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.

Étretat

With its shingle beach and esplanade curving between two famous chalk headlands, the Falaises d’Aval and d’Amont, its dramatic clifftop walks and its recreational Parc de Loisirs des Roches, charming and elegant Étretat is the Côte d’Albâtre’s most alluring resort, as many writers and artists discovered in the 19th century.
Eu

The handsome collegiate church in this tranquil riverside town is named after the Irish primate St Lawrence, who died here in 1180 (see Château d’Eu).
Eugène Boudin

Brought up under the vast, luminous sky of Honfleur, Boudin (1824–98) did not have to travel far to paint his land- and seascapes. An advocate of painting in the open air – a practice to which he introduced Monet – he was preoccupied with light and its effects on his subject matter. His loose brush-strokes heralded Impressionist techniques.
Eur’Autruche, Beaumesnil

If you crave close contact with ostriches, Eur’Autruche is the place to go, especially in mid-May, when the babies are hatched. As well as meeting the ostriches, you can buy feathers, eggs and – you’ve guessed it – ostrich steaks.
Evreux

Capital of the département of Eure, Evreux has had a turbulent history and more than its fair share of siege and invasion since the Vandals first sacked it in the 5th century. Damaged during World War II, its centre has been rebuilt, and its gardens, footpaths and riverside walks make it a very pleasant town. In the Cathédrale de Notre-Dame, the Renaissance carvings round the north door date from the height of the Flamboyant period, as do the marvellously delicate leaf and flower motifs in the transept and the lantern tower. Despite fire and bombs, much of the antique glass has been restored. The Musée d’Evreux includes Gallo-Roman archaeological finds, plus fine carved misericords and tapestries in the medieval section.
Exploring the Perche

Morning

Pick up a “Circuit du Patrimoine” from the tourist office in the old market in Mortagne-au-Perche (pl du Général-de-Gaulle), and walk its route, popping into the Église de Notre-Dame to see the glorious altarpiece. Finish with a coffee in the Hôtel Tribunal (see Tribunal, Mortagne-au-Perche).

Leave Mortagne-au-Perche on the D931 toward Mamers. Turn left on the D275 and follow signs to La Perrière, an enchanting village of colourful cottages and tempting brocantes (antiques shops), with a glorious view. Take the RF225 through the peaceful Forêt de Belleme as far as the D931. Turn right for Bellême . Go through the town and turn right onto the D203 to Nocé, where the Auberge des 3J (1 pl Docteur-Gireaux) is an excellent lunch stop.

Afternoon

Leave Nocé on the D9, stopping for a glimpse of the handsome Manoir de Courboyer before spectacular vistas open up along the route. Turn right onto the D5 to the huge, incongruous Chapelle-Montligeon. After a look, follow the road through the village until it meets the D213. Turn left through the Forêt de Reno-Valdieu to Monceaux and the glorious Manoir de Pongirard gardens (open May–Oct: pm Sat–Sun). Take the D291 to St-Victor-de-Réno for a well-deserved meal at the charming Auberge de Brochard.
Faïencerie Augy, Rouen

Attractive plates, jugs, vases and lamps are decorated and fired according to 16th-century methods in the workshops attached to this seductive faïence shop. Demonstrations by appointment.
Falaise

The dashing equestrian statue of William the Conqueror, his charger rearing heroically, sets the tone in the main square of this attractive and intriguing town. Falaise is dominated by its vast fortress, Château Guillaumele-Conquérant, birthplace of William in 1027. In August 1944, it was the site of the fierce and decisive Battle of the MortainFalaise Pocket. In the valley below, a modern sculpture recalls the spot where William’s father, Robert the Magnificent, saw his future wife, the beautiful Arlette, washing clothes in the stream. Also worth a visit are Automates Avenue, a collection of 20th-century automata that once graced Parisian shop windows, and Musée Août 1944, housed in a former cheese factory.
Farms

Pet the animals and see country life at close quarters at farms throughout Normandy. Check with tourist offices.
Fécamp

After a casket said to contain precious drops of Christ’s blood was washed ashore in the first century, Fécamp became a pilgrimage centre. First an abbey (now ruined) was built to house the holy relic, then the glorious 12th- to 13th-century Abbatiale de la Trinité (see La Trinité, Fécamp). More prosaically, the cornerstone of this no-nonsense fishing port was the humble cod, as a trip to the Musée des Terra Neuvas et de la Pêche proves. Fécamp’s other claim to fame is Bénédictine, first made in 1863 by merchant Alexandre le Grand from an old monastic recipe. It continues to be distilled in his overblown 19th-century Palais Bénédictine, which contains laboratories, museum and gallery, and offers tastings (see Palais Bénédictine, Fécamp).