DK Travel : Normandy : Northwestern Normandy : Places of interest

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Port Racine

En route to Cap de la Hague, France’s smallest port is tucked beneath the road. From here, follow signs to Jardins Prévert, an oasis at the head of a wild valley.
Querqueville

Beside the hilltop church, surrounded by a cemetery packed with ornate marble tombs, stands St-Germain, the oldest (10th century) chapel in western France.
Sea Trips

Cruise on a traditional ship (Les Vieux Gréements) under full sail, visit the fortifications in Cherbourg harbour, or take the Jolie France from Granville for a picnic day on Chausey’s Grand-Île.
St-Germain-des-Vaux

This tiny, tranquil village offers the perfect lunch stop – at Le Moulin à Vent (see Le Moulin à Vent, St-Germain-des-Vaux).
Utah Beach

On D-Day, 6 June 1944, the eastern coast of the Cotentin Peninsula, code-named Utah Beach, received thousands of American troops, backed up by paratroops dropped inland around Ste-Mère-Eglise (see D-Day Beaches).
Val de Saire

The gentle prettiness of this verdant valley east of Barfleur is in sharp contrast to the wild coastline (see A Day in Cotentin).
Vallée de la Vire

As it winds towards the sea, the River Vire cuts deeply through granite schists to form a ribbon of water amid glorious countryside. Towpaths border most of the river between Vire and St-Lô, so you can picnic, cycle, walk or horse-ride alongside. Condé-sur-Vire is the place for canoeing, while at Roches de Ham, the granite terrain leaps up to form a towering 80 m (260 ft) rock face above the river. Here are magnificent views of the verdant valley – and a welcome little crêperie and cider bar in summer. Nearby, La Chapellesur-Vire makes a perfect picnic spot. The grandiose chapel that dominates the village has been a place of pilgrimage since the 12th century. At Torigni-sur-Vire, the Château de Matignon houses a fine collection of tapestries.
Vauville

The subtropical gardens of Château de Vauville and a beach perfect for sand yachting are the twin attractions here.
Véloroutes

A network of circular cycle paths, each about 20 km (12 miles), has been developed all over rural Manche especially for family bike rides.
Villedieu-les-Poêles

For 800 years, this pretty little town – in every nook and cranny of which there are copper pots and pans for sale – has been the capital of copper (see Copper). In the Atelier de Cuivre, you can see the craftsmen at work, while the atmospheric Fonderie des Cloches gives a fascinating insight into the making of bells (clay, horse dung and goat hair are some unlikely components). Another local craft, lacemaking, is explained at the Musée de la Poeslerie.