Forges-les-Eaux

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Forges-les-Eaux is a small town (a commune) in the Seine-Maritime department in Normandy, northern France. It is known as a farming and spa town, situated on the Andelle and Epte rivers in the Pays de Bray. The town lies about 55 km southeast of Dieppe at the crossroads of the D915, D921, D1314 and D919 roads.

History
The town was known as De Forgis in 1186. Its name comes from its historic role as a center for ironworking in Roman times, and later the area became famous for its thermal waters. The spa industry grew after a royal visit in 1632 by Louis XIII, Anne of Austria, and Cardinal Richelieu, which helped develop parks, gardens and three lakes that remain today. The waters attracted many notable visitors, and scholars like Pierre Cressé (1657) and Gilles-François Boulduc studied their composition. A large pottery factory operated from 1797 to the late 19th century. The casino, built in the 19th century, burned in 1896 and was rebuilt and reopened in 1902. In 1906, France’s first butter conventions were held here. The town’s railway connects to Gisors and Dieppe, and a TER service continues to operate in the area. The film Poulet au vinaigre (1985) was shot in Forges-les-Eaux.

Population
The population has fluctuated over the years. It was around 3,358 in 1968, rose to about 3,988 by 2007–2012, and was 3,642 in 2023.

Places of interest
- The nineteenth-century church of St. Eloi
- A seventeenth-century Carmelite convent
- A feudal motte (motte-and-bailey)
- The casino
- The château de la Minière
- Three museums
- A 45-kilometer paved bicycle path along a former rail line to Dieppe

Notable people
- Jean Le Chapelier, a French politician, lived in Forges-les-Eaux.

Twin towns
- Battice, Belgium
- Heathfield, East Sussex, England
- Wennigsen, Lower Saxony, Germany

See also
- Communes of the Seine-Maritime department