Normandy

Normandy brings a dozen different images to mind: William the Conqueror, the D-Day landings, Mont-St-Michel; the bleak landscape of the Cotentin coast, the sparkling summertime playground of the Côte Fleurie; sumptuous châteaux, historic abbeys, famous gardens; the orchards of the Auge, the picture-postcard scenery of the Suisse Normande; Monet’s home at Giverny, the Cabourg immortalized by Proust – or perhaps it’s cider, calvados and camembert.

Whatever your list, it will barely scratch the surface of this rich and rewarding region.

Top 10 Must-See Sights

1. Mont-St-Michel
Now iconic in its fame, this solitary rock dominated by its monumental abbey became a place of pilgrimage when St Aubert built an oratory here over 1,000 years ago.

2. Bayeux Tapestry
Unique historical document; astonishing work of art. The Tapestry tells the story of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

3. Honfleur
A magnet for artists today as it has been since the 19th century, this picturesque maritime town was also an important centre of trade.

4. Abbaye de Jumièges
These magnificent, eerie ruins – a subtle blend of Romanesque and Gothic architecture – are the remains of the Benedictine abbey founded by St Philibert in the 7th century.

5. Cathédrale Notre-Dame, Rouen
It took nearly 400 years to build this splendid monument to the Gothic style, from the beautifully harmonious nave to the ornately carved west front.

6. Caen
Old and new happily cohabit in this lively, cultured regional capital, still dominated by William the Conqueror’s Château Ducal and his two great abbeys.

7. Deauville and La Côte Fleurie
The string of resorts on this lovely stretch of Normandy’s coastline creates a summer paradise. Racy and romantic, Deauville is a magnet for glamorous visitors.

8. D-Day Beaches
The Allied landings of June 1944 and the Battle of Normandy that followed are movingly commemorated in museums, memorials and cemeteries throughout the area.

9. Pays d’Auge
Quintessential Normandy, famous for its cider, its cheese, its gently rolling landscape, its orchards, and its half-timbered manor houses.

10. Fondation Claude Monet, Giverny
The house where Monet lived and worked for more than 40 years, and the stunning garden he created using flowers as his palette are a tribute to the great painter.

Discover more to see and do in Normandy at www.traveldk.com/normandy.

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