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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.
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Here’s a chance to stay at a heavenly château. Privately owned, it has been in the same family for almost 1,000 years. Set in acres of parkland, it is exquisitely decorated with antique pieces and heirlooms.
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The highlights of this 18th-century Anglo-French park, with its pretty, Italianate château, are the Chartreuses, a series of walled gardens brimming over with flowers. Statues, a temple and a Chinese pavilion add further interest.
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This impressive moated château of stone and brick, built by François Mansart (whose uncle built Versailles) in the 1640s, has always been in the same family.
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Until 1936, when it was bought by the state, this imposing red-brick château had been in the Le Veneur de Tillières family for almost 500 years. Founded by Jean de Carrouges in the 14th century, it has all the attributes necessary for a grand château: moats, terraces, a park and gardens, and a particularly elegant 16th-century gatehouse with four pepperpot towers (see Autour d’un Piano, Château de Carrouges).
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This soldierly 17th-century château is owned by interior designer Jacques Garcia. On view are the kitchens, and lavish gardens inspired by mythology.
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The left wing is all that remains of the original Henri IV house. In the park is a splendid vaulted beech avenue known as La Cathédrale.
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The sloping roofs of this extraordinary-looking Renaissance château are taller than its walls.
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The former home of Maréchal de Villars, this late-17th-century château displays a rare consistency of architectural style.
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Set in rolling countryside, this elegantly furnished 18th-century château has 12 pretty bedrooms overlooking an impeccable jardin à la française .
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The roofless remains of this once-great château, the ancestral home of the Argouges family, lie in quiet countryside. An exhibition tells its story.
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Hotel price categories
For a standard, double room per night (with breakfast if included), taxes and extra charges.
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