Sienne, River in Normandy, France
The Sienne is a small river in Normandy, France, rising in the forest of Saint-Sever in the Calvados and flowing roughly 76 kilometers before reaching the bay of Regnéville-sur-Mer. Along its course northwest, it passes through several villages and near towns such as Villedieu-les-Poêles and Gavray.
The river appears in medieval texts under various Latin forms, pointing to a long history of settlement along its banks. Abbeys such as Hambye, standing on its banks since the 12th century, show how early communities shaped their lives around this waterway.
The name Sienne is very old and appears in medieval documents in different written forms. Some researchers trace it to a Gaulish word meaning 'venerable' or 'sacred', suggesting the river once held a special place in the local landscape.
Footpaths run along much of the Sienne, allowing you to follow the river through fields, woodland and past old stone bridges. The area near the mouth can be affected by tides, so it is worth checking conditions before heading out toward the estuary.
The estuary of the Sienne is one of the few places in Normandy where the Brent goose, which travels each year from Greenland or Iceland, regularly spends the winter. At low tide, sheep often graze on the wet salt meadows around the bay, giving the area a very particular look.
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