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Not just pretty but officially so (listed as one of France’s top 100), this small stone village above the River Sarthe is a little gem which has inspired generations of artists.

In 1114, William of Tancarville founded a small community of monks, who took this beautiful Norman Romanesque building as their abbey church (see Abbaye St-Georges de Boscherville).

This tiny, tranquil village offers the perfect lunch stop – at Le Moulin à Vent (see Le Moulin à Vent, St-Germain-des-Vaux).

The strongest draw in the regional capital, which was unsympathetically rebuilt after wartime destruction, is the important Haras (national stud), where you can inspect 100 stallions of different breeds.

There’s a typical farmers’ market on Saturday mornings in the main square of this ancient and historic town. Here you can buy fresh produce from local farmers and fishermen among the stalls selling furniture, clothing and flowers.

No longer in use, this little church is a lovely sight in its isolated setting, hidden by greenery at the tip of a valley. A gem of Romanesque architecture.

Like Dives-sur-Mer, this inland town has a magnificent covered market hall. Dating from the 11th century, it was the largest medieval hall in Normandy. After it burned down in 1944, it was completely rebuilt in the style of the original, using hundreds of thousands of wooden pegs instead of screws and nails. Small local producers bring their goods to the Monday market, which spills out of the hall.

The 12th-century castle houses the Musée Barbey d’Aurevilly, dedicated to the 19th-century novelist who was born in the town (see Jules Barbey d’Aurevilly).

The harbour of this enchanting small port was fortified after the French naval defeat in 1692, as was the Île de Tatihou – now the site of a garden, bird-watching post and maritime museum.