Normandy

Discover Normandy on a driving holiday

A car holiday doesn't necessarily mean spending days driving across Europe to a southern destination. A great place for a self-drive holiday is North West France, which is tailor-made for a driving holiday, with good roads, beautiful countryside and idyllic towns and beaches. And it's not far from the Danish border either. A private car is a great form of transport between the various sights as there are always exciting detours where new experiences await.

For those interested in history, Normandy has an impressive cultural heritage to offer, as well as a unique and picturesque natural environment. From the beautiful northern French beaches of Étretat, reproduced in several of Claude Monet's paintings, to impressive cathedrals such as Notre-Dame de Rouen. The famous Bayeaux Tapestry, the monastic island of Mont St Michel and the D-Day scene on the Normandy coast are just some of the many sights Normandy has to offer. There are several idyllic towns to choose from when visiting Normandy on your self-drive holiday, so why not start in Honfleur. This delightful little port town is situated on the estuary of the Seine. The quay is adorned with several beautiful and historic houses, galleries and charming little restaurants. Enjoy a stroll on the Pont de Normandie which covers the entire area around the estuary. Or take a walk up the hill to the Notre-Dame de Grâce chapel. Here you can enjoy views over the river. There are also several boat trips from Honfleur to the estuary. If you continue along the coast to the west, you'll reach the Côte Fleurie or 'Flower Coast', which covers the stretch between the towns of Deauville and Trouville. There are lovely wide, family-friendly sandy beaches here. The area is also known as the Riviera of Northern France and is very popular in summer. Before heading to the famous beaches where the Allies made the landings towards the end of World War II in Europe, stop off in Caen founded by William the Conqueror in the 11th century and capital of the region. During the Battle of Caen from June to August 1944, the city was almost completely destroyed but is today rebuilt to its former glory. Visitors will discover the imposing bastions of the superb medieval castle, the Abbaye aux Dames from the Hundred Years War and the time of William the Conqueror and Queen Mathilde, re-enacted on the Bayeux Tapestry, as well as a number of excellent museums. The Mémorial de Caen is probably Normandy's most comprehensive museum from the D-Day and a treat for anyone with an interest in history and World War II. Just outside the city, Caen's Église St-Étienne houses the tomb of William of Normandy. Around Caen there are lovely beaches and the city even has its own marina, Bassin Saint-Pierre, an important part of the cityscape. While you're in the Calvados district, don't forget to sample both the local cheeses and the local apple brandy of the same name.

The Allied landings at Sword, Juno, Gold, Utah and Omaha beaches were a turning point in World War II and a visit is an exciting experience for all the family and a great way to get up close to one of today's greatest invasions and the events that took place on 6 June 1944. Stop by Cafe Gondrée at Juno Beaches in Bourville which was the first house liberated during Operation Overlord, or D-Day. Opposite is Memorial Pegasus, a museum focusing on the preparatory attacks before the actual landings along the Normandy beaches. In Arromanche-les-Bains are the remains of the supply port, and an extensive museum, the Musée du Débarquement. Just outside the town is Arromanche 360 which shows impressive 360 degree films of and about the invasion and war. Continue your journey by car to Omaha and Utah beaches, and also stop by Pointe du Hoc for the story of the German battery that finally surrendered. The area around the battery stands completely untouched, pockmarked by bomb craters and remnants of destroyed defensive positions. On Omaha beach and not far from the American cemetery is the Overlord Museum, which displays artefacts from the war - quite an impressive display. Several nations have their own cemeteries and they all bear witness to the horror and sacrifice of war. The American cemetery has 9,387 white marble crosses in a row, and in the German cemetery at La Cambre, 21,300 German soldiers lie in the mire.

But D-Day was not the only major battle of importance, because 878 years earlier there was a slightly smaller battle in England, at Hastings, but of equal importance. Here William of Normandy, also known as William the Conqueror, defeated the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson and gained power in England. The whole battle, but also the time before, has been reproduced on a 70-metre-long embroidered linen canvas known as the Bayeaux Tapestry and it can rightly be nominated as one of the great treasures of the Middle Ages. One of the great tourist attractions and unforgettable sights in Normandy is the abbey island of Mont-Saint-Michel. In 798, Bishop Aubert built a chapel on the island and over time it became an entire medieval village, which can still be visited and which hides both exciting and mysterious stories. At low tide, Mont-Saint-Michel is tied to the mainland, but at high tide it is an island surrounded by sea.

Normandy is also for families. Visit the zoo at Clères, the Jardins du Bois des Moutiers and the beautiful animal park at Cerza, which are sure to bring smiles and laughter to the younger generation. The Parc Festyland amusement park is also a playground of fun games, so children are guaranteed to have a good time.

Normandy's cuisine is as varied as it is rich, and with an enormous natural wealth in its backyard, Normandy has built up quite a gastronomic reputation. The sea of La Manche offers scallops and oysters. The herring festival, Fête du Hereng, is well known in Dieppe and the surrounding area, and then there are the local delicacies like Andouillette from Vire and of course cheeses from the Pays d'Auge like Camembert, Pont-l'Evêque and Neufchâtel. There are also many apple trees in Normandy and the apple brandy Calvados and their cider is a very special treat. So enjoy a family Normandy self-drive holiday where a wide range of experiences await you.