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The harbour of this enchanting small port was fortified after the French naval defeat in 1692, as was the Île de Tatihou – now the site of a garden, bird-watching post and maritime museum.

Though badly damaged in 1944, Valognes retains traces of its glory days as the “Versailles of the North” – including the splendid Hôtel de Beaumont.

This quiet town is noted for its Trappist monastery and its old castle.

This lively resort is formed by the villages of Barneville, Carteret and Barneville-Plage. Its rocky headland, Cap de Carteret, makes a bracing walk.

The 12th-century castle houses the Musée Barbey d’Aurevilly, dedicated to the 19th-century novelist who was born in the town (see Jules Barbey d’Aurevilly).

Apart from its war museum and church, made famous by the film The Longest Day , the town is known for its livestock market. Rural life in the early 1900s is illustrated at the Ferme Musée du Cotentin.

Though much of the vast nave is missing, this Benedictine abbey is still a powerful reminder of the importance of monasteries in medieval times.

The strongest draw in the regional capital, which was unsympathetically rebuilt after wartime destruction, is the important Haras (national stud), where you can inspect 100 stallions of different breeds.

Set on an island in the middle of an artificial lake, this remote 12th-century fortress is a stirring sight.

The roofless remains of this once-great château, the ancestral home of the Argouges family, lie in quiet countryside. An exhibition tells its story.