DK Travel : Normandy : Places of interest

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Étretat

Nestling between two cliffs, Falaises d’Aval and d’Amont, this picturesque village was a sleepy place until the 19th-century onslaught of writers, painters and Parisian holiday-makers. For the best view of Falaise d’Aval – an extraordinary rock formation with a natural arch, which Maupassant likened to an elephant dipping its trunk into the sea – climb to Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde, the chapel on top of Falaise d’Amont. Nearby, a museum and monument commemorate aviators Nungesser and Colia, whose aeroplane was last seen near here on the first, failed attempt to fly the Atlantic in 1927. In Étretat itself, visit the place du Maréchal-Foch, where 16th-century houses cluster around timbered halles – an attractive 1920s reconstruction of a wooden covered market.
Étretat

With its shingle beach and esplanade curving between two famous chalk headlands, the Falaises d’Aval and d’Amont, its dramatic clifftop walks and its recreational Parc de Loisirs des Roches, charming and elegant Étretat is the Côte d’Albâtre’s most alluring resort, as many writers and artists discovered in the 19th century.
Evreux

Capital of the département of Eure, Evreux has had a turbulent history and more than its fair share of siege and invasion since the Vandals first sacked it in the 5th century. Damaged during World War II, its centre has been rebuilt, and its gardens, footpaths and riverside walks make it a very pleasant town. In the Cathédrale de Notre-Dame, the Renaissance carvings round the north door date from the height of the Flamboyant period, as do the marvellously delicate leaf and flower motifs in the transept and the lantern tower. Despite fire and bombs, much of the antique glass has been restored. The Musée d’Evreux includes Gallo-Roman archaeological finds, plus fine carved misericords and tapestries in the medieval section.
Falaise

The dashing equestrian statue of William the Conqueror, his charger rearing heroically, sets the tone in the main square of this attractive and intriguing town. Falaise is dominated by its vast fortress, Château Guillaumele-Conquérant, birthplace of William in 1027. In August 1944, it was the site of the fierce and decisive Battle of the MortainFalaise Pocket. In the valley below, a modern sculpture recalls the spot where William’s father, Robert the Magnificent, saw his future wife, the beautiful Arlette, washing clothes in the stream. Also worth a visit are Automates Avenue, a collection of 20th-century automata that once graced Parisian shop windows, and Musée Août 1944, housed in a former cheese factory.
Farms

Pet the animals and see country life at close quarters at farms throughout Normandy. Check with tourist offices.
Fécamp

After a casket said to contain precious drops of Christ’s blood was washed ashore in the first century, Fécamp became a pilgrimage centre. First an abbey (now ruined) was built to house the holy relic, then the glorious 12th- to 13th-century Abbatiale de la Trinité (see La Trinité, Fécamp). More prosaically, the cornerstone of this no-nonsense fishing port was the humble cod, as a trip to the Musée des Terra Neuvas et de la Pêche proves. Fécamp’s other claim to fame is Bénédictine, first made in 1863 by merchant Alexandre le Grand from an old monastic recipe. It continues to be distilled in his overblown 19th-century Palais Bénédictine, which contains laboratories, museum and gallery, and offers tastings (see Palais Bénédictine, Fécamp).
Ferme aux 5 Saisons, Flamanville

A farm for children: visit the animals; see an apple press in action; bake bread for a splendid traditional tea.
Festyland

Amusement park for children of all ages, with a roller coaster, bouncy castles, water slides, gokarts, a rope bridge and a circus on summer afternoons.
Forges-les-Eaux

Quiet and dignified, Forges-les-Eaux became a fashionable spa town after it was visited in 1633 by a regal threesome: Louis XIII, his queen, Anne of Austria, and Cardinal Richelieu. Today, the spa and casino, built in the 1950s, are run as a health and leisure complex by Club Med.
Gîtes

If you can’t face a hotel, consider renting a house (see Self-catering Holidays).