DK Travel : Normandy

Normandy brings a dozen different images to mind: William the Conqueror, the D-Day landings, Mont-St-Michel; the bleak landscape of the Cotentin coast, the sparkling summertime playground of the Côte Fleurie; sumptuous châteaux, historic abbeys, famous gardens; the orchards of the Auge, the picture-postcard scenery of the Suisse Normande; Monet’s home at Giverny, the Cabourg immortalized by Proust – or perhaps it’s cider, calvados and camembert. Whatever your list, it will barely scratch the surface of this rich and rewarding region.

1. Mont-St-Michel

Now iconic in its fame, this solitary rock dominated by its monumental abbey became a place of pilgrimage when St Aubert built an oratory here over 1,000 years ago.
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2. Bayeux Tapestry

Unique historical document; astonishing work of art. The Tapestry tells the story of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
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3. Honfleur

A magnet for artists today as it has been since the 19th century, this picturesque maritime town was also an important centre of trade.
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4. Abbaye de Jumièges

These magnificent, eerie ruins – a subtle blend of Romanesque and Gothic architecture – are the remains of the Benedictine abbey founded by St Philibert in the 7th century.
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5. Cathédrale Notre-Dame, Rouen

It took nearly 400 years to build this splendid monument to the Gothic style, from the beautifully harmonious nave to the ornately carved west front (see Cathédrale Notre-Dame, Rouen).
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6. Caen

Old and new happily cohabit in this lively, cultured regional capital, still dominated by William the Conqueror’s Château Ducal and his two great abbeys.
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7. Deauville and La Côte Fleurie

The string of resorts on this lovely stretch of Normandy’s coastline creates a summer paradise. Racy and romantic, Deauville is a magnet for glamorous visitors.
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8. D-Day Beaches

The Allied landings of June 1944 and the Battle of Normandy that followed are movingly commemorated in museums, memorials and cemeteries throughout the area.
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9. Pays d’Auge

Quintessential Normandy, famous for its cider, its cheese, its gently rolling landscape, its orchards, and its half-timbered manor houses.
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10. Fondation Claude Monet, Giverny

The house where Monet lived and worked for more than 40 years, and the stunning garden he created using flowers as his palette are a tribute to the great painter (see Fondation Claude Monet, Giverny).
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