Top 15 Best Things to do in Normandy, France

By Myrabella – Wikimedia

Top 15 Best Things to do in Normandy, France

Normandy is such a beautiful place filled with magnificent monuments and lots of natural beauty. The place has several palaces, museum and of course the cherry on top is Mont Saint-Michel.

This is where the impressionist movement began with the sunrise at Le Havre by Monet. Normandy’s coast experienced most of world war II and you can witness all that through the memorials, museums and beaches named after them like D-Day beaches.

The art fans will also have a pleasant time visiting the Bayeux tapestry and Abbaye aux Hommes. A walk-through Rouen old town will be a pleasant one as you spot and marvel at Roman and renaissance architecture.

You cannot run out of things to do in fact, there are plenty of things to do that you may feel overwhelmed. Here are the Top 15 things to do in Normandy, France.

1. Tour one of the most iconic Abbeys in France

There is no doubt that Mont Saint-Michel is a sight to behold, standing tall on an island.

The island is made of granite rock and is between Normandy and Brittany. It was built in the 18^th century and within its compound are other beautiful buildings surrounding it.

The view of the abbey changes depending on the tide since they are the highest tide in Europe. On a high tide, you will get to see a perfect picturesque reflection of Mont Saint-Michel on the water. Do check the tide chart during your travel to get the best view.

One thing to note is that most tourists walk through the sand to the abbey and once there, be ready to walk up about 300 steps to the Abbey. You can also walk on the tiny cobbled streets along the ramparts to view the bay.

Mont Saint-Michel is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

2. Hike up the Étretat Cliffs

By Gustave Courbet – Wikimedia

These are gigantic white limestone cliffs with natural arches and a 55-metre needle at one of Seine’s coastal commune. These cliffs are on both sides of the town.

Once at the beach you will be able to spot the smallest arch east of La Porte d’Amont. The largest of the all, L’Arche et l’Aiguille, has an image carved by Monet and Gustave Courbet.

You can get to the top of the widest arch by climbing up on a rail to La Manneporte. The beach below is also magnificent and one can walk along the cliffs for a beautiful view. These chalk cliffs have not only drawn tourists, but also great artists who got inspiration from it.

Visiting the cliffs at sunrise or sunset on a clear day will give you the best views and lovely photos.

3. Museum of Modern Art André Malraux

The Le Havre art museum is located in a colourful 1960s glass-and-metal structure. It features huge glass windows that let in plenty of natural light, a favourite feature to many artists.

This museum was the first one to be built after World War II after the initial one got destroyed in 1944. Monet and Gustave Courbet’s work have been featured in here.

Other artists work that you will find include Raoul Dufy’s oil, water-colours and sketches; Eugène Boudin’s Normandy beach scenes and landscapes. The others include Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley and Degas.

4. Hire a boat at Honfleur

By Pir6mon – Wikimedia

Normandy’s old port has for years inspired impressionist artists. They’d visit the department of Calvados to view the harbour across from which are beautiful narrow houses.

Once here, you will take notice of the moored sailboats by the harbour. You can hire one of these for a cruise in the sea and back.

In this city, is where you will find one of the oldest churches built using wood from the 15^th century. Saint Catherine church was built by shipbuilders similar to a boat body.

The bell tower at the church is made of wood and was separated from the main church building in case of fire.

5. Tour the Normandy American Cemetery

Get to see the resting place of American soldiers that fought for the liberation of Europe. There are 9,300 graves at the Normandy American cemetery.

You can walk along the well-maintained site filled with white crosses of those that were found. Further east, is a semi-circular garden with walls of the missing. There are rosettes on the monument indicating those that were found.

Still at the cemetery is a visitors’ centre that has personal stories of the soldiers. You will find photos, texts, films and other interactive exhibits.

These materials demonstrate the importance of operation overlord in freeing Europe from Nazi Germany.  Close by is the Omaha Beach.

6. Take a tour of Claude Monet’s House and Gardens

While in Giverny, Normandy, get to see where Monet lived from 1883 to 1926. His house has since been turned into a museum, with his home and studio remaining intact.

A house tour of the kitchen, bedroom, dining room and the blue sitting room will give you a surreal look of how Monet lived. The rooms in the house are stylish and bright unlike the look of most interior decorations of the time.

Now the garden is something to check out too. There are sunflowers, wisteria, a water lily pond and a Japanese footbridge. These have featured in most of his famous works.

To enjoy your tour, get there early before it gets crowded.

7. Bayeux Tapestry Museum

By Myrabella – Wikimedia

You are probably wondering what this museum is all about. Accounts of the Battle of the Hastings in 1066 has been recorded here.

You will see the amazingly long and beautiful work of art that is Bayeux Tapestry. This tapestry is about 230-foot-long and has been displayed in a dark room specially lit to show every detail. The work was done on a linen cloth that was decorated using woollen thread.

This is not all that you will see, the other section of the museum has permanent exhibitions detailing how the tapestry was done. You will also get an outline of the historical context and the Anglo-Norman Kingdom from the 11^th century.

A short 15-minute film, in English and French, is usually played showing the reconstruction of scenes from the battle as well as the making of the tapestry.

8. Visit William the Conqueror’s tomb at Abbaye aux Hommes

The Abbaye aux Hommes in Caen is where William the Conqueror tomb is. This abbey also goes back in time to when the Duke of Normandy conquered England.

William and his wife Matilda commissioned the construction of the Benedictine monastery together with Abbaye aux Dame. This was to make up for their marriage which was forbidden by the Pope.

There are frequent temporary exhibitions at the abbey detailing how it has been used since the 11^th century. This Romanesque building survived World War II and stands out with its yellow limestone.

The cloister is made of white marble and was rebuilt in the 18^th century following the Tuscan style. Inside it is small remnants from when it used to be rampart during the 100 years war.

9. Tatihou Island

This island is close to Mont Saint-Michel and you can walk across to it when the tide is low.

The battle between the Anglo-Dutch fleet and the French happened here in 1692. Twelve French ships were sunk and its also where a British gun frigate was grounded on the island.

You will find a maritime museum exhibiting artefacts that were recovered from the battle. There are a botanical garden, a bird reserve and the bastion of the old sea fortress.

There is an annual music festival held on the island every August.

10. Old Centre in Rouen

By Herbert Frank – Wikimedia

The historic centre of Rouen in the Normandy region is one of the most charming places to visit.

The Old town is characterized by more than 2000 half-timbered houses. These houses were built in the 15^th century and they were considered a fire hazard.

The houses are lined along the cobbled stoned street where you will also see gothic churches. The Gros Horloge is another site to behold, it is an astronomical clock and one of the oldest in the city.

It was built in the 14^th century and placed on top of a renaissance archway from the 16^th century. The Gothic churches here include the unmissable Saint-Ouen that is from the 14^th century. The organ in this church was designed by Aristide Cavaille-coll.

11. Get your fill of Normandy art

If you would like to sample more art in Normandy, then Musée d’Art Moderne André Malraux in Le Havre is the place to be. The works in here are from the 15^th to 20^th centuries.

The impressionist artwork is from remarkable artists like Boudin, Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, Manet, Degas and Cross.

The museum has a great modern design and with advantageous views of the cargoes arriving and leaving the port. The building is made of glass and metal with large windows letting in natural light.

12. Le Havre

After the war and destruction that came with it, most of the French cities took to restore their buildings. Le Havre did otherwise, it decided to use concrete instead of wood that was initially used.

This new design was commissioned by Auguste Perret and the city got recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

An example is the Eglise Saint-Joseph that was finished in 1956. This building still has its classical appearance but with no column in the central section.

Something else to look forward to seeing here is the Museum and a walk along with the port.

13. Omaha Beach

German bunker By Wikimedia

The Omaha beach goes back to the battle between Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes and Vierville-Sur-Mer. This site was a battlefield during the second world war where the cruellest fighting happened.

While you can walk to the beach and enjoy the walk of fame, there is a museum nearby that details the war.

Inside the museum, you will find the soldiers uniform and other personal belongings.

To see more of the German Atlantic Wall defence system just walk towards the Normandy American Cemetery, and you will find bunkers along the way.

14. Chausey archipelago

A trip to the Chausey archipelago is one to look forward to while in Normandy. It is about 10 miles from Granville.

Here you will find several islands and islets that cannot be toured in a day or even a week. Be sure to go when the tide is low because you will love the seascape.

A day ferry takes tourists for a full day tour to the mainland since the rest are protected. While on the island, the clear water and beautiful sandy beaches will catch your eyes.

More than 200,000 tourists visit this island annually to enjoy the beaches and also take part in water sport activities.

15. Musée du Débarquement (Landing Museum)

Another attraction in Normandy by the beach is the Landing Museum that showcases events of WWII.

In here you will get to learn how the prefabricated Mulberry Harbour was constructed. It’s here that the troops, vehicles and supplies were unloaded during the Allied invasion in 1944.

What you will see are remnants of the concrete block of the floating harbour. Inside the museum, you will find models, mock-ups and photos illustrating the D-Day landings.