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.

Memorial Pegasus

Museum and memorial to the allied troops who landed at Raneville-Benouville on 6 June 1944 and liberated the Pegasus Bridge permitting the assault onward to Caen.
Mont Saint Michel

mont saint michel is an old monastery off the coast of normandy. it is unique as the place have the fastests moving tide in europe, which can be seen, and is amazing, daily. the monastery itself s built on a small island and nowadays houses private residences as well as shops and restaurants. if in the area it is well worth a visit, if nothing else for the stunning views you get from the many view points all around the place.