In Pont-Audemer, the canals are an integral part of the life of the historic centre. Nestled between two arms of the river Risle, which flows into the Seine a little further down, the town was picked in the Middle Ages by the brotherhood of tanners who were to make its reputation. In order to be able to wash the skins quicker, the tanners built a whole network of canals close to the houses. Numerous wash houses even allowed them to work without leaving their homes. This is how the town's appearance became that of a small ‘Norman Venice’.