DK Travel : Normandy : Northwestern Normandy

Northwestern Normandy : Overview & Top 10

Normandy’s northwest is a world of its own . Thrusting into the English Channel is the Cotentin Peninsula, with picturesque little ports, long, unspoilt beaches, and gannets and shearwaters wheeling in the sky above wild and windblown headlands. Cotentin’s proud maritime heritage is evident, especially in the important strategic port and naval base of Cherbourg, and it was from here in the Middle Ages that the descendants of Norse settlers set sail to establish kingdoms in Sicily and southern Italy. Further south, in the heart of the region – which encompasses the département of Manche – lies the marshy landscape of the Marais du Cotentin et du Bessin, a paradise for nature lovers. Further south, there are meadows and hedgerows (bocage ), and the lovely River Vire, seemingly made for pleasure.

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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.