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The cliffs and arches of Étretat in Normandy

Normandy

Brittany's eastern neighbour shares its love of cider and seafood, and adds some of Europe's most important history.

Photo: Jörg Braukmann, CC BY-SA 4.0
  • RegionNormandy
  • Saint-Malo to Bayeux~2 h 30
  • Best forHistory, cliffs, cheese
  • Visit2–4 days

Many visitors combine the two regions, especially those arriving by ferry into Caen, Cherbourg or Le Havre, or flying to Paris.

The D-Day beaches

The landing beaches of 6 June 1944 stretch along the Calvados coast, about 2 h 30 by car from Saint-Malo. Key sites include Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, Pointe du Hoc, the artificial harbour at Arromanches, the Juno Beach Centre and the Caen Memorial museum. Guided tours from Bayeux or Caen are the best way to understand the battle.

Les Braves memorial on Omaha Beach
Les Braves memorial on Omaha Beach.

Bayeux

A charming small town with a Gothic cathedral and the museum of the Bayeux Tapestry. The museum is being renovated and the tapestry is due to be away until 2027, so check the latest before you plan around it.

The coast

  • Étretat: white chalk cliffs and natural arches, about 4 hours from Saint-Malo.
  • Honfleur: a picture-perfect old harbour that inspired the Impressionists.
  • The Cotentin peninsula, with Cherbourg and the wild Cap de la Hague.

Food and drink

Normandy is famous for Camembert, Pont-l'Évêque and Livarot cheeses, cider, pommeau and calvados apple brandy. See how the two regions compare in Brittany vs Normandy.

Stay in Normandy

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Header photo: Photo: Jörg Braukmann, CC BY-SA 4.0

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