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A recreation of the room in which 17th-century locals signed emigration contracts for Québec.

A nostalgic look at commerce in the first half of the 20th century.

A chilling place, with court room, cells, and a riveting ethnographic museum.

Standing within the walls of William the Conqueror’s hilltop château, Caen’s fine art collection is housed in a well-lit contemporary building. French, Italian, Flemish and Dutch paintings, chronologically arranged from the 15th to the 20th centuries, present a coherent survey of the history of painting. Perugino’s The Marriage of the Virgin is a highlight.

Monet’s study of Rouen Cathedral and Corot’s fine Quayside Trade in Rouen are among the highlights of this important art museum, strong on Old Masters as well as the Impressionists.

Unique in its extent and quality, this extraordinary collection of miniature furniture is housed in the orangery of Château de Vendeuvre. The exquisite pieces – which include objets such as cutlery, porcelain, paintings and chess sets – date from the 16th to 19th centuries, and are fascinating for their meticulous detail and craftsmanship.

Now the venue for exhibitions, workshops, courses and concerts, this cultural outpost was first established to bring back works by Americans artists who painted in Giverny at the turn of the 19th century (see Giverny Paintings).

Honfleur’s rich artistic heritage is celebrated in this appealing museum, which includes works by Boudin himself, as well as by Monet.

This innovative building of glass and metal, offering views of the port through a monumental concrete sculpture known as “The Eye”, is filled with light. Inside, the galleries are linked by gangways. There are fine collections by Raoul Dufy and Eugène Boudin.