DK Travel : Normandy

Normandy brings a dozen different images to mind: William the Conqueror, the D-Day landings, Mont-St-Michel; the bleak landscape of the Cotentin coast, the sparkling summertime playground of the Côte Fleurie; sumptuous châteaux, historic abbeys, famous gardens; the orchards of the Auge, the picture-postcard scenery of the Suisse Normande; Monet’s home at Giverny, the Cabourg immortalized by Proust – or perhaps it’s cider, calvados and camembert. Whatever your list, it will barely scratch the surface of this rich and rewarding region.

Centre d’Art Sacré, Musée de la Vie Monastique, St-Hilaire-du-Harcouët

Using waxworks, this museum in an old monastery reconstructs the everyday life of the monks.
Chantemesle: A Normandy Childhood (Robin Fedden)

A lyrical account of an enchanted rural childhood.
Charles de Gaulle

Leader of the Free French, de Gaulle (1890–1970) came ashore at Juno Beach on 14 June 1944 to reclaim France for the French.
Charlotte Corday

Educated in Caen, Girondin sympathizer Corday (1768–93) killed radical revolutionary Jean-Paul Marat in his bath.
Château de Balleroy

The château’s sumptuous interior has portraits of Napoleon and Wellington, confronting one another across the Waterloo Room. A hot-air balloon museum is housed in the stables.
Château de Beaumesnil

This glorious Baroque masterpiece, a frothy pile of pink brick and pale stone floating on its glassy moat, is perfectly complemented by the formal gardens that surround it.
Château de Bénouville

The monumental staircase is the star at this impressive yet charming Neo-Classical château.
Château de Bizy, Vernon

The interior of this handsome château set in an English-style park is graced by superb woodwork, tapestries and Empire furniture.
Château de Bosmelet

Built in Louis XIII style in 1632 (and restored after bombing in 1944), the château is notable for its “Rainbow Potager” (vegetable garden), a remarkable sight in summer. There is also a superb avenue of 300-year-old lime trees.
Château de Brécy

Five terraces of formal gardens sweep gracefully from the château toward the focal point: an ornate wrought-iron gate bearing the initials of Brécy’s 17th-century owners. The gardens are thought to have been designed by François Mansart.