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.

Villequier

At a beautiful spot on the Seine, Villequier marks the point where river becomes estuary. Victor Hugo’s daughter Léopoldine drowned here in 1843. The Musée Victor-Hugo commemorates her life.
Walking and Rambling

Normandy is wonderful walking country. Official footpaths (marked by red-and-white posts) criss-cross the region, while the National Hiking Trails (Grandes Randonnées, or GR) provide spectacular long-distance routes. These include the GR23 (Seine and Forêt de Brotonne), GR223 (Cotentin Peninsula coast), and GR221 (Suisse Normande).
Waterfalls of Mortain

Follow the river Cance, in an Alpine landscape.
Waterlily Series (Monet)

Painted between 1899 and 1926. Several are on show at the Musée d’Orangerie, Paris.
Welcome Cottages

Based in Lancashire in the UK, Welcome Cottages is a branch of Welcome Holidays Ltd. It offers a selection of properties, from modern bungalows to conversions of interesting old buildings. The user-friendly website features exterior and interior shots of each property, as well as detailed descriptions and location maps.
Wheat-field in Normandy (Dufy)

Painted in 1935. On show at the Musée Eugène Boudin, Honfleur.
William Long Sword

Rollo’s acquisitive warrior son (c.893–943) extended the duchy’s boundaries by taking Cotentin and southern Manche.
William the Conqueror

William (1027–87), the bastard son of Robert the Magnificent, united Normandy and conquered England.
Wooden Toys

In Bézu-Saint-Eloi, 6 km (4 miles) northwest of Gisors, Ateliers Jorelle have been making traditional wooden toys since 1864. Visit the workshop, or look out for their products in local toy and craft shops, including spinning tops and an obstacle game called jouet de la grenouille (literally, “frog game”) played in Normandy since the Middle Ages.