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The creation of handcrafted umbrellas is an art, and it is practised to perfection at H20. From plain about-town umbrellas to unique creations, the factory shop has a wide selection.

The highlight of Normandy’s coast is this enchanting port, fortified during the Hundred Years’ War and constantly fought over by the French and the English during that time. Today, it is celebrated both for the intrepid mariners who set sail from its harbour, and for the artists who found inspiration here. The special light of the Seine estuary is at its best, so the artists say, just after dawn.

Pierre and Danielle Delton have turned their country home in a village by the Eure into a splendid restaurant. Excellent cheeseboard.

Like cider, cheese is a “must-buy” in Central Normandy. This characterful farm in the south of the Pays d’Auge makes classic Pont l’Evêque and Pavé d’Auge.

Foie gras, rillettes and confits from a farm deep in the Pays d’Ouche.

Just outside town, a glowing dining room and Norman dishes with a twist of sophistication.

Hardly the Alps, but this popular, scenic region is as close to Switzerland as Normandy gets, and is very different from the typical Norman landscape. On its winding northwesterly course, the River Orne has cut through the massif , creating steep banks and the occasional severe peak. The scenery along the valley is among Normandy’s most striking. None of the “heights” are really that high, but they provide some dizzying views – and plenty of scope for outdoor pursuits. Many come for the canoeing, walking, fishing or rock-climbing; others come to hang-glide off the Pain de Sucre. Another high point is the craggy Roche d’Oëtre, with magnificent views over the Rouvre gorges and beyond. The principal tourist centres are Thury-Harcourt, Pont-d’Ouilly and Clécy.

The ancestral home of the Harcourt family has an important arboretum, created in 1802.

Time seems to run slower at this half-timbered manor just outside Honfleur. A warm welcome and excellent regional cooking.