From Europe to America
Allow plenty of time to browse the hallowed rooms of the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen. Look out for works by local boy Robert Antoine Pinchon, a Post-Impressionist landscape painter of the Rouen School. Pictured: 'Le Pont aux Anglais, soleil couchant,' (1905).
Forever associated with D-Day and the Normandy landings, Omaha Beach saw some of the heaviest fighting during the Allied invasion. Today, over 75 years after that fateful day on June 6, 1944, the beach remains a place of pilgrimage for an ever-dwindling number of veterans.
Rouen's Cathédrale Notre Dame is steeped in history. The building houses a tomb containing the heart of Richard the Lionheart. In the late 19th century, the great Impressionist artist Claude Monet produced a series of paintings depicting the cathedral. And Normandy's most cherished landmark survived a bombing raid by the British Royal Air Force in April 1944.
As much a museum dedicated to the history of violence and conflict in the 20th century as it is a memorial to the Second World War and the momentous events of D-Day, this striking facility is best appreciated by taking the full-day tour, which includes excursions to historic D-Day sites.
Consecrated in 1077, the cathedral stands on a site once occupied by Roman sanctuaries. The interior features a number of stained glass windows celebrated for their intricate design and vivid color.
The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial near Colleville-sur-Mer is the final resting place of 9,388 souls. The cemetery is located on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach.
A major Channel port that was largely destroyed during the Second World War, Le Havre was rebuilt between 1945 and 1964, for the most part using precast concrete. Architect Auguste Perret won applause for his modern designs, and the city's central hub is one of the few inscribed contemporary UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe.
Sited on the Seine estuary and noted for its old port, Honfleur is distinguished by its traditional harbor front houses with slate-covered frontages.
The evocative ruins of Abbaye de Jumièges make a diversion to this region of Normandy an enlightening experience. What you see today largely dates back to 1067, but there has been a Benedictine monastery on this site since 654.
The Normandy coast makes for spectacular clifftop hiking. Boot up and head out to Étretat and its awesome chalk cliffs. The three natural arches and a pointed formation called L'Aiguille, or "the Needle," is a much-photographed natural wonder.
Among Normandy's culinary claims to fame is its dairy produce, and especially its cheeses. The region is famous for Camembert, a French favorite.
Toast your visit to this charming corner of France with a glass of calvados, a beautifully smooth and potent apple brandy made almost exclusively in Normandy. It can also be made using pears. Santé!
This busy Channel port is often overlooked as tourists drive off ferries and motor elsewhere. Take time out to discover gems like Château de Dieppe. Restored in the 15th century, the castle affords glorious views across the city.
See also: Paris treasures that you can still visit
Artist Claude Monet's home for the last 43 years of his life is now a charming house-museum, the Maison et Jardins de Claude Monet. Tour the interior before wandering through the flower-flecked gardens—inspiration for some of his most famous paintings.
About 40 km (24 mi) east of Le Havre are the impressive ruins of Roman baths and of a theater, which date back to the first century CE.
It's certainly worth venturing inland and discovering rural Normandy. The region is dotted with dozens of impossibly pretty villages like this one, set in verdant woodland on the River Sarthe. Its medieval bridge is the subject of many an artist's canvas.
The flashy seaside resort of Deauville has long been home to French high society. Its upmarket credentials are further enhanced with its hosting of the annual Deauville American Film Festival.
French haute cuisine is well represented throughout Normandy by restaurants like SaQuaNa in Honfleur. Here, chef Alexandre Bourdas has garnered two Michelin stars for his inventive menu.
Included among the Roman artifacts unearthed at Lillebonne is a well-preserved Orpheus mosaic, which is displayed at the Musée départemental des Antiquités Rouen.
On June 6, 1944, Allied forces took part in the largest seaborne invasion in history. Code named Operation Neptune, the operation is better known as D-Day.
Three-quarters of a century later, the landings and subsequent Battle of Normandy (codenamed Operation Overlord), which resulted in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control, are still commemorated.
Normandy has served as a place of pilgrimage for Second World War veterans for many decades. Besides the five D-Day beaches (Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword), the region is dotted with numerous monuments, museums, and memorials dedicated to the fallen. And then, of course, there are the military cemeteries.
While these D-Day visitor attractions make for fascinating and poignant exploration, discovering Normandy beyond its wartime past reveals a destination renowned for an extraordinary array of cultural treasures, natural wonders, unique gastronomy, and even a red carpet Hollywood-style film festival!
With its engaging history and storied past, Rouen is a perfect introduction to this corner of France. Spend a few days here absorbing its rich cultural vibe before reaching out further afield and letting Normandy conquer your senses. Click through the gallery for a tour of this enchanting region.
Normandy beyond the beaches
There's plenty to see in Normandy
TRAVEL Summer
On June 6, 1944, Allied forces took part in the largest seaborne invasion in history. Code named Operation Neptune, the operation is better known as D-Day.
Three-quarters of a century later, the landings and subsequent Battle of Normandy (codenamed Operation Overlord), which resulted in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control, are still commemorated.
Normandy has served as a place of pilgrimage for Second World War veterans for many decades. Besides the five D-Day beaches (Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword), the region is dotted with numerous monuments, museums, and memorials dedicated to the fallen. And then, of course, there are the military cemeteries.
While these D-Day visitor attractions make for fascinating and poignant exploration, discovering Normandy beyond its wartime past reveals a destination renowned for an extraordinary array of cultural treasures, natural wonders, unique gastronomy, and even a red carpet Hollywood-style film festival!
With its engaging history and storied past, Rouen is a perfect introduction to this corner of France. Spend a few days here absorbing its rich cultural vibe before reaching out further afield and letting Normandy conquer your senses. Click through the gallery for a tour of this enchanting region.