Normandy
Art, History & Archaeology Sites & Museums
This northwestern region of France attracts many visitors to see the memorials and monuments of the D-Day Beaches of World War 2, not far from the city of Caen. Further back in time, Rouen was one of the largest and richest cities of Medieval Europe. Also a city where Joan of Arc is thought to have been burned at the stake. Where Monet painted his famous cathedral series. The Seine River Valley is know too for the many beautiful abbeys and monasteries. Normandy was heavily attacked by the Vikings from the 9th century onwards. Normandy has been the site of many conflicts, including the Normandy Campaigns in the early years of the 1200s, the Hundred Years War from 1337, and the 16th century Wars of Religion. Each of these has had a visible impact on the built environment, and what it is that tourists come to see.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Reasons to Visit Normandy
Impressionism,
Castles, Forts & Abbeys,
D-Day Beaches,
… and Cheese, Cider & Calvados.
Find Places to Visit in Normandy
Five Popular Attractions in Normandy
Bayeux Tapestry
D-Day Beaches
Mont Saint Michel
Monet’s House & Garden
Rouen Cathedral
Explore Normandy more deeply
Historic Cities in Normandy
Bayeux
Caen
Dieppe
Le Havre
Rouen
What to See in Normandy
Castles & Fortresses
Normandy has a number of great fortresses and castles to visit. From the fortified town and abbey on Mont Saint Michel to the castle forts associated with such important historical figures as Richard the Lionheart and William the Conqueror. At the northern end of Normandy is Château d’Eu, a royal residence from the 16th century and later King Louis-Philippe’s summer residence. As English and French rulers fought over Normandy for centuries, so the fortresses and castles developed, in appearance and function.
Monasteries & Abbeys
Normandy is where you will find the world’s most well known and frequently visited medieval abbey, namely Mont Saint Michel. Scattered around this vast northern region of France, however, are many other equally spectacular monasteries and abbeys. Given the age of some of these religious sites it is perhaps not surprising that some, like those at Savigny and Saint-Evroult, are now in ruins. So evocative is the ruined Benedictine Jumiéges Abbey that it has frequently been described as France’s most beautiful ruins.
World War II Sites & Memorials
