When many people think of Normandy, the D-Day invasion which took place in the Second World War tends to come to mind quite quickly. There is much more to this beautiful area than wartime history however, and driving through the area can help you experience it in a way that television shows and movies could never do.
A drive through Normandy will often begin in Rouen. This large city has enough historical areas to make even the biggest history buff happy. You may want to keep them entertained by taking a walk through the Place du Vieux Marche. This is the old market square where Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc) met her untimely end when she was burned at the stake in 1431. If you are driving yourself and are not part of a tour, you may want to take advantage of the car park that is located near this area.
There are other historical sites to see in Rouen. The Gros Horloge is, as its’ name suggests, a large clock. The tower that the clock sits in is so large that it actually straddles the street. You can pass through the tower and walk to the Cathedrale Notre Dame. Anyone who is familiar with the works of Claude Monet will recognize this cathedral as it was the subject of some of his paintings.
Once you have tired of Rouen (something which can take some time to do) you can leave and continue your tour through Normandy. The next stop on your tour should be in the town of Honfleur. This is a harbor town and the views are so beautiful that it is no wonder Impressionistic artists were drawn to the area. If you want to enjoy a meal and glass of wine here you may want to make your way to the Vieux Bassin or Old Dock. There are many fine places to stay while in Honfleur if you want to take a longer break from your tour.
You can continue on to Bayeaux, home of the world famous Bayeaux tapestry. Far from being a simple piece of cloth, this tapestry describes the events of the Norman invasion of England. It is a massive piece of embroidered cloth that measures 20 inches in width and 230 feet in length. The cloth dates from 1066 and is a major historical artifact because of the wealth of information it gives regarding life at the time it was created. It is incredibly detailed and even shows the passage of Haley’s Comet in 1066.
The tapestry now resides in la Musee de la Tapisserie de Bayeaux which has a presentation you can watch that talks about the tapestry and the story that it tells. The story is from the Norman point of view and the Normans were successful in conquering England. This is something that should be kept in mind when viewing the images on the tapestry.
While you are in the Bayeaux area, you may want to take a trip to the beaches of Normandy. You need to travel about 10 miles or 16 kms from the town of Bayeaux in order to do so. There are many museums that are dedicated to the Allied landing on D-Day. Walking on the beaches and reflecting about what happened is powerful and very moving, much as touring the cemeteries and reading the names of the fallen soldiers is.
Mont Saint Michel is a great place to end your tour of Normandy. The bay is home to a monastery which perches on a rock in the middle and is beautiful when viewed from a distance. Although the town may feel like a tourist trap when you first arrive it does not feel like this everywhere. You may want to consider the fact that the town has been attracting pilgrims (the original tourists) for hundreds of years and there have always been stalls and merchants on hand to offer the travelers items they need (or think they need).
My husband and I are planing a triip to France because we have some relatives in Normandy we are planning on visiting. This article has gotten me quite excited and info has helped to give me more ideas for site seeing. I can’t wait!
Although Normandy does sound like a beautiful place to visit and has a lot of things to do and see, I can not get past the D-Day experience. It is hard sometimes to see the beauty in things when something so horrific took place there. Thank you for the post though it is good to have a different perspective.
It seems to me that Normandy is very much a site (and a sight to see) with a rich war history, besides the invasion of the Allies in World War II. The Joan of Ark is an intriguing story, but the chance to see a genuine, gothic cathedral like the one in Notre Dame is for me the most attractive aspect of this area. As an avid photographer, nothing is more dramatic than the terrain of an ancient cathedral, with its medley of mysterious gargoyles and furtive symbols and shapes embedded in the building’s architecture. There is already enough for me to want to plan a vacation there.
Great post! I hiked the entire coast of Normandy a few years ago and was taken back by the kindness of all of the locals. Over seven days of hiking, and I don’t think I was ever out of sight of an American flag. They hold Americans (Brits and Canadians as well) in very high regard in Normandy as their liberators in World War II and, even after so many years, still seem to have a sense of gratitude.
Other things I remember from the trip: Great apples, cheese, and oysters.
I’d go back again in a heartbeat….
The opening paragraph is spot on when it says people usually think of the D-Day invasion by the allies in World War II. And that’s exactly why I would want to visit Normandy. So the questions for me are about the shore on the beach where the troops came ashore. Is this a tourist landmark? Are there any attractions or memorials there that are of interest to those of us who are history buffs / students? I am quite sure I would enjoy the surrounding areas that the article cites. They are important amenities for a vacationing family. So unless there’s not much to see on that famous landmark other than a typical beach, I think it would do Normandy justice to feature this with a few screen shots.
I have to admit, I did not realize Normandy was an area of such rich culture. Talk about a million stories in a naked city. There seem to be as many story points in these streets as a Monet impressionist painting. I’m sure this must be an interesting vacation destination for college students, especially art history majors, since Monet is the innovator of the impressionist style of painting and his own life was quite a documented adventurous which is why many students tend to take a special interest in studying his life and in visiting famous sites which were the setting for many events in his life.