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Sixty years after D-Day, the momentous events of 6 June 1944, when the Allies landed on the beaches of the huge Seine Bay, are commemorated in memorials, museums and cemeteries.

Reconstructed after the war, Caen retains its compact historic centre and Romanesque architectural masterpieces, including William the Conqueror’s abbey church of St-Etienne, which sheltered hundreds of citizens during the ferocious Battle of Caen in 1944. Many visitors head straight for the absorbing Mémorial museum on the outskirts and then leave, but any time spent in this lively, cultured city with a fascinating history is time well spent.

Known the world over for its famous Tapestry, the small-scale, beautifully kept cathedral town itself is far less well known – yet full of charm. Allow two hours for a visit to the Tapestry in the Centre Guillaume-le-Conquérant, and at least another two to explore Vieux Bayeux (see Bayeux Tapestry).

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.

Normandy’s most alluring stretch of coast, fringed by marvellous sandy beaches, is enlivened by a string of resorts that offer something for everyone: gambling or, if you can’t afford to gamble, people-watching in opulent Deauville; shrimping and sand-yachting in Houlgate and Cabourg; and the many amusements of happy-go-lucky Trouville. The D513 follows the coast, dipping inland around the impressive corniche, Falaises des Vaches Noires, that rises up between Houlgate and Villerssur-Mer.

If Normandy’s long coastline reaches a peak of loveliness between Cabourg and Honfleur, then so does the landscape behind it. This is the Pays d’Auge, quintessentially Norman countryside, rich in orchards and dairy produce, that stretches back from the Côte Fleurie and Côte de Grâce through the heart of the département of Calvados. Lisieux, famed for its connections with Ste Thérèse, is its principal town, and there are many old manors and pretty villages to explore besides – as well as cheese, cider and Calvados to taste and buy.

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.

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.

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.

Easily accessible from Paris, the lush Eure Valley is a popular weekend destination for city dwellers. The stretch of the Eure between Chartres and the Seine is sometimes referred to as the Valley of the Mistresses, since it passes first the château of Louis XIV’s secret wife, Madame de Maintenon (just outside Normandy in Île de France), then Château d’Anet, commissioned by Diane de Poitiers, mistress of Henri II. From Anet, the D143 and D836 follow the river past attractive Ivry-la-Bataille and Pacy-sur-Eure, with its fine 13th-century church. A lovely stretch at Cocherel comes next, then Château d’Acquigny, set in a landscaped park. The Eure ends at Louviers, which has a small but pretty old quarter near its 13th-century church of Notre-Dame (see Notre-Dame, Louviers).