Open the book of La Licorne and enjoy a unique experience.
Four centuries of hospitality in the heart of one of France’s Most Beautiful Villages, a Michelin-starred restaurant, and one of Europe’s most beautiful beech forests right on the property’s doorstep.
“In cooking, everything is a matter of terroir, selflessness, and respect… Everything is a matter of balance: that of passion within a touch of reason…”
F. Levesque, foreword toSaveurs et Terroir en terres de Lyons-la-Forêt
Born in Normandy, Christophe Poirier is a proponent of simple, unpretentious cuisine: the interplay of flavors stems from the natural, subtle combination of local ingredients, and the precision of the cooking techniques is the crowning touch.
After serving as sous chef to Jean-Marc Boyer, a Michelin-starred chef in the Pays d'Oc region, he returned to Normandy in 2008 to help revive La Licorne Royale and Le Grand Cerf.
The restaurant has been in business since 1768. Its dining room—a veritable museum adorned with helmets, letters, and garments from the First Empire and the Tsarist court—combines culinary delights with visual pleasures.
Fifteen stops in the Lyons-la-Forêt region, each featuring a recipe from the chef. A forest, mills, abbeys, castles, and legends—all waiting to be discovered starting at La Licorne, then enjoyed at the table.
I shall die of too much desire,
If I find her inexorable;
I shall die of too much pleasure,
If I find her too favorable.Isaac de Benserade, a Child of Lyons (1612)
“The most beautiful beech forest in Europe,” as 20th-century guidebooks put it. Foresters have been patiently cultivating beech trees there since the 19th century; the finest oak trees, with their fine, even grain, are used to make barrels for fine wines.
Ravel stayed in this imposing Neo-Norman building, near the market hall, in the 1920s. There, he composed Tombeau de Couperin and orchestrated Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.
My chef's tip“Serve with sliced red radishes.”
Emmanuel Boivin, an engineer at the National Forests Office, brings to life three generations of forest guards: their patrols, their lodge houses with bread oven, cow, and farmyard.
Under the porch of Le Grand Cerf, a beech burl serves as the base for a work of art. Its sister remained in the forest: go in search of the beech tree marked 'Dieu le Père', and don't forget to embrace its trunk.
My chef's tip“Can be garnished with small plain dry croutons.”
Property of the King of France in the 14th century, the three mills powered Mayor Louis Goutan's printed cotton factory, then produced public lighting for all of Lyons, well ahead of many French towns.
My chef's tip“Whip 1 dl of seasoned liquid cream, add chopped chives and a few saffron threads. Place a quenelle of cream in the center of the plate.”
Founded at the pressing request of the residents of Lyons in 1622, the convent became national property in 1793, then Louis Goutan's printed cotton factory.
Born in Lyons on October 15, 1612, poet, courtier and wit, he was the protégé of Louis XIV, Mazarin and Richelieu, for whom he composed a witty epitaph.
Built in the early 12th century on the foundations of a Gallo-Roman temple, it features a checkered façade of sandstone and flint, along with a 16th-century Education of the Virgin.
Its first abbess was blessed in 1253. Having become national property, the abbey gave way to a cotton spinning mill; the Marquis de Radepont turned it into “romantic ruins” for his park.
Born in Lyons in 1531, this monk of Mortemer Abbey published in 1579 La Nouvelle Fabrique des excellents traits de vérité: 99 tales in the vein of Rabelais.
My chef's tip“Serve well chilled, accompanied by rose petal ice cream.”
Castle and dovecote listed as Historic Monuments. Jules Michelet stayed and wrote here; an art center presents over fifty sculptures and exhibitions from April to November.
A 1.5-kilometer avenue, lined with a double row of linden and plane trees, leads to the pink-brick castle built by Michel Sublet.
My chef's tip“Do not whip the egg whites too firm, as is done too often: this leaves them with the reserves of strength necessary for the perfect rise of the soufflé.”
The Rouen shipowner Jacques Le Pelletier built this four-towered brick castle; since 1961 it has housed a museum of Normandy arts and traditions.
My chef's tip“From an aesthetic point of view, you can sprinkle strawberry pieces lengthways over each pear.”
According to legend, single women who come here to read the prayer and leave a small token find their soulmate within a year. It is said that none have ever disputed the outcome.
My chef's tip“Serve with a spoonful of double cream, for a contrast of flavor, temperature, and texture.”
Rebuilt by the Duke of Penthièvre after the great fire: three aisles of nine posts, eight bays, a roof of small local flat tiles. It still sets the rhythm for market days.
My chef's tip“Above all, keep your vegetables crunchy for maximum freshness. Add a dash of olive oil and a touch of fleur de sel.”
Notarial archives and the land register of 1678 make it possible to trace the house since the Ancien Régime: innkeepers, postmasters, illustrious travelers. A beautiful Louis XIII staircase still bears witness to its beginnings.
After the near-total destruction of Lyons in 1590 and 1591, during the war between Henry IV and the Leaguers, the village was reborn. The 'Cheval Blanc' inn opened around 1610 in the heart of the small town, built no doubt by the Benserade family, masters of waters and forests.
A notarial act of 1669 names the first hotelier, Pierre Richard. The land register of 1678 describes the house of Jean Lapostre, hotelier, 'with the courtyard sitting on the main square of this place commonly called the Licorne'.
In 1730, Philippe Le Tailleur ran the 'Licorne Couronnée'. In 1768, François Labour took over the house, which became 'La Licorne Royale', as remembered by the inscription painted above the fireplace. In 1789, he became its full owner.
The Duchess of Berry launched the trend of sea bathing in Dieppe: La Licorne became the stopover for Parisian families. Henri Labour was mayor of Lyons from 1815 to 1821. The Lieubray family took over the house and received the Postmaster's patent in 1855.
The staff of the francs-tireurs lodged at La Licorne. The Duke of Chartres, grandson of King Louis-Philippe, stayed there under the name of Robert Le Fort.
In June 1913, Lyons hosted the international forestry congress: La Licorne welcomed delegates from Denmark, Japan, and Argentina. On April 16, 1921, the inauguration banquet for the war memorial was held there.
After World War II, the façade was entirely redone. In 2005, the establishment recovered its traditional sign, 'La Licorne Royale'. The rooms were redesigned starting in 2007 with the decoration house Flamant, and chef Christophe Poirier crowned the table with a Michelin star in 2014.
“The roses tumble like cascades, so many roses that the air is scented like a pretty woman's boudoir.”La Dépêche de Rouen, “Among the roses of Lyons-la-Forêt”, regarding the gardens of La Licorne
Can one speak of the Pays de Lyons without starting with its forest? Nearly 11,000 hectares of beech trees, one of the most beautiful beech forests in Europe, often said to be the most remarkable in France.
Primitive brush or cathedral forests, moors, valleys and dales dotted with hamlets: the forest here is a world where man feels both protector and protected. It is what, century after century, attracted monks, dukes and kings, and it is around it that the history of this small land was written, far more glorious than its discretion lets on.
No fewer than one hundred and twenty royal stays were recorded in the Pays de Lyons between 935 and 1337.
A Roman road likely connected Rouen to Beauvais, passing through Lyons, Lilly, Morgny, and Bézu. Lilly (Lilliacum), Fleury, Morgny and Lyons bear names of Gallo-Roman origin, and the soil has yielded tiles, sarcophagi, columns, bas-reliefs and coins, from Nero to Trajan. In Lyons itself, in the Bout-de-Bas district, Dr. Marc-Adrien Dollfus uncovered a Gallo-Roman theater built into the hillside, active until the 3rd century.
Heir to imperial laws, the forest remained state-owned: a timber and hunting reserve, it would remain so throughout its history. Clotaire II and Dagobert, who resided in Étrépagny, undoubtedly hunted there. Charles the Bald and Carloman II resided in a palace calledBasiu, located in Bézu, at the current manor of La Fontaine-du-Houx. According to the chronicle of Saint-Bertin, Carloman was mortally wounded there while hunting in 884, in the forest of Bézu, the former name of the Lyons forest.
In 911, the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo gave birth to the Duchy of Normandy. His son William Longsword, very attached to this forest located about thirty kilometers from Rouen, had a vast residence built in 935 in Saint-Denis-en-Lyons, above the Lieure river.
William the Conqueror signed a charter there in 1050. A few years before Hastings, in 1060, he ordered the construction of a fortress in Lyons, a strategic post a few leagues from the border between the Kingdom of France and the Duchy. His son Henry I Beauclerc completed it; the foundations of its imposing keep have been discovered.
Henry I remains the major figure of Lyons. The chronicle relates that after a meal of lampreys, a fish highly prized in the Middle Ages, he suffered violent pains and died at his castle in Lyons on December 1, 1135. In 1163, his grandson Henry II Plantagenet and Empress Matilda financed the nave of Mortemer Abbey church. Richard the Lionheart chose Guillaume, Abbot of Mortemer, as his confessor, and Étienne de Longchamps, companion of the Third Crusade, governor of Acre and later provost of Lyons upon his return, as his close knight.
Around 1134, a few monks from a priory in Beaumont-le-Perreux, inspired by the life of three hermits settled near a pond then called 'muddy', founded Mortemer Abbey in the Fouille-Broc valley, with the blessing of the Archbishop of Rouen and Henry I. In the heart of the forest, Mortemer is one of the founding acts of the Pays de Lyons.
Clearing the land also meant building barns in the clearings, where peasant families came to settle. Thus were born Beauficel, a barren moor that became a village with its church within a century, or Bosquentin, a hermitage turned into a vast agricultural estate. Saint-Denis Abbey founded Fleury-la-Forêt, Lilly and Morgny, the 'three towns of Saint-Denis'; Les Hogues grew from the abbey of L'Isle-Dieu.
The castle of Lyons commanded the forts of the Andelle valley, Vascœuil or Pont-Saint-Pierre. Philip Augustus captured it twice, in 1193 and on July 1, 1202. Lyons then lost its military role, but kings turned it into a resort and hunting destination: Saint Louis came at least four times and founded a leper house in Lilly; Philip the Fair, an avid hunter and horse lover, stayed there forty-seven times during his twenty-nine-year reign.
Charles VII and Agnès Sorel, the Lady of Beauty, stayed at the manor of La Fontaine-du-Houx. However, it was not until 1450 and the Constable of Richemont's victory over the English at Formigny that the Pays de Lyons definitively became French and regained peace after the Hundred Years' War.
Ducal then royal power and the presence of abbeys left little room for major lordships: only those of Vascœuil, Rosay and Lisors are attested from the 11th and 12th centuries. The Le Portier family, guardians of Lyons Castle, gave the region one of its most famous sons: Enguerrand de Marigny, superintendent of finances under Philip the Fair, master of the whole south of the region and of Touffreville Castle, founder of the collegiate church of Écouis. Condemned and hanged at the gallows of Montfaucon, he was rehabilitated and buried in his collegiate church.
The 14th century saw the creation of the administration of waters and forests. In 1528, Francis I gave the viscounty of Lyons to the Duchess of Nemours. Charles IX fell in love with the forest and hunted there often, perhaps making La Fontaine-du-Houx his hunting lodge. Legend has it that he gave the four families of gentleman glassmakers of the forest—Caqueray, Bongars, Vaillant, and Martel—the names of his four favorite dogs.
Bailiwick, electoral seat, waters and forests administration: the presence of royal officers made Lyons the heart of a territory of nearly sixty parishes. Surrounding it lived woodcutters, clog makers, basket weavers, and charcoal burners; in town, councilors, magistrates, and gentleman glassmakers formed a rich and active bourgeoisie, building the handsome houses that today make Lyons one of France's Most Beautiful Villages.
Rallied to the League, the town suffered severely in 1590 against the troops of the future Henry IV, but recovered quickly: Cordeliers in 1624, Ursulines and Benedictines of Saint-Charles in 1630. It was in this reborn town that, around 1610, the inn opened that would become La Licorne. The poet Isaac de Benserade, born in Lyons, shone at the court of Louis XIV. In 1775, the county of Gisors, on which Lyons depended, passed to the Duke of Penthièvre, charitable and beloved by the population, who built the present market hall.
Becoming national property in 1789, the forest was subjected to looting, to the point that the gendarmerie had to be called. The 19th and 20th centuries patiently restored it into the magnificent woodland traversed today. The area, divided between the Eure and Seine-Inférieure departments, lost its abbeys, convents and officers: Lyons dropped from 1,740 to 740 inhabitants in a century. Spinning mills and glassworks did not last long, and the printed cloth factory installed by Louis Goutan in the former Cordeliers convent closed in 1848.
Away from the railway, the region kept its forest, light, and houses intact. They captivated Jules Michelet, Paul-Émile Pissarro, Jean Renoir, Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann, Maurice Ravel, Claude Chabrol, and many others who came seeking calm and beauty here.
In addition to its natural sites, the Pays de Lyons has many classified (MH) or registered (ISMH) historic monuments.
All rooms bear the name of a legendary local spot or a clearing in the Lyons beech forest: La Fontaine du Houx, Le Clos Caboche with its vintage bathtub facing the forest... Five spacious suites round out the property.
La Licorne spans the village square across several buildings. Renovated in partnership with the interior design brand Flamant, all rooms overlook the market hall or the inner garden, with the forest setting the backdrop.
The historic heart of the hotel: the half-timbered house opened around 1610, its Louis XIII period staircase, and its exposed-beam rooms situated between the market square and the garden. Four-poster beds, vintage parquet, standalone bathtubs set right in the room: each has its own distinct character.
On the other side of the courtyard, La Licorne's annex faces the town hall. More intimate, its rooms share the same feel: light walls, whitewashed beams, white linen, and garden views, just steps from reception, restaurant, and spa.
For groups or family travel, La Licorne offers family apartments accommodating up to six guests, featuring two bedrooms and a seating area.
A little further, at the foot of the feudal mound overlooking Lyons, theMaisons de la Licorneoffer three independent apartments with equipped kitchen, living room, and terrace, with a view of the forest. Guests live as if at home while enjoying full hotel services.
At the far end of La Licorne’s garden, the spa’s pool is sheltered by a wooden roof structure that opens onto the greenery. Further on, a treehouse perched among the trees is the setting for couples’ treatments.
Tucked away in a historic Norman farmhouse, the NUXE Spa at La Licorne et du Grand Cerf offers 600 m² of wellness: four treatment rooms, a sauna, a steam room, and indoor and outdoor pools. It’s the perfect place to reconnect with your senses after a day of walking in the forest.
For massages, your NUXE practitioner invites you to choose the scent of your oil from among three iconic fragrances: Huile Prodigieuse®, Prodigieuse® Florale, or Prodigieuse® Néroli.
The stated durations refer to actual treatment time.
Révéler sa beauté : l'efficacité des soins NUXE et des gestes inspirés des meilleures techniques facialistes.
Un soin flash : masque innovant et modelage liftant pour un effet « bonne mine » immédiat.
Fermeté et éclat, avec le gommage aromatique signature « 4F » et des gestes sculptants inspirés du Kobido.
Soin anti-âge global : plus de dix techniques facialistes et le Gua Sha en quartz rose.
Slow, deep movements for a moment of pure relaxation.
Massages and scrubs with your choice of Huile Prodigieuse®.
Gestuelle enveloppante ; en 1 h 15, avec des pierres volcaniques chaudes.
Manœuvres profondes, étirements et pressions ciblées ; en 1 h 15, avec des bambous.
Techniques de pompage et de drainage, Gua Sha en quartz rose pour le soin long.
De longs mouvements amples et rythmés, inspirés du flux des vagues.
Le gommage aromatique « 4F » aux fleurs, feuilles, fruits et fibres.
From the 4th to the 8th month, with medical approval.
Composez votre rituel parmi les soins visage et corps. Les rituels se réalisent en une seule fois.
Une exclusivité de La Licorne : un voyage en apesanteur, à deux, dans une cabane de soins nichée dans un arbre. Un soin visage ou corps par personne.
Monday to Thursday, 10 am–1 pm and 2 pm–7 pm.
Vendredi, samedi et jours fériés, de 9 h à 13 h et de 14 h à 20 h.
02 30 96 09 67
spa@spanuxe.com
27 place Isaac Benserade, Lyons-la-Forêt
Please arrive 15 minutes before your treatment. Cancellations are free of charge up to 48 hours in advance. Treatments are available only to those 18 years of age or older. Gift certificates are valid for one year.
NUXE Spa La Licorne Treatment Menu, September 2026 edition. Prices are approximate and subject to change.
Près de 11 000 hectares de forêt domaniale enserrent le village « telle une couronne ». Ancienne chasse des ducs de Normandie et des rois, elle compte parmi les plus belles hêtraies d'Europe. Ses hêtres atteignent des hauteurs vertigineuses ; ses chênes au grain fin fournissent le merrain des fûts des grands vins.
Près de 10 700 hectares de forêt domaniale, où le hêtre règne en maître : des futaies dont les fûts montent jusqu'à 45 mètres, des clairières semées de villages, des vallons, des étangs et des sentiers par dizaines. On y entre à pied en sortant de La Licorne.
Autour du village s'étend la plus grande forêt de Normandie : près de 10 700 hectares de forêt domaniale, gérée par l'Office national des forêts, où dominent des hêtres en futaie dont les fûts montent jusqu'à 45 mètres.
Ancienne chasse des ducs de Normandie puis des rois de France, elle est aujourd'hui un immense terrain de promenade : sentiers balisés, arboretum, arbres remarquables, abbaye cistercienne, sorties nature au fil des saisons. Tout commence à la porte de La Licorne.
Carte schématique, positions indicatives. Pour randonner, la carte IGN TOP 25 n° 2111 OT couvre le massif.
Le hêtre est l'essence principale du massif, à 58 %. Le chêne sessile, le charme, le châtaignier et le merisier l'accompagnent, et quelques parcelles de résineux, comme les mélèzes, ponctuent les futaies. L'ONF favorise aujourd'hui le mélange des essences pour la biodiversité et la résistance au changement climatique.
La forêt n'est pas un bloc d'un seul tenant : c'est un massif découpé de grandes clairières, ouvertes par les défrichements médiévaux, où se nichent hameaux et villages. Un plateau entaillé de petits vallons, dont le plus large est celui de la Lieure, parcouru de routes forestières et d'allées cavalières.
Constituée à la fin de l'Antiquité, la forêt s'étendait autrefois jusqu'à Gisors. Ducs de Normandie et rois de France y ont chassé : Philippe le Bel y fit près de cinquante séjours. Les gentilshommes verriers ont longtemps puisé dans ses bois pour alimenter leurs fours, jusqu'au XIXe siècle.
Surexploitée et pillée à la Révolution, elle est replantée en hêtres par l'administration forestière à partir du XIXe siècle. Les futaies que l'on admire aujourd'hui sont le fruit de ce patient travail.
Quelques géants de la hêtraie, dont certains ont plus de trois siècles.
Signalé par un panneau en forêt, ce hêtre « vénérable » du secteur du Tronquay est l'un des plus imposants du massif : plus de cinq mètres de tour à hauteur d'homme selon les mesures récentes.
Un fût parfaitement droit qui jaillit vers le ciel, campé sur de puissants contreforts : ceux qui lui valent son surnom.
Planté sous Louis XV, le célèbre hêtre de la Bunodière, à Beauvoir-en-Lyons, a été abattu par sécurité en 2013, malade, à près de 280 ans. Son nom honore un forestier des Eaux et Forêts ; un successeur doit être désigné parmi ses voisins.
Les arbres remarquables se méritent : demandez leur emplacement à la réception ou à l'office de tourisme de Lyons-la-Forêt.
Ancienne pépinière forestière transformée en arboretum en 1981, le jardin des Bordins rassemble une centaine d'essences venues du monde entier sur plus de huit hectares, en deux collections : les arbres du monde et les peuplements forestiers. Chaque arbre est présenté par un panneau.
Dix-sept itinéraires balisés. Le sentier de la Fontaineresse (6,5 km) part du village ; celui du Fouillebroc (19,5 km, environ 5 h) passe par l'arboretum et l'abbaye de Mortemer.
Circuits balisés à travers clairières et vallons, et routes forestières tranquilles pour les vélos électriques.
Allées cavalières et centres équestres autour du massif, pour une balade à cheval sous les hêtres.
En septembre, sorties nocturnes avec un guide nature pour écouter la forêt la nuit et, avec un peu de chance, le brame. Réservation à l'office de tourisme.
En octobre et novembre, sorties avec un mycologue pour apprendre à reconnaître, cueillir et cuisiner les champignons.
Ruines cisterciennes au fond d'un vallon, étangs et légendes : la dame blanche, les moines fantômes, le lutin Goublin gardien d'un trésor.
Le square des Trois Moulins, au bord de la Lieure, ou les aires de l'arboretum.
Marcher lentement, respirer, écouter : la hêtraie se prête à la sylvothérapie. [guide partnership to be confirmed]
En période de chasse, certains secteurs peuvent être fermés : consultez le calendrier de l'ONF ou demandez à la réception avant de partir.
Book a nature getawaySources : Office national des forêts ; Office de tourisme Lyons Andelle ; Normandie Tourisme ; Les Plus Beaux Villages de France ; CNES Géoimage, « Lyons-la-Forêt et son environnement » ; DREAL Normandie, « Le Pays de Lyons » ; Krapo arboricole (arbres remarquables).
Classé parmi les Plus Beaux Villages de France, Lyons-la-Forêt fut le lieu de villégiature de Guillaume le Conquérant, de Saint Louis ou de Philippe le Bel. Maisons à pans de bois, façades de briques roses, ruelles fleuries : le village a traversé les siècles presque intact, autour de sa halle du XVIIIe siècle.
Ancien relais de poste face à la halle, Le Grand Cerf a été démonté et remonté pièce à pièce pour renaître en 2010. Ses treize chambres mêlent bois et tomettes de Normandie, et portent les noms de la forêt : Grisard, Saule tortueux…
Son Bistrot, cuisine ouverte à l'ancienne et larges baies sur la halle, sert une cuisine de terroir qui change au gré des saisons, avec le gibier en saison de chasse.
Au-delà de la beauté de lieux étonnamment préservés, le voyageur qui découvre Lyons-la-Forêt comprend vite qu'une histoire singulière explique le charme de ce bourg normand. Cité royale au Moyen Âge, Lyons le redevient sous Charles IX puis à la fin du règne de Louis XIV ; ses rues dessinent encore l'anneau du château disparu, où mourut Henri Ier Beauclerc. Quatorze étapes, à faire à pied au départ de La Licorne.
Plan redessiné d'après le dépliant de la balade historique ; positions indicatives. Cliquez sur un numéro pour lire l'étape.
1Au cœur de Lyons, attestée dès le XIVe siècle, une remarquable halle restaurée grâce au duc de Penthièvre, petit-fils de Louis XIV et dernier seigneur de Lyons. Elle abrite toujours le marché, trois fois par semaine (jeudi, samedi et dimanche).
2Isaac de Benserade, l'un des plus célèbres poètes de la cour de Louis XIV et librettiste de Lully, y naît en 1612. La maison appartient ensuite à un conseiller du roi. Remarquable façade de brique, pierre et pan de bois, grilles d'appui du XVIIIe siècle.
3En 1624, Louis XIII autorise la fondation d'un couvent de Cordeliers. Dès 1793, l'imposant bâtiment abrite des activités industrielles, jusqu'en 1850 une fabrique d'indiennes puis une verrerie. Le cloître et les vestiges de la chapelle sont encore visibles (visite à demander à l'office de tourisme).
4Entre 1910 et 1914, la grande maison du XVIIIe siècle devient une villa anglo-normande. Ami de la famille, Maurice Ravel y séjourne souvent entre 1911 et 1922 : dans le « Studio », il achève le Tombeau de Couperin (1917) et orchestre en 1922 les Tableaux d'une expositionby Mussorgsky.
5Inauguré en 1921, le monument aux morts de la Première Guerre mondiale est l'œuvre de l'architecte Pierre Patout, ami de Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann. Sur la colonne de brique, une sculpture de Maurice Lerouge représente Pallas.
6Dépendance d'un probable pavillon de chasse de Charles IX, partiellement réédifiée au XVIIIe siècle pour devenir la maréchaussée. La maison s'appuie sur les vestiges de la porte du Pavillon et des remparts de Lyons, devant lesquels un monument honore Henri Ier Beauclerc, mort à Lyons en 1135.
7Édifié sur les remparts de Lyons, ce bâtiment, probablement pavillon de chasse de Charles IX au XVIe siècle, devient ensuite un couvent de bénédictines. Sa façade sur la vallée conserve de beaux décors de pierre, silex et grès, avec des éléments sculptés.
8Le charmant jardin public traversé par la Lieure, près des anciens moulins et viviers royaux. Sur l'un des moulins subsiste la trace d'une roue de bois, et sur la margelle qui enjambe la rivière, un mystérieux lion de pierre.
9Cette maison de type rural appartint à l'aéronaute Charles Dollfus (1893–1981). Claude Chabrol en fait, dans son Madame Bovary(1991), the first home of its heroine.
10Demeure du peintre surréaliste André Masson de 1937 à 1941, période très féconde de son œuvre. Il y reçoit André Malraux, André Breton, Louis Aragon ou encore Jean-Louis Barrault.
11Exceptionnelle par son chœur à trois vaisseaux et par sa situation excentrée, emplacement de Lyons jusqu'au XIe siècle. Appareillage extérieur en damier de grès et de silex, belle porte latérale à arc du XIIe siècle.
12Icône du style Art déco, le décorateur Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann (1879–1933) demande à son ami l'architecte Pierre Patout (1879–1965) de lui construire une villa à Lyons, où il aime pêcher à la mouche. La maison devient le rendez-vous de nombreux artistes.
13Bâti en 1782, il a vu se dérouler les grandes heures de la cité. Au premier étage, l'ancienne salle du bailliage conserve une rare tenture fleurdelisée, une alcôve-chapelle et le mobilier de l'ancien tribunal royal, devenu Justice de paix en 1789. Un cachot rappelle la fonction première du bâtiment. La façade, réédifiée en 1865, porte les armoiries du duc de Penthièvre.
14Le célèbre peintre orientaliste américain Frederick Arthur Bridgman (1847–1928) s'installe à Lyons vers 1910 et s'y fait construire cette maison. Il repose dans le cimetière de Lyons.
Roi d'Angleterre et duc de Normandie, il meurt au château de Lyons d'une indigestion de lamproies, probablement pêchées dans le vivier royal. Lyons lui doit surtout un bourg fondé aux portes du château : de cette époque date le transfert autour de la halle du cœur de l'agglomération, d'abord établi près de l'église.
Le roi qui incarne pour la postérité la toute-puissance de l'État voue à la chasse une passion sans borne. Malgré Compiègne ou Orléans, le Pays de Lyons et ses 25 000 hectares de forêts, ses cinq résidences royales et son haras deviennent le premier domaine de chasse du royaume.
Issu d'une famille « lyonsaise » qui tient la porte du château royal, il s'impose à la fin du règne de Philippe le Bel comme une sorte de vice-roi. Victime d'un complot à la mort du roi, il est pendu au gibet de Montfaucon.
Le roi de France qui a le plus aimé « sa » forêt de Lyons. Il y vient chasser à chaque période de paix, fait construire non loin le château de Charleval et laisse le seul traité de vénerie écrit par un roi de France. Ronsard célèbre ses exploits cynégétiques.
Poète à la cour de Louis XIV et librettiste de Lully, il naît à Lyons. Beau et talentueux, sans fortune mais parent de Richelieu, il conquiert la cour, le roi et Mazarin par son esprit. Il entre à l'Académie française en 1674. La place de la halle porte son nom.
Petit-fils de Louis XIV et de Mme de Montespan, il devient seigneur de Lyons en 1775. Grand mécène, il est le bienfaiteur du village : en 1782, il fait reconstruire l'hôtel de ville et restaurer la halle.
Il séjourne souvent à Lyons entre 1911 et 1922, invité au Fresne par Mme Dreyfus, mère du compositeur Roland-Manuel. Il y termine le Tombeau de Couperin et y orchestre les Tableaux d'une exposition de Moussorgski.
Redécouvert grâce au train et à l'automobile, Lyons attire Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann, Louis Aragon, André Breton, Paul Léautaud, Julien Green, André Masson ou le peintre Frederick Arthur Bridgman. Et le cinéma, qui y retrouve le décor de Madame Bovary.
La Licorne and Le Grand Cerf face each other on either side of the hall: a reception room and two seminar rooms, less than 100 km from Paris. Here, time slows down, ideas take shape and teams come together.
The Grand Cerf Lounge, complete with a pool table and games, is reserved for groups. A gourmet dinner at La Licorne Royale is available as an optional extra.
Discover our range of seminarsIn one of the ‘Most Beautiful Villages of France’, nestled amongst one of Europe’s finest beech forests, La Licorne and Le Grand Cerf stand opposite each other on either side of the market hall. Two houses, four function rooms and 11,000 hectares of forest to bring your teams together.
Less than 100 km from Paris, without the stress of city life: a real change of scenery, perfect for concentration, motivation and team spirit. The great outdoors does the rest: conversations flow freely and ideas circulate.
Study day or residential seminar: meetings in a room with natural light, gourmet breaks, lunch at the Bistrot du Grand Cerf or La Licorne Royale, with or without accommodation.
Depending on the weather, a workshop session in a tent in the forest, followed by a break and a picnic lunch, then back to the hall. An approach that broadens perspectives and encourages open discussion.
Executive committee meetings, product launches, incentive events, gala evenings: we work with you to put together the programme, catering and activities, from the first break to the last drink.
Once the hunting grounds of the Dukes of Normandy, this beech forest forms canopies of light that change with the seasons. With its footpaths, arboretum, feudal mound and ponds, this is where we stage your key events, just a stone’s throw from the function rooms.
A working session in a tent deep in the forest, followed by a return to the classroom. The best way to break out of a rut.
A break or a picnic lunch in the woodland, in the middle of the working day.
In teams, with a map and compass in hand, through the beech forest. Team spirit guaranteed, with plenty of laughter thrown in.
A workshop to reconnect with nature, to slow down, take a breather and get off to a better start.
A walk to explore the Lyons Forest, its high-canopy forests, its ponds and its arboretum.
By e-bike or Twizzy, along forest tracks and towards the surrounding villages.
A barbecue on the feudal mound or in the arboretum, with the forest as a backdrop.
Tucked away in a tree in the garden, the Treehouse offers treatments for two. An experience that’s literally suspended in the air.
After meetings, it’s time for your body to take a break too. Located at Le Grand Cerf, the Nuxe Spa features a 70 m² indoor and outdoor swimming pool, a jacuzzi, a sauna, a hammam and a herbal tea room, as well as three treatment rooms and a balneotherapy room.
For teams: a ‘let go’ workshop at the spa, 45-minute treatments at a preferential rate, and access to the spa included in the All-Inclusive package.
Opposite the old courthouse and its dungeons, the Lounge du Grand Cerf is the communal lounge for both our houses: a cosy, retro-style venue with a pool table, games, a bar and a terrace overlooking the market hall, open for your group until midnight.
Deux restaurants, une même signature, celle du chef Christophe Poirier. Pour vos groupes : menus bistronomiques au Bistrot du Grand Cerf, barbecue sur la motte féodale ou dans l'arboretum, accords mets et vins, dîner de gala.
Le dîner à La Licorne Royale, une étoile Michelin, est proposé en option.
Salle équipée et Wi-Fi compris, proposition sur mesure.
Remises pour les réservations anticipées et les groupes. Dîner à La Licorne Royale en option. Transport en car organisé sur demande. Chaque proposition est établie sur mesure.
| Salle | Surface | Théâtre | Banquet | Cocktail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Le Grand Hêtre | 110 m² | 80 | 48 | 150 |
| L'Orangerie | 70 m² | 40 | 30 | 70 |
| La salle Benserade | 40 m² | 30 | 25 | 45 |
| Le Bureau | 20 m² | 10 | – | – |
Salles à la lumière du jour, écran plat HDMI, paperboards, Wi-Fi.[capacités à confirmer]
Chaque élément s'ajuste : programme, restauration, activités en forêt ou au spa, hébergement. Nous serions ravis de vous faire visiter nos maisons et de vous recevoir à déjeuner.
seminaire@hotel-licorne.com·02 32 48 24 24
Demander une propositionPlace Isaac Benserade, 27480 Lyons-la-Forêt, in Normandy, less than 100 km from Paris. The market hall, the narrow streets and the edge of the forest are just a stone’s throw from your room.
Yes. La Licorne Royale, the fine-dining restaurant at La Licorne, has held a Michelin star since 2014. The head chef is Christophe Poirier.
The inn opened around 1610 under the name ‘Cheval Blanc’. It was known as ‘La Licorne’ from the 17th century onwards, and then as ‘La Licorne Royale’ from 1768. Its owners were granted the title of Maître de Poste in 1855.
The Lyons Forest, the Trois Moulins, Fontaine-Guérard Abbey, the châteaux of Vascœuil, Heudicourt and Martainville, and the Chapel of Sainte-Catherine in Lisors. See ‘Le livre du chef’, Chapter I.
Yes. Les Maisons de la Licorne offers three family flats at the foot of the feudal mound, with views of the forest.
La réception est commune aux deux hôtels, face à la halle. De la Toussaint à Pâques, elle se tient à La Licorne, place Isaac Benserade.
Rooms are available from 3 pm and must be vacated by 11 am.
Yes, pets are allowed.[supplement to be confirmed]
To make a reservation for a table at La Licorne Royale, a treatment, or a seminar:02 32 48 24 24·contact@hotel-licorne.com
On either side of the market hall, in the heart of Lyons-la-Forêt: the communal reception area, the restaurants, the Nuxe Spa, and the seminar rooms—all just a few steps away from one another.
From All Saints' Day to Easter, the reception for both hotels is held at La Licorne.
