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.

Dairy Products

The rich milk produced by Norman cattle makes velvety cream, butter (beurre d’Isigny is highly prized), and products ranging from Petit-Suisse cream cheese to confiture de lait , literally, “milk jam”.
Deauville and La Côte Fleurie

The string of resorts on this lovely stretch of Normandy’s coastline creates a summer paradise. Racy and romantic, Deauville is a magnet for glamorous visitors.
Deauville and La Côte Fleurie

The magnificent coastline from Honfleur to Cabourg, with its series of wide, sandy beaches, means that all of its resorts – Villerville, Trouville, Deauville, Villers-sur-Mer, Houlgate and Cabourg – have much to offer the sun-worshipper, with swimming and watersports all the way along. If you tire of the sun, and your money is burning a hole in your pocket, you will find no shortage of casinos to lose it in. Each place has its own character, none more so than exclusive Deauville.
Deauville and La Côte Fleurie

Normandy’s most alluring stretch of coast, fringed by marvellous sandy beaches, is enlivened by a string of resorts that offer something for everyone: gambling or, if you can’t afford to gamble, people-watching in opulent Deauville; shrimping and sand-yachting in Houlgate and Cabourg; and the many amusements of happy-go-lucky Trouville. The D513 follows the coast, dipping inland around the impressive corniche, Falaises des Vaches Noires, that rises up between Houlgate and Villerssur-Mer.
Delgove et Cie, Le Tréport

Following this area’s traditional method of smoking fish (drying in sawdust before smoking over a beechwood fire), this smoke-house sells salmon, mackerel, herring and haddock.
Dieppe

The first beach resort in France, Dieppe occupies a striking position between limestone cliffs. As a Channel port, it was coveted for centuries by foreign invaders, and has long been a favourite with British holiday-makers, drawn by its sweeping beach and lively old town centred on the Grande Rue. Nearby, medieval Église St-Jacques has a memorial to the thousands of Canadians killed in Operation Jubilee in 1942. Above the town, the 15th-century flint-and-sandstone castle is now a museum, with a fine collection of Impressionists and some remarkable 16th-century carved ivory pieces.
Dieppe

Each Saturday, from 8am until noon, the long, pedestrian Grande Rue, lined with some 200 shops, becomes a massive open-air emporium. Locals set up stalls to sell their produce (organic fruit and vegetables, saucisses , jams), professionals bring imports (olives, honey, exotic cheeses) from every corner of France, and fishermen sell their morning-fresh catches. Dieppe is famous for its lisettes (baby mackerel), scallops and gendarmes , the smoked herrings available in November.
Discover Normandy

This company lists cottages – more than 120 of them – near a variety of attractions: among others, the D-Day landing sites, golf courses, Mont-St-Michel and beaches. The web-site includes previous visitors’ comments. They will also make your travel arrangements, whether you’re going by ferry, train or plane, or want to hire a car.
Dives-sur-Mer

Shopping in the traditional Tuesday market in Dives is an event, not least because it is held in the spectacular timbered halles with a red-tiled roof, built in the 15th century so that the local monastery could levy market taxes.
Domfront

Perched above the Varenne Gorge, with open views over the pear orchards of the Passais bocage , the ramparts and towers are evidence of the town’s turbulent history.