Eu is situated at the junction of the RD 1015, theRD 925, the RD 940 and the RD 1314 roads, in the steep-sided valley of the riverBresle, whose mouth is 4 km (2.5 mi) away to the north-west inLe Tréport.Eu station has rail connections to Beauvais and Le Tréport.
The name of the commune is related to that of the river on which it stands. Before being called theBresle, this small river was known in the Middle Ages under the name ofOu, which then becameEu.
In 1050, William, Duke of Normandy, the futureWilliam the Conqueror and king of England, married Matilda, the daughter of the Count ofFlanders, at the chapel of the castle in Eu. The chapel is the only part of this castle which still stands today.
In 1180,Laurence O'Toole, the archbishop ofDublin andpapal legate, fell ill at Eu on his way to meet KingHenry II of England. He died there. He was beatified in 1186 and canonised in 1225 as St Laurence, becoming the patron saint of the town. Thecollegiate church was named for the Virgin Mary and for him,Notre-Dame et Saint-Laurent, and still holds some of his preservedrelics. In the 12th century, KingRichard I of England, who was alsoDuke of Normandy, built the city walls.
In 1430,Joan of Arc as a prisoner of the English spent a night there, during her journey toRouen.
The county remained an independent fief of the French crown until 1472, when it was inherited byJohn II, Count of Nevers. In 1477 it was incorporated into theBurgundian territories ofCharles the Bold. However, later that year Charles was killed in battle; KingLouis XI took the opportunity to seize Charles' French fiefs, including Eu, and incorporated them in theFrench royal domain.
It is mainly known for its exotic garden: thejardin jungle, its nearby national forest, theEu Forest, the Renaissance styleChâteau d'Eu and its college.
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