Places to Visit in Normandy, France

Avranches
Not very far from Mont St Michel and overlooking the bay, Avranches has many places to visit including the manuscripts of Mont St Michel Abbey and Town Hall. There are gardens and a museum. It was in Avranches that Henry II made public penance for the murder of Thomas Beckett.

Bayeux
Bayeux is of course home to the famous Bayeux Tapestry. Apart from this there is the General de Gaulle Museum and the Battle of Normandy Memorial Museum and the British Cemetery.
There are several museums- Baron Gerard Lace, the Porcelain Museum, the Museum of Religious Art, the Workshop Museum and the Bayeux Lace Conservatory.


Côte Fleurie
This area of coastline is between the D-Day beaches and Le Havre. The Cote Fleurie has huge beaches and many towns including Houlgate, or less known such as Tourgeville or Bonneville. These are really delightful and charming
A popular haunt of Impressionist painters and writers such as Baudelaire and Marcel Proust thought it was a delight to visit.

Deauville
Deauville developed into a seaside resort in 1860 and became a popular holiday destination after the First World War, particularly for rich and famous people.
It has two marinas, a casino, smart hotels and restaurant.
Deauville regularly holds “Yearling Sales”.


Fécamp
Fécamp is a very pretty fishing port and coastal resort. There is a distillery to visit and Art gallery. You can also visit the Trinity Church of Fishing and the Newfoundlands and Arts Museums there.
You can also visit the Old City where you have the cloister and Eglise St Trinité, a very large church built in 1120. Fécamp also offers exhibitions of porcelain, tiles and paintings, the museum of Terres Neuvas and fishing, dedicated to the French fishers who went to Newfoundland and the Château de Bailleul.

Granville
Granville is a lively seaside resort, sailing center and ommercial fishing port. There is also a treatment centre.
Passenger ferries depart from here for the Channel Islands and the Iles de Chausaey.
You will also see the Christian Dior Museum situated in the designer’s childhood home.
You will enjoy as well the Roc Aquarium, Granville Wax museum and the Old Town with its church Dame and 15th and 18th century houses.
There is also a casino.

Ile de Tatihou
You can visit the sea museum- boats, fishing equipment and watching observatory, shipyard and marine botanical gardens.

Lisieux
Lisieux is an historic town whose history goes back over 2000 years. The Cathedral and Basilica are very famous. Churches worth visiting are La Basilique, one of the largest 20th century churches and La Cathédrale Saint Pierre- a gothic cathedral from XII century. There is le Château de Saint Germain de Livet, Le Manoir de Querville Domaine Saint Hippolyte, a beautiful farm classified “Remarkable Tasting Place” where you can sample products from Normandy.
The zoological Place of Cerza- like the Durrell Wildlife Trust focuses on species which are becoming increasingly rarer.

Mont St Michel
Mont St Michel is a very beautiful and famous place. Described as the twin of St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall, it was created in the 11th century and was originally surrounded by water. There are 80 chapels, cells, towers and public chambers, and guided tours can be organized such as the “Ramparts tour” with view o the bay and the Rocher de Tombelaine or “La Merveille” a tour of six halls built on three levels, a 13th century gothic masterpiece.