Patrice and Liliane, a couple of pensioners Burgundy charm.
The couple traveled 545 kilometers by car to be able to come and browse some more, on foot, on the Normandy coast. For both retirees, the landscapes visible during the hike are a major asset of the course. "There, we see beautiful cliffs in the sun, with the beach at the bottom", marvels Patrice at the microphone of Europe 1, while Liliane boasts "a phenomenal peak", as well as the "white color of limestone that stands out with the light, and the color of the sea and the sky ". "It's beautiful," she rejoices.
The town hall of Etretat wants to better protect its coastline
This splendid panorama, Cyriaque Lethuillier, nature guide in the region, observes every day, whether "in the rain, in the rising sun, in calm and foggy weather" or "by storm with waves". According to him, the GR21, by the sensations it provides, is the most beautiful hike in the world.
"You feel both a giant, because you are above the cliff, and all of a sudden, you are in the hollow of a valiant on a beach, at the foot of this cliff, and you feel very small ", he describes, recounting the" feelings of freedom, tranquility and tranquility "provided by the hike.
The town hall of Etretat counts on this title of favorite hike of the French to obtain a Label which will allow him to better protect the littoral, damaged by more than a million tourists each year.