Tourist attractions Normandy

The famous Bayeux tapestry (it is in fact a piece of embroidery) is housed in a museum with two sections. In the first, this extraordinary 70m-long jewel of Romanesque art is displayed behind a glass panel, highlighting the rivalry between Harold a..

Aubert, Bishop of Avranches, founded an oratory on this island in 708 after the Archangel St Michael appeared three times to him. This was replaced in the early 8C by a Carolingian abbey, and subsequently modified and extended over later centuries...

Begun in 1056, this cathedral is renowned for its elegant proportions, purity of design and profusion of ascending lines, culminating in 78m-high spires. The bold turreted lantern tower, noted for its slender ribbing, stands at a height of 41m at the..

The name, which means the Marvel, refers to all the buildings built on the north face of the mount between 1211 and 1228, to house monks, pilgrims and distinguished guests. From the outside, the buildings resemble a fortress. The interior is a fine e..

The cloisters seem to be suspended between the sea and the sky. The gallery arcades display richly sculptured foliage, ornamented with the occasional animal or human figure; there are also a few religious symbols. The carving is further set off by de..

Renovated in 1992, this museum charts European art from the 15C to the early 20C. Particular strongpoints include 17C-19C French painting (Poussin, Jacques Stella, Deshays, Fragonard, Ingres, Géricault) Impressionism ( Café interior by Caillebotte, ..

The views are magnificent: to the left, the massive arch of Manneporte, awesome and naturally shaped. Opposite, the Aiguille and on the other side, the Amont cliff. The variation in colours according to the time of day and the light are perfectly e..

During the 10C, the Duke Guillaume Longue Epée rebuilt the abbey of Jumièges from its ruins. It was founded by St-Philibert in the 7C. The Vikings turned this monastery into «a den of ferocious animals and birds of prey». The new Benedictine abbey so..

Begun in the 12C, rebuilt in the 13C following a fire, embellished in the 15C and again in the 16C, this is one of the most attractive French Gothic creations. Its nave with eleven bays covered with a superb six-part vault and the lantern tower giv..

The panorama across the curve of the river, it bell-towers and the whole of Rouen is enthralling.

Start your tour of Old Rouen from the cathedral and rue St-Romain, lined with old half-timbered houses. It leads to the church of St-Maclou (1437-1517). A little further on, the Aître St-Maclou and its macabre Dance of Death in the courtyard is one o..

To the west of Rouen, a series of abbeys lie along the meandering River Seine. The abbey church of St-Georges-de-Boscherville is a pure example of Norman Romanesque. More evidence of the “Benedictine flowering” of the 11C can be seen at Jumièges Abb..

Surrounding the village of Lyons-la-Forêt , this vast woodland (10 700ha) is “one of the natural wonders of France and the apogee of the beech tree”. Its trees often have trunks over 20m high; the highest, the Bunodière beech, nudges 50m. Within its..

The 6 600ha Eawy (pronounced E-a-vi) massif comprises the rugged hilltop marking the border between the Varenne and Béthune regions. Together with the Forêt de Lyons it makes up Normandy’s best beech plantation. It Germanic-derived name means “humi..

This area known as Normandy's Switzerland is located in the south of the Bocage Normand, in the triangle formed by Condé-sur-Noireau, Thury-Harcourt and Putanges. The Orne River meanders along against this splendid backdrop of abrupt and picturesque ..

Pastures dotted with thatched cottages and half-timbered manor houses, willow and apples trees, a patchwork of quickset hedges crisscrossed with winding roads - including the cider route: the Pays d’Auge makes for an admirable contrast with the bea..

The serene beauty of this famous site is best appreciated when the sun is out. From the calvary , you can enjoy breathtaking panoramic views over the Seine Estuary, Le Havre harbour and, to the right, over the Pont de Normandie , with the Pont de T..

Cliffs that are among the tallest in Europe alternate with little sandy beaches and charming ports. The different elements are bound together by a strip of green that is well-known to hikers: the Sentier des Douaniers. This "land's end" wit..

This late 18C house, built for his personal use by the city’s architect and hydrant officer, Mr Thibault, was bought by a ship-owner (hence its name) in the early 19C and it miraculously survived the bombing of 1945. Its five circular storeys, each e..

This fine art museum offers a chronological, thematic and geographical journey through painting from the 15 to 20C. It boasts noteworthy pieces from 17C Europe and a gallery dedicate to 18C portrait and landscape artists. Romantic masters (Delacroix)..