Honfleur

A very picturesque old fishing port at the mouth of the Seine, Honfleur was a mecca for nineteenth century artists such as Boudin and Pissarro.

Watch today’s painters and pleasure craft around the ‘Vieux Bassin’ and dine at delightful quayside restaurants. Visitors also head for the fifteenth/sixteenth century Church of Sainte-Catherine, the largest wooden church in France.

Bayeux Tapestry

The world famous Bayeux Tapestry graphically details not just the Battle of Hastings but also many of the significant events leading up to the invasion of England in 1066.

Historic Bayeux also has fine medieval buildings, the magnificent Gothic Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Battle of Normandy Memorial Museum. Bayeux is also home to professional lacemakers, and has a great Saturday market.

Cite de la Mer - Cherbourg

Located in Cherbourg’s historic Transatlantic Terminal, within walking distance of the ferryport port and Cherbourg town centre, this vast complex is dedicated to the ocean. View the displays dedicated to underwater exploration, visit ‘Le Redoubtable’, the world’s largest submarine open to the public, and marvel at the huge salt-water aquariums containing over 3,500 fish.

Caen - Memorial Museum

Within easy reach of Ouistreham, the Brittany Ferries port for Caen, Le Memorial de Caen is a thought-provoking museum for peace using film and audiovisual displays to give a history of war from 1918 to the present day. Child-friendly, with lovely gardens, it is a most interesting end to a ‘landing beaches’ tour.

Rouen

Famous as the place of Joan of Arc’s martyrdom, the historic city port of Rouen on the River Seine is also where William the Conqueror died in 1087. It offers visitors fine buildings, the great Notre-Dame Cathedral, the church of Saint-Ouen where Joan of Arc was sentenced to death, plus a wealth of museums including the Fine Arts and Ceramics Museum and the Flaubert Musem. And, of course, Rouen has superb shopping and restaurants.

Giverny

Monet’s house and stunning gardens, including the famous Japanese bridge, inspired many of the artist’s most famous impressionist works. Popular with visitors, arrive early to avoid the crowds and leave time to visit the Museum of American Art nearby.

Alencon - Musee des Beaux Arts et de la Dentelle

Visit this museum for guided tours in English on the history of Alencon lace-making for more than 4 centuries. The most elaborate of all French lace, used in traditional costume, and which remained a major French industry until the nineteenth century.