Normandy is located to the northeast of Paris, situated along the coast of France between Brittany and Picardy. Although the British presence in this region of France is no longer strong save for a few British-controlled Channel islands, the region was once ruled by the Normans and has been a part of France since “only” the 13th century.
A mostly agricultural region made up ofboacages—a patchwork of fields divided by high hedges, like you see from your airplane—much of the country’s dairy is produced here, cattle breeding is an important industry and cider is produced from the apples grown in the region. Fishing is another important industry.
Normandy is generally sub-divided into Haute-Normandie (Upper Normandy) and Basee-Normandie (Lower Normandy).
Things to do in Normandy
Visit the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial—In addition to being a major center of industry and agriculture in France, the beaches of Normandy were also where Allied troops landed on D-Day. There is a WWII American cemetery and memorial located in Colleville-sur-Mer that honors American soldiers who died in Europe during WWII. The cemetery is located on the cliff overlooking Omaha Beach (one of the main landing beaches of the Normandy Invasion).
Take a trip to Mont Saint Michel—This iconic village and monastery built on a islet, which becomes surrounded by water during especially high tides is one of the most visited attractions in France, and is located on the Normandy/Brittany border.
>>Read about how to get from Paris to Mont St-Michel.
Check out the Herring Festival in Dieppe—If you find yourself in Normandy in the late fall/early winter, head to this picturesque town on the Normandy coast for the herring festival.
Go to the beach—Normandy is home to several great beaches. While they may not be al that warm save for a few months in the summer, these beaches vary between wide and sandy and are distinguished by large cliffs dropping into the ocean.
>>Read about the Best Beaches in France
Enjoy the local food and drinks—Normandy is known for its abundance of seafood and is also where much of the country’s hard cider is produced. As a major beef and dairy producing region as well, the local cheese and beef dishes are excellent here. Basically, you can’t go wrong when chowing down anywhere in Normandy.
Regional Cuisine of Normandy
Normandy is largely characterized by its rolling countryside with dairy and cattle pastures and apple orchards.
Cheese—As a major dairy producing region in France, some popular Norman cheese include Camembert, Pont l’Eveque, Boursin and Petit Suisse and more. My two favorite Norman cheeses are camembert (a milder, creamier brie) and Pont l’Eveque (another popular cheese characterized by it’s creamy center, brie-like crust and known for its especially aromatic scent).
Cider—Normandy is one of thr few areas in France where not much wine is produced. Instead, hard cider is the main beverage produced in this region, made from the apples that grow in the region. Apple brandy is also popular in this area. A Kir Normande is a cocktail made from crème de cassis (a black currant liquor) topped with cider.
Seafood—Norman cuisine is also largely influenced by its proximity to the sea. Normandy is the primary region of oyster, scallop and mussel raising and cultivating in France.
Apples—The Norman countryside is dotted with apple orchards, and apples rae used extensively in the cooking here. Moules à la normande are mussels cooked with apples and cream. You’ll also see apple tarts and pastries, hard apple cider and liquors and apples appearing in many other recipes.
Pastries—Normandy is also known for its pastries. It’s the birthplaces of the brioche (a sweet egg bread). The region is also noted for its confections—apple sugar from Rouen, caramels from Isigny, mint chews from Bayeux andmarzipans from Le Havre.
Main Towns/Attractions in Normandy
Rouen—This is one of the main cities in Normandy and is also home to some interesting sites. Located near the center of town, visitors to Rouen will find Le Bouchon de Jeanne d’Arc (the place where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake), the magnificent cathedral painted by Monet as well as a series of quaint wooden buildings typical of Norman architecture. Rouen is also where famous French writer Corneille was born and lived.
Le Havre—Translated as “the harbour” in English, it is no wonder that this port city located at the mouth of the Seine River on La Manches (the English Channel) has always been the harbour for Paris and has served as a major port for goods coming to and from Paris via ocean-going vessles and barges. Le Havre is largely an industrial town, though as a major port city it is renowned for its shopping and great deals.
D-Day Beaches—Maybe you’re a history buff, maybe you had a relative participate in the D-Day invasion, but Normandy is home to the beaches Allied Troops landed on for the D-Day Operation on June 6, 1944. You can visit the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial at Omaha Beach.
Caen—This university town is not only home to one of the largest medieval castles in Europe (William the Conqueror’s castle), but it is also famous for the bars that stretch along Rue Saint Pierre.
Dieppe—This is actually the nearest beach to Paris, meaning that it is usually lively year-round, but especially in the summer. It is a cute town with typical Norman architecture set in a backdrop of white cliffs dropping into the ocean, a big sand beach and large harbor, which serves as an important fishing port.
>>Read more about Visiting Dieppe
Hornfleur—This is a small town surrounding a beautiful 17th century port, which still serves as an active and important fishing port and marina. Located just over the Pont de Normandie from Le Havre, Hornfleur has preserved many historic and traditional buildings and houses some interesting museums, churches and monuments. It is known as one of the prettiest places in Normandy.
Weather in Normandy
Normandy has a maritime climate with warm summers and mild winters that is remarkably similar to the weather where I currently live in the Pacific Northwest. Rain is a part of the climate all year round—with winter seeing more rain than summer. The ongoing rain isn’t enough to spoil a vacation most of the time and it does have a benefit— the nature is incredibly lush and green. Winter does see the occasional snow and frost as well, but the climate is generally fairly mild even in the winter months. Summers here are slightly warmer than in southern Britain with especially long days near the summer solstice.
>>Find out more about the weather in France
How to get to Normandy
By Train
Trains from Paris leave from Gare Saint Lazare and go to Rouen, Caen, Lisieux and Cherbourg. From these main destinations in Normandy you can get to other destinations, like Mont Saint Michel, Bayeux, Le Havre and Deauville.
By Car
From Paris, take the A14 North towards Rouen, then take the A13 towards Le Havre and Caen. Read about renting a car and driving in France.
By Ferry
Ferries to and from Britain and the Channel islands depart from various port cities in Normandy, including Dieppe. If you decide to take the ferry as part of your transportation when getting from London to Paris, most ferries dock in Calais.
Characterized by apple orchards, fresh cheeses, rolling green landscapes and dramatic seaside cliffs, Normandy is the region of France located to the northwest of Paris along the coast of the English Channel. Though once part of Britain (though it’s been firmly in French hands since the 13th century save for a few British channel islands off the coast), there remains a Norman influence here that gives the region a slightly different cultural feel than other parts of France.
Normandy is a mostly agricultural area made up of bocages—a patchworks of fields divided by high hedges. Normandy is also where much of the country’s dairy is produced. Cattle breeding, cider production and fishing are also important industries that help define this lush and beautiful region of France. With temperate weather year ’round (it’s rainy and chilly in the winter and relatively sunny and mild in the summer), Normandy is a great place to visit during almost any time of the year. From beaches to countryside, most will not regret making the trip to this region of France.
>>Read more about weather, regional cuisine and more in Normandy
1. Visit Mont Saint-Michel
The towering turrets of the abbey at Mont Saint-Michel are one of the most iconic images of France. The village and monastery is built on a rocky outcrop in the middle of a tidal flat and connected to the mainland by a causeway. Mont Saint-Michel is considered to be one of the wonders of the western world, and is one of France’s most visited attractions.
>>Read more about Visiting Mont Saint Michel andGetting from Paris to Mont Saint Michel. You may also be interested in checking out some photos of Mont Saint Michel!
History buff or not, a visit to the D-Day beaches is definitely worth your time if you find yourself on the coast. For those who had family fight WWII, the memorial honors American soldiers who died in Europe during WWII. It is located in Colleville-sur-Mer on a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach (one of the main landing beaches of the Normandy Invasion). I recommend taking a guided tour of the area to capture the full meaning, both past and present, of what many consider hallowed ground.
3. Check out Monet’s gardens in Giverny
You’d imagine that a painter most famous for his beautiful landscapes would probably surround himself with, well, beautiful landscapes. And that’s just what he did! Located just a 1 hr. by train from Paris (it is an easy day-trip from Paris), Monet’s house and gardens in Giverny are well worth a visit. You can see the water lilies that inspired the painter and stroll through the absolutely stunning gardens that were Monet’s muse for so many of his well-known prices of art work.
While Giverny can get rather packed with tourists in peak summer months, it is still well worth putting up with other curious travelers to check out these spectacular gardens.
>>Read more about Monet’s Garden at Giverny and if you are coming from the City of Light, Getting from Paris to Giverny
4. Soak up the art and architecture in Rouen
Rouen is a great place to be based for your other Norman adventures. With its stately spires soaring above the city, the beautiful Gothic cathedral at Rouen (a favorite subject of Monet, who did a series of painting of the cathedral) is enough in and of itself to warrant a visit to this Norman city. However, Rouen’s beautifully restored Medieval quarter is a living museum of Normandy-style architecture.
Rouen is also where Joan of Arc was tried for heresy and burned at the stake—and you can visit the very spot where the heroine met her demise.
>>Read more about the Cathedral at Rouen and the other impressive Cathedrals of France
5. Chow down on herring and/or scallops in Dieppe
Nestled among dramatic limestone cliffs on the English Channel (or La Manche as the French say), Dieppe is a busy port city of about 35,000 with a salty, authentic old harbor where fishermen unload their loads of fresh fish and famous scallops alongside gawking tourists and British day-trippers.
It’s just a quick ferry ride from Newhaven in the UK and the closest beach town to Paris. The big beaches, fresh seafood, annual herring festival and dramatic cliffs make it a worthwhile visit, especially for your foodies out there.
>>Read more about Visiting Dieppe and going to theHerring Festival in Dieppe
6. Visit the old port in Honfleur
The top getaway spot for many Parisians, Honfleur is a small city (pop. 8300) with a charming and attractive port. The heart of Honfleur centers around the old port, or Vieux Bassin, where you’ll find humble fishing boats alongside super-modern yachts. Once the launching point for explorers headed across the Atlantic (many settlers in Québec left from this port), Honfleur has a rich cultural history and is full of brightly colored buildings and grand Norman-style wooden houses that hug the old port—a stark contrast to the modern, industrial port of Le Havre just across the Seine.
7. Sip your way along the Cider Route
Normandy is famous for its abundance of apple orchards and cider making, so no trip to the region would be complete without indulging in some of the local beverages. There is a clearly signed route called the “Route du Cidre” (complete with apples marking the signs!) that is about 40 km long and passes by the producers of cider in the region. Following the Route du Cidre will not only allow you to sample the local ciders, but you’ll also be able see and explore some of Normandy’s small, quaint villages—a must-do when in Normandy.
The route starts 35 km east of Caen in Camembert and goes through many small villages, where you can stop along the way and sample different ciders. You’ll also be able to try Calvados (an apple brandy form Normandy) and Pommeau (a traditional Normandy apéritif).
8. Check out the Bayeux Tapestry
Bayeux receives millions of visitors each year who flock to this small Norman city to check out the immense embroidered cloth (it’s not technically a taspestry) known to the French as La Tapisserie de la Reine Mathilde. The 230-foot long taspestry is one of the largest and most detailed in the world, and the painstaking embroidery tells the story of the events leading up to the Norman invasion in 1066.
While the tapestry itself will probably only be of minor interest to most, Bayeux is actually a great town to explore after you’ve made the obligatory stop to check out this piece of historical signifigance. The first town liberated after D-Day and one of the few towns in the region to survive WWII rather unscathed, Bayeux has narrow streets crammed with wooden-framed Norman houses and has its very own Gothic cathedral.
9. Eat moules marinière in Trouville
Mussels have long been one of the favorite dishes of France, and Normandy has some of the best mussels in the world. What better place to enjoy moules marinière – a delicious dish made of mussels simmered in a shallot and white wine sauce – than in one of the true gems of Normandy. Unlike Deauville, its flashy sister city across the river that is sometimes called the Monaco of Normandy and packed with designer boutiques and 5-star hotels, Trouville is a charming town with an active working fishing port. This means that not only will you be able to soak up local culture and be able to afford Trouville, but you’ll also primely situated to enjoy the freshest seafood.
10. Tour the President Cheese Farm
Any country with over 300 types of cheese will always remain in my heart. It is no wonder that in a region chock-full of cows, Normandy is also famous for its cheeses. Most famous of all is Camembert (which, not surprisingly, comes from the village of Camembert), a creamy, mild brie-like cheese. If you are interested in seeing how the cheese is made, you can visit the President farm (the major Camembert exporter) located in the heart of Camembert.
The guided tour (€5) shows you how the cheese was traditionally made, allows you to view a collection of vintage cheese making tools, and most importantly allows you to sample plenty of the village’s famous cheese.
photo credits: American memorial, Giverny, Rouen,Honfleur, cider tasting, trouville, normandy
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