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.

Utah Beach

On D-Day, 6 June 1944, the eastern coast of the Cotentin Peninsula, code-named Utah Beach, received thousands of American troops, backed up by paratroops dropped inland around Ste-Mère-Eglise (see D-Day Beaches).
Val de Saire

The gentle prettiness of this verdant valley east of Barfleur is in sharp contrast to the wild coastline (see A Day in Cotentin).
Val de Saire

This pastoral valley makes gentle walking country. Finish at St-Vaast-la-Hougue or at Barfleur.
Vallée de la Vire

As it winds towards the sea, the River Vire cuts deeply through granite schists to form a ribbon of water amid glorious countryside. Towpaths border most of the river between Vire and St-Lô, so you can picnic, cycle, walk or horse-ride alongside. Condé-sur-Vire is the place for canoeing, while at Roches de Ham, the granite terrain leaps up to form a towering 80 m (260 ft) rock face above the river. Here are magnificent views of the verdant valley – and a welcome little crêperie and cider bar in summer. Nearby, La Chapellesur-Vire makes a perfect picnic spot. The grandiose chapel that dominates the village has been a place of pilgrimage since the 12th century. At Torigni-sur-Vire, the Château de Matignon houses a fine collection of tapestries.
Vallée de l’Eure

Easily accessible from Paris, the lush Eure Valley is a popular weekend destination for city dwellers. The stretch of the Eure between Chartres and the Seine is sometimes referred to as the Valley of the Mistresses, since it passes first the château of Louis XIV’s secret wife, Madame de Maintenon (just outside Normandy in Île de France), then Château d’Anet, commissioned by Diane de Poitiers, mistress of Henri II. From Anet, the D143 and D836 follow the river past attractive Ivry-la-Bataille and Pacy-sur-Eure, with its fine 13th-century church. A lovely stretch at Cocherel comes next, then Château d’Acquigny, set in a landscaped park. The Eure ends at Louviers, which has a small but pretty old quarter near its 13th-century church of Notre-Dame (see Notre-Dame, Louviers).
Valognes

Though badly damaged in 1944, Valognes retains traces of its glory days as the “Versailles of the North” – including the splendid Hôtel de Beaumont.
Varengeville-sur-Mer

Gloriously situated, its cliff-top church has windows by Ubac and Braques. Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll collaborated on the nearby Parc du Bois des Moutiers.
Vauville

The subtropical gardens of Château de Vauville and a beach perfect for sand yachting are the twin attractions here.
Vegetables

Manche is renowned for its superb carrots, parsley, leeks, radishes and shallots.
Véloroutes

A network of circular cycle paths, each about 20 km (12 miles), has been developed all over rural Manche especially for family bike rides.