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Art dealers and connoisseurs flock to this village, which for two days turns into one big gallery exhibiting works by both unknown and established artists.

This major event in the equestrian calendar takes place over one week in August, and includes auctions of horses, ponies and donkeys, as well as numerous competitions; the showjumping and obstacle courses are among the favourites. Spectators will see all sorts of different breeds, from sporting to cart horses.

Troupes of actors and musicians recreate a medieval festival, with games and a market.

Six chamber concerts by world-class performers are staged in stunning settings in the Perche.

The latest technology is used in the sound-and-light show at this romantic 13th-century Gothic cathedral.

A series of concerts featuring some of the world’s most beautiful voices, combined with walks along the chemins de paradis – ancient pilgrim routes to the Mont.

In late June/early July every four or five years, Rouen hosts a fleet of tall ships and battleships from across the globe. The city and its environs buzz with festivities and fireworks displays for eight lively days and nights, culminating in a colourful parade of boats down the Seine. The most recent Armada took place in 2003.

Avranches’ “Music in the Bay” festival stages concerts by established performers, as well as running courses for novice musicians and choristers.

A crossing of the sands from Genêts to Mont-St-Michel every July perpetuates the tradition of the great pilgrimages of the Middle Ages. It attracts about 1,500 “pilgrims”.

Churches, abbeys and châteaux throughout the Orne provide atmospheric settings for a varied programme that includes opera, chamber music, jazz and dance.