Normandy, France

State guide with cities, regions, and key information.

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Introduction
Normandy stretches along the English Channel in north-western France, a green region of apple orchards, half-timbered manor houses, chalk cliffs and long sandy beaches within easy reach of Paris. For travellers it offers an extraordinary concentration of the famous: the D-Day landing beaches and their memorials, the island abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, the Bayeux Tapestry recounting the 1066 conquest of England, Monet's water-lily gardens at Giverny, the cliffs of Étretat and the harbour of Honfleur where Impressionism was born — all amid one of France's great food and cider regions.

Discover Normandy

On 6 June 1944 — D-Day — Allied forces landed along some eighty kilometres of Normandy coast in Operation Overlord, the largest amphibious invasion in history and the start of the liberation of Western Europe. The five landing beaches, code-named from west to east Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword, are today a landscape of memory studded with museums, cemeteries and preserved fortifications. Above Omaha Beach, the Normandy American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer — rows of white crosses overlooking the sea, familiar from the opening of 'Saving Private Ryan' — is the most visited and most moving of the sites. At Arromanches the remains of the prefabricated Mulberry harbour still lie in the bay; at Pointe du Hoc the cratered cliff-top where US Rangers scaled the rock under fire is left much as it was; and Pegasus Bridge, the Canadian cemetery at Bény-sur-Mer and the German cemetery at La Cambe complete the story from many sides. The Mémorial de Caen is the great interpretive museum, setting the landings within the whole sweep of the twentieth century. Most visitors base in Bayeux or Caen and explore by car or guided tour; the beaches are spread out and a full day, ideally two, does them justice.

Travel Types

D-Day Beaches & WWII History

The five landing beaches, the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, Arromanches, Pointe du Hoc and the Mémorial de Caen.

Mont-Saint-Michel & Medieval Heritage

The tidal island abbey, the Bayeux Tapestry, and Rouen's old town, cathedral and Joan of Arc sites.

Impressionist Coast

Monet's gardens at Giverny, the cliffs of Étretat, the harbour of Honfleur, and the resorts of Deauville and Trouville.

Cider, Cheese & Countryside

Camembert and Norman cheeses, the cider and Calvados route, cream cuisine, Channel seafood and the bocage manor country.

Frequently asked questions

Base yourself in Bayeux or Caen, which sit right behind the beaches and have good museums and rail links. The five beaches stretch about eighty kilometres along the coast, so most visitors hire a car or join a guided tour; a full day covers the highlights — the American Cemetery above Omaha at Colleville-sur-Mer, the Mulberry harbour remains at Arromanches, and the cliff-top craters of Pointe du Hoc — while two days let you add the Mémorial de Caen museum and the Canadian and German cemeteries for a fuller picture.

Mont-Saint-Michel lies in Normandy, in the Manche department, right on the historic border with Brittany — a source of friendly rivalry between the two regions. You reach it by leaving your car in the mainland car park and taking the free shuttle (or walking) across the causeway-bridge to the island. Check the tide times before you go: the bay has some of the highest tides in Europe, and the incoming water and guided bay walks are part of the experience.

Normandy is one of France's richest food regions, built on dairy and apples. It is the home of Camembert, Pont-l'Évêque and Livarot cheeses and of famously rich butter and cream, while the apple gives cider, the pommeau aperitif and the celebrated apple brandy Calvados — the Route du Cidre links the orchards and farms where you can taste them. From the Channel come Isigny oysters, scallops and sole, and the cooking leans on cream, apples and seafood.

Cities in Normandy

1 city with detailed travel information

Caen