An introduction to Normandy

     Normandy is one of the great historic regions of France; in the Middle Ages, Normandy was a great dukedom which, like Burgundy, rivalled in power and prestige with the kingdom of France. Indeed, the dukes of Normandy managed to achieve the same status as the kings of France, to whom they owed alliegance - but that was by extending their domains beyond the Channel, when William of Normandy managed to  acquire the title and status of King ...... of England..
    With their historic links and their proximity, it is hardly surprising that Normandy has much in common with the south of England; the rolling countryside is not too different - fields and meadows bordered by hedges, even bluebell woods. Furthermore, the historic and vernacular styles of architecture are not too different either.
    Today, the area that was once the dukedom of Normandy is divided into two administrative regions - Upper Normandy (Haute Normandie), capital Rouen, with its two departments, Eure (27) and Seine Maritime (76), and Lower Normandy, (Basse Normandie) capital Caen, comprising the departments of Calvados (14), Manche (50), and Orne (61). There are plenty of people who would like to see the two regions reunited - which would make historic sense, and leave a reunited Normandy still within the norms of French regions, both in size and in population. But the reunification of Normandy in any foreseeable future seems improbable.
    To the south east, Normandy borders on the Ile de France, the Paris region, and towns and villages in this area have developed due to their proximity to the capital. Both Caen and Rouen are sufficiently close to Paris to benefit from the economic vigour of the Paris region, which is the most propserous in France, and from their position between two major hubs of international communications - Paris for air travel (parts of south east Normandy are less than 100 km from Charles de Gaulle airport), and the Normandy port of Le Havre, France's most important international shipping port.
    Le Havre, Caen and Rouen are the three main cities in this region. There are four smaller cities - or large towns, these being Evreux, in the Eure,  Cherbourg - still an active seaport, though less than in its heyday when it was France's gateway to America  - Dieppe, a minor seaport, and Alençon, capital of the Orne.
    Outside the towns and cities, Normandy is a prosperous agricultural area, specialising in dairy products, fruit (notably apples) and mixed farming. The most famous regional products are the cheese Camembert, and two drinks, Cider and the spirit distilled from it, Calvados. Normandy is also famous for its racehorses, and the region has many top breeding stables.


Access:by train from Paris Gare Saint Lazare, Direct access by ferry from the UK, to Cherbourg, Caen (Ouistreham), Le Havre or Dieppe. Ait access by plane to Paris or (for western Normandy) to Rennes..


Main tourist attractions in Normandy

The cliffs at Etretat - photo Frenn Lareo The harbour at Honfleur - photo Deylaud

Rouen (76), with its quays on the river Seine, its picturesque historic centre, with half-timbered houses, an ancient clock, and a magnificent gothic cathedral, one of the finest in France. There is also the Joan of Arc museum. Giverny: (near Vernon, 27) Visit the home of the greatest Impressionist, Claude Monet, and also the American art museum, devoted to the American impressionists and Post-impressionists. Caen (14), a large part of which was destroyed in the Second World War, has a Memorial museum of the Normandy Landings and the Liberation The Normandy Beaches (14) - the site of the D-Day Landings in World War 2 - Juno Beach, Utah Beach and the others. The  landings are commemorated in museums and the war graves of the thousands who gave their lives.  Bayeux (14),  where the historic Bayeux tapestry was made, and is still preserved, 900 years after it was made. The museum is open 7/7. Falaise (14) - impressive Mediaeval fortress, birthplace of William the Conqueror Le Havre  (76)  -In the 1950's, the old town, destroyed in the war, was rebuilt in concrete by architect Auguste Perret, to the wishes of the Communist city council. This example of postwar urban planning is classed as a UNESCO world heritage site. The seaside resorts  (14) of lower Normandy, Honfleur, Deauville, Cabourg, etc. - genteel resorts that flourished in the ninetenth century, as the closest to Paris. The White Cliffs of Etretat (76) - the most famous cliffs in France.  Pays d'Auge (14, 61) - the archetypal Norman countryside, with its small villages and traditional half-timbered cottages. La Suisse Normande (14, 61) - the highest hills in Normandy, around 1000 ft., loved by hikers and ramblers - though they are a long way from being mountains. (Just outside Normandy) Le Mont Saint Michel, (Brittany) the world famous mediaeval abbey built on a rock in the bay - a UNESCO world heritage site. Le Cotentin: (50) countryside, cliffs and sandy beaches, on this granite  promontory jutting out into the English Channel. Le Cité de la Mer, Cherbourg: (50) Devoted to underwater exploration, the museum includes a visit of the Redoutable, the biggest visitable sub in the world, plus the deepest aquarium in Europe.

Going further:

For further information, click on one of these  links: / pour plus d'informations, cliquez....
Official Normandy tourism site	Gites in Normandy	Bed & Breakfast in Normandy