Haute-Normandie

Made world-famous by the Mont Saint-Michel, which was built in defiance of climatic conditions by monks in the Middle Ages, Normandy provides marine, urban and country pleasures all at once.

To seaward, there are the flowery harbour of Honfleur, the hollowed-out rock at Etretat, the beaches of Deauville or the wild Cotentin coasts. Inland, there are the cider and mill routes, green bocage, and paths through the Pays de Caux. Half-timbered houses in Rouen, the Bayeux cathedral, the famous Haras in Orne, the Abbaye-aux-Hommes in Caen… Wherever you go, the region reveals new attractions. Its painters and writers knew why they were here: the soft light of the Seine, the charm of the seaside, and the atmosphere of the countryside were sources of inspiration for Millet, Eugène Boudin, Corot, Pissarro – or Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas père. Profoundly influenced by its stormy past, Normandy is a land of major artistic and historic importance. Its character can even been discerned in its cuisine: its butter, its 32 cheeses, its thick cream, Caen tripe, Vire andouille and Calvados apple brandy are monuments in their own right!

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