The most beautiful villages in Normandy are waiting for us to include them in a route through France.
Normandy is a region in northern France, characterized by the beauty of its coast as well as its towns and cities.
Fellow travellers, welcome to some of the most beautiful towns and villages in Normandy!
Indice:
Rouen
We start in this city separated from Paris by 130 kilometers.
Rouen is the capital of the Normandy region and is located on the banks of the Seine River.
Its cobbled pedestrian centre with medieval half-timbered houses is a must-see in the city, as is the Notre-Dame cathedral, which appears in numerous paintings by the painter Claude Monet.
This religious monument has a Romanesque part built in 1030 and a Gothic part built in 1145. The cathedral was completed in 1506 and declared historical monument in 1862. In this cathedral lie the remains of Richard the Lionheart.
Rouen is beautiful, it is impossible not to include it among the most beautiful towns in Normandy.
The truth is that the advice, as is often the case, is to walk a lot, try to walk slowly, and look up whenever you can, because the wooden framework of the houses and the inclination of many of them due to the type of construction in the Middle Ages, means that we cannot stop being amazed by the images that reach our eyes.
The Great Clock that crosses the street is made up of a bell tower with a gilded lead sundial. The Great Clock is another of the places that we cannot miss in this city, it is truly a marvel.
The city is closely associated with Joan of Arc, as she was executed in Rouen, a fact we remember when we arrive at the Market Square.
Many half-timbered houses are concentrated on this square, as well as the new market, the contemporary Church of St. Joan of Arc and the Cross of the Rehabilitation, which marks the spot where Joan of Arc was burned on 30 May 1431. In the Middle Ages, public punishments and executions took place here.
A market is still operating in the place.
We stayed in Rouen, the hotel chosen was the Hotel Litteraire Gustave Flaubert. The hotel has charm and the location is very good.
Étretat
90 kilometres from Rouen we find Étretat. These cliffs, famous for having been portrayed by Monet on several occasions, are a must on this tour.
The town is small and charming, but the beach and its cliffs attract all the attention due to their grandeur and beauty.
This tour of Normandy is a must-see, and as I was saying, these are just some of the places you can find.
We do less than 50 kilometers and arrive at a town of magical beauty.
Honfleur
We cross the Normandy Bridge: It is one of the largest bridges in the world. It connects Lower Normandy with Upper Normandy and we arrive at ….. Honfleur.
Beautiful half-timbered houses reflecting in the water greeted us upon arrival in Honfleur. The truth is that the spectacle is wonderful and the place is unmissable, even if you just go for the day.
Typical shops and restaurants make this Normandy port one of the most beautiful places on the coast of northern France. A must-see on any tour of Normandy.
The wooden Church of Saint Catherine is an icon in this coastal town, it has a dome separate from the main building and is the largest church in France built in wood.
Like the cliffs of Étretat, it was also portrayed several times by Monet or Courbet, among other artists.
64 kilometers separate us from Caen.
We rented the car in Paris to tour several places in France and we will return it in Paris at the end of the tour. As I always say, it is generally a bit cheaper to pick up and return it in the same place.
►Find the car for your tour on Discovercars
Fall
64 kilometers now separate us from Caen.
Caen was badly affected by World War II. It was liberated on 9 July 1944, Caen was later rebuilt.
Caen is a port city in France and the capital of the Calvados department in the northern region of Normandy. In the centre of the city is Caen Castle, a fortress built by William the Conqueror around 1060, which stands on a hill flanked by two Romanesque abbeys of the same period, Saint-Étienne and Sainte-Trinité.
The Abbey of the Ladies and the Abbey of the Men stand out in the city. From this city we made a route along the beaches of the Normandy landings.
In Caén we stayed at the Best Western Royal Hotel Caen. The location is very good, average breakfast, quite spacious room. They have an underground car park just opposite, this is always good if you arrive by car.
Always remember, when putting together your vacation, to take out travel insurance. We use Iati, from our link they have a 5% discount on hiring it.
Bayeux
Bayeux is separated from Caen by about 40 kilometers.
From afar we can see its imposing cathedral. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Bayeux in Norman Romanesque style is a national monument.
During the Second World War it is occupied by the Germans being liberated on June 7 of 1944, day in which the British troops made it the first French city liberated in the course of the Battle of Normandy, from which it could be saved practically intact, unlike other Norman cities that suffered severe destruction.
Let’s now go to perhaps the most awaited visit, we go to Mont Saint Michel. We are separated from it by 115 kilometers.
Having internet is always important. During this trip to France we were in contact with the Holafly eSim, we got the one for unlimited use in Europe for the number of days we were there and it was a very good option. You activate it with a QR code, follow the instructions and it’s ready to use. It doesn’t work on all mobile models, so check the page carefully to see if it can be useful for you. With our code you get a 5% discount on your purchase. Here is the link with the discount for followers of Europe Accompanied! Holafly discount code, EUROPAACOMPAÑADA5
Mont Saint Michel
We arrive at this abbey built on a rocky island, and the place where the largest tides in Europe occur.
A magical place if there is one, one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited.
In a video from our previous trip, when we stayed overnight inside the mountain, we leave you with all the tips for getting there, entering, staying and visiting it.
Located in Normandy but only a few kilometres from Brittany, in the Middle Ages a group of monks chose this place to settle and build what would later become one of the most extraordinary buildings of religious architecture.
The main attraction of the mountain is perhaps visiting the abbey that is at its summit, a magnificent place to see, I leave you a link in the description of the information for the entrances to it. But the other great attraction is seeing the rise and fall of the tide.
►Mont Saint Michel Abbey tickets
To know what time that movement will be you have a tide calendar just like we saw in Saint Malo’s post, (the latter in Brittany).
If there is a place that I would add to a visit to France, it is this one, Mont Saint Michel, it is of impressive beauty, but as I told you in the other video if you can stay on the Monte, or near it to be able to visit it early in the morning or in the afternoon when there is no longer that massive tourism that is going to spend the day. Without a doubt, one of the most beautiful villages in Normandy.
Video of the most beautiful villages in Normandy
Map
NOTE: The information in this article is based on our own experience, being totally objective. This article contains affiliate links
