What to see and do in Normandy on holiday. The main attractions are Mont Saint Michel, Bayeux and the D-Day landing sites. Food and drink feature highly as do heritage sites and quaint towns and villages.
The Normandy high tides make for great photo opportunities. There’s a road under all that water! The photo is taken at Le Havre de la Vanlée in Bricqueville-sur-Mer in Normandy. Watching the tide come in here is interesting as the road floods completely cutting the village off from the coast. The Normandy high tides phenomenon…
Lucerne Abbey is a 12th century Normandy abbey. The photo below is taken from the gatehouse. The abbey is a Premonstratensian monastery that was founded in 1143. The village of La Lucerne-d’Outremer sits in the triangle between the towns of Granville, Avranches and Villedieu-les-Poêles. The building in the photo is the magnificent abbey church. Over the…
The Knotted Gun sculpture is an amazing piece of art. I took this shot when I visited the Caen Mémorial Museum, Centre for History and Peace. It’s displayed in the grounds of the museum close to the entrance. The sculpture is also known as the Non-Violence sculpture. The Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd created this…
For high quality crockery and cutlery the Degrenne the tableware sale in Normandy is amazing. The sale is held twice a year and features seconds and end-of-range products. The Guy Degrenne sale is held next to their factory outlet in Vire. You can get some great bargains. I bought 6 mugs, 6 coffee cups and…
The Elizabeth Castle in Jersey is on a small island about half a mile from the St Helier coast. It is connected to the mainland at low tide by a causeway. If there’s a tide high or you don’t want to walk, you can take the ferry. The ferry is an amphibious craft which means…
Vauville Botanical Garden is tucked away on the Cotentin peninsula in Normandy. It looks out onto the Channel Islands and the headland known at Le Nez de Jobourg. Visiting the garden is very much like entering a Tardis as 11 acres unfold in front of you. The site benefits from a microclimate where the evergreen…
There’s a family friendly farm less than 10 minutes from Gavray that’s suitable for younger guests. It’s called La Ferme de Lucie and is run by Céline and Benoît Hachler in Le Mesnil Rogues. I was kindly allowed to take photos of the animals which included goats, sheep, chickens, rabbits, lambs, llamas and peacocks. Some…
I used to go to La Ferme de la Butte in La Meurdraquière to buy Normandy cider for the gite. They were fairly local to me at around a 15 minute drive away. I included a bottle of their cider in my welcome basket for guests. In 2019 the farm was bought by another local…
A number of my guests have brought their bikes to Normandy to enjoy some cycling. Normandy has 1600km of véloroutes (cycle routes) giving you cycling itineraries via traditional cycle paths or secure roads with little traffic. The cycle routes are designated by special signposts. 700km of these routes are greenways (or voie vertes in French)….
La Manche is the most westerly of the five departments that make up Normandy. It’s named La Manche because it juts out into the English Channel (La Manche in French). So, what is there to do in La Manche? Mont Saint Michel is at the top of most visitors’ to-do list. It’s located in the…
For inspiration of what to do in Villedieu-les-Poeles, visitors can take a look at the latest tourist guide. It’s produced in English and French and includes a map of the town to help you to plan your trip. A new version is printed each year to make sure it includes up-to-date information. Villedieu is an…
The Normandy coastline offers plenty of varied activities. Coastal towns and villages, harbours, sandy beaches, fantastic sunrises and sunsets, beach huts and seafood are just some of the highlights. Granville Granville is one of my favourite coastal towns. It’s set on a rocky promontory and has two distinct parts. The harbour is a wonderful spot…
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