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The northern region of Normandie, or Normandy, lies on France’s northernmost British Channel coastline. An area dominated by industrial ports and rolling, lush countryside, it is the home of the country’s famously creamy camembert cheese.
The infamous medieval Benedictine Abbey Mont St Michel is the must-see sight in Normandie and the most-visited sight in France outside of the Paris region. Visitors must be selective about when to head to visit this quaint, 1,200-year-old coastal settlement given that high tide cuts off the link to this impermanent island. Its winding, ancient streets, which house a number of souvenir shops and restaurants, lead to a well-preserved abbey at the highest point.
The city of Rouen, where Joan of Arc was famously burnt at the stake, is close to Paris with some stunning old architecture that could quite easily hold its own in the French capital. The notable Gothic cathedral here is steeped in history and the subject of paintings by Claude Monet as well as being the spot where the heart of 12th century Richard the Lionheart was buried. Rouen is also home to an impressive astrological clock, one of the best examples of such a piece anywhere in the world.
For a look into Normandy’s more recent history, head to the notorious beach heads where the Allies landed to regain Europe at the end of WWII. The Normandy landings extend 50 miles along the coastline, and more than 60 years later, the decaying remnants of German turrets and cannons are still in evidence.
Not far from the D-Day landings is the port city of Caen, capital of the Calvados area renowned for its apple brandy. Here visitors can see the tomb of the 11th century William the Conqueror as well as the hugely impressive Town Hall, nearly 1,000 years old. Caen has developed into a shopping hotspot given its popularity with visiting British tourists who come to stock up on wine and cheese, as is the case in the smaller Normandy port towns of Le Havre and Cherbourg.
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