• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Normandie Lovers Logo travel blog

Normandie Lovers

To awaken your senses in Normandy - Claire et Manu’s Blog

  • DESTINATIONS
  • D-DAY BEACHES
  • CITIES
  • MONT-SAINT-MICHEL
  • IMPRESSIONISM
  • English
    • Français
    • Deutsch
    • Nederlands
    • Español
    • Italiano
Home » Best places in Normandy

Where to go in Normandy: 10 best destinations

by Claire | January 3, 2023 | no intrusive ads, no sponsored content, just some affiliate links - if you use them, we get a small commission (info)

Wondering where to go in Normandy?
There are so many things to do that it can be difficult to find the best destination in Normandy.
Here is a list of our favorite spots with photos and explanations to help you decide whether to add them to your itinerary.

where to go normandy best destinations
Where to go in Normandy? Best destinations
Content
The most beautiful destinations in Normandy – summary
#1 – Alabaster Coast – Where to go in Normandy
#2 – Cotentin Peninsula – where to go in Normandy
#3 – The Vexin Normand
#4 – Pays d’Auge
#5 – The Boucles de la Seine, a Norman destination
#6 – Mont-Saint-Michel and the Avranchin
#7 – The beaches and landing sites
#8 – La Suisse Normande
#9 – The city of Rouen
#10 – The city of Caen

The most beautiful destinations in Normandy – summary

The most beautiful regions

The whole region of Normandy has a lot to offer – villages, castles, abbeys, natural sites, historical sites, cities… It is necessary to plan a lot of time to explore all its magnificent landscapes.
That’s why we’ve compiled a list of our favorite destinations in Normandy, to help you narrow down your plans.
For each of them, you will find below a section with the main things to do and places to stay.

Sunset over Honfleur
Sunset over Honfleur

Our 5 favorites, which we find the most varied, are:

  • The Alabaster Coast for its impressive white cliffs, its charming towns and villages
  • The Cotentin Peninsula for its wild coastline, its lighthouses and its charming villages
  • The Vexin Normand for the variety of points of interest: the Seine, gardens, castles, villages, abbeys…
  • The Pays d’Auge for its typical half-timbered architecture and its famous beaches
  • The Boucles de la Seine for the calm, the nature and the historical abbeys.

But you also have of course, the great classics

  • The Mont-Saint-Michel, a Unesco site with an impressive abbey on an island
  • The famous World War II sites around Utah andOmaha Beach
  • The Norman Switzerland with its “mountain” type of landscape
  • and the large cities of Rouen and Caen
The Mont-Saint-Michel by night
The Mont-Saint-Michel

Where to go in Normandy – Destination maps

To help you find your way around, you will find below a global identification of the destinations:

map most beautiful destinations normandy or go
Map – The most beautiful destinations in Normandy

Need to rent a car in Normandy?

Our advice:

  • Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars – one of the best rated sites.
  • Choose a compact car (some city streets are narrow).
  • Think of thefull insurance (some winding passages in the old villages and tight parking in the big cities).
  • There is a lot of demand, book it early.

Voir nos conseils

See the cars arrow

#1 – Alabaster Coast – Where to go in Normandy

Why visit?

The Alabaster Coast is my favorite part of Normandy. That’s where I live.
The region extends over 130 km along the coast, from Le Havre to Le Tréport, and offers magnificent white chalk cliffs all along the way. Their height varies from 30 to 120 m.
The most famous corner of this Norman destination is the small town of Étretat, because erosion has created works of art in these cliffs: arches and pinnacles.
However, all along the coast is beautiful. The cliffs are cut in some places by the water, which creates valleys (small valleys) sometimes very narrow, sometimes wider (where we find small villages).

There are many other beautiful sites to visit, see below our favorite villages and cliff viewpoints.

Alabaster Coast - Etretat
The cliffs of Étretat, Côte d’Albâtre

The most beautiful places

It is worth visiting the entire coastline: at every potential viewpoint and every access to the beach, the cliffs are always impressive.
The best views, in our opinion, are:

  • Étretat from both sides (although I prefer to walk along the cliffs below) – see our article
  • Cap Fagnet, just north of Fécamp – old church, bunkers and impressive views in both directions
  • The walk in the very narrow valley of Varengeville (Gorge des Moutiers)

The main cities of the coast are :

  • Le Havre, Unesco site, where modern art blends with post-war Perret architecture
  • Fécamp, with the famous Palais de la Bénédictine
  • Dieppe with its fortified castle protecting the entrance to the port

Other places are worth visiting:

  • Veules-les-Roses, a charming village with the shortest river in France
  • Saint-Valéry-en-Caux, another town surrounded by beautiful cliffs
  • Yport, a beautiful narrow village in a valley with typical flint houses of the region

Lots of pictures on our article dedicated to the Alabaster Coast.

Alabaster Coast - Cap Fagnet
View from Cap Fagnet, near Fécamp

Where to stay?

We highly recommend spending at least one night in Étretat to enjoy the beautiful cliffs with different tides (at low tide you can access other beaches) and the softer light of sunset and sunrise.
See all top rated accommodations in Étretat // or see our selection of the best hotels

We also love the little town of Valery-en-Caux – it’s pretty central to the whole coast. It is therefore an excellent starting point to explore the region.
See the best rated accommodations in Saint-Valery

If you want to enjoy a 7-day road trip along the coast, I will:
1 night in Le Havre – see the accommodations
2 nights in Étretat – see the accommodations
1 night in Fécamp – see the accommodations
1 night in Saint-Valéry-en-Caux – see the accommodations
1 night in Dieppe – see the accommodations
1 night in Le Tréport – see the accommodations

Alabaster Coast - Gorge of Moutiers
Gorge des Moutiers (Varengeville-sur-mer)

To Know

  • The cliffs are made of chalk so they are not very stable – don’t walk to the end of the cliff and don’t sunbathe right at the foot of the cliffs
  • In some places, you have to climb up or down the cliffs to reach the viewpoints – bring comfortable shoes
  • Despite the reputation of rain in Normandy, the sun can be quite harsh in summer. And because of the slight sea breeze, you may not feel it. Protect yourself!
Alabaster Coast - Le Tréport
Le Tréport

#2 – Cotentin Peninsula – where to go in Normandy

Why visit?

With the exception of the main city of Cherbourg, the Cotentin Peninsula offers a wilder landscape than the rest of Normandy.
Its coastline is particularly beautiful with cliffs, sandy beaches, rocky areas… with some of the oldest rocks in France.

You can have rain, wind and sun… you will feel the elements and feel refreshed by nature as you explore the area.

Cotentin Peninsula - Ecalgrain Bay
Ecalgrain Bay

The most beautiful places

The main city is Cherbourg, famous for being the backdrop for “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg”. Today, its main attraction is “La Cité de la Mer”, a giant museum about the sea where you can see submarines and learn about marine life.
The region is also home to several castles and their beautiful gardens and parks.

However, the main interest of the peninsula is the coastline with its cliffs, islands, beaches and lighthouses:

  • The cliffs of Nez le Jobourg,
  • The sand dunes of Hattainville,
  • La Hague Lighthouse,
  • The Gatteville Lighthouse,
  • The island of Tatihou with its fortification (Unesco site),
  • and the surrounding villages such as Barfleur and Saint-Vaast-La-Hougue.
Cotentin Peninsula - Gatteville
Gatteville lighthouse

Where to stay?

  • Cherbourg is the main city
    See the best rated accommodations in Cherbourg
  • However, I think that one of the best places to stay in Saint-Vaast-La-Hougue. Thus, you can see the impressive changes between high and low tide and visit the island of Tatihou easily
    See the best rated accommodations in Saint-Vaast
  • There are not many places with a lot of accommodations, so changing hotels every night is not the best option. It is easier to choose a place to stay for a few days to explore the area.
Cotentin Peninsula - Nez de Jobourg
Cliffs at the Nez de Jobourg

To Know

  • As the area is wilder, the roads are smaller. Allow sufficient time to visit the area.
  • Look at the tide tables. Your experience of each place will be completely different in some places depending on whether you visit at low or high tide.
  • If you are exploring the Cotentin Peninsula, plan a day trip to Mont Saint Michel, the famous island port – a 2-hour drive from Cherbourg – visit early
Cotentin Peninsula - Tatihou
Oyster farms in front of Tatihou Island, visible at low tide

Plan a dream trip to Normandy

  • 8 maps that make planning easier
  • 160+ pre-selected locations
  • Practical advice
  • 300+ photos to help you choose
Read more arrow

#3 – The Vexin Normand

Why visit?

We believe that the Vexin Normand offers one of the best combinations of history, art, architecture and nature in Normandy. This variety will offer you a fascinating vacation.
In this area you can see:

  • Old villages with a lot of character
  • Impressive fortifications and castles with an intense history
  • The Seine and the chalk cliffs
  • The old forest areas
  • A charming countryside

The impressionists loved the beauty of this region. Many paintings represent his landscapes. Monet’s gardens in Giverny are one of its main attractions.

Vexin Normand- Les Andelys
View on the Andelys

The most beautiful places

So many things to list here! Here are my favorites:

  • Monet’s gardens and the village of Giverny – learn more with a guided tour
  • The view of Château Gaillard and the old part of Andelys, along the Seine.
  • The circular castle of Gisors
  • The charming town of Vernon, with the famous old mill on the river
  • The beautiful village of Lyons-la-Forêt and the surrounding forest
  • The Castle of Vascoeuil with its park
  • The abbey of Mortemer
  • …
Vexin Normand - Gisors
Castle of Gisors

Where to stay?

  • In the vicinity of Vernon, you will find a good collection of accommodations that will give you easy access to the area.
    See the best rated homes in Vernon
  • Les Andelys is another choice with some good restaurants and walking trails along the river.
    See the best rated accommodations in Les Andelys
  • Alternatively, accommodations in the countryside will provide relaxing opportunities – zoom out on the maps from the links above to find more options
Vexin Normand - Vernon
Old mill of Vernon

To Know

Giverny is a very touristic area. Many people visit it on a day trip from Paris. Book your ticket in advance and visit Monet’s gardens early in the morning and learn more with a guided tour.

Vexin Normand - Lyons-la-foret
Village of Lyons-la-Forêt

For quality tips, support us!

Do you enjoy all the free content you find on our blog, without intrusive ads?
Our independence, the only guarantee of qualitytips, is partly based on your generosity!
We offer you to give us a coffee (or several) in the hope of sharing it with you one day in person!

Claire Manu Region Lovers
I’ll buy you acoffee arrow

#4 – Pays d’Auge

Why visit?

The Pays d’Auge is the most famous destination in Normandy. It covers a large part of the central region – with part of the Calvados coast and countryside.
He is most famous for two reasons:

  • the numerous half-timbered houses that can be seen in most villages. Some have only a few, but some villages have entire streets. These are often classified as “the most beautiful villages of France”.
  • the coast with its beautiful sandy beaches and famous seaside resorts such as Deauville
Pays d'Auge - Beuvron en Auge
Beuvron-en-Auge

The most beautiful places

The main city is Lisieux, but the highlights of the region are :

  • The seaside resorts with their long sandy beaches: Cabourg, Deauville, Villers-sur-Mer
  • Inland towns and villages with their half-timbered houses: Beuvron-en-Auge, Honfleur with the old town and the old port, Pont l’Évêque…
  • And the famous cheeses and drinks: Camembert, Pont l’Évêque, Cidre, Calvados…

Learn more in our article Visiting the Pays d’Auge.

Pays d'Auge - Cabourg Dune
Dune of Cabourg

Where to stay?

  • There is much to see in the area and many places to stay. It is a tourist destination.
  • See our guide on where to sleep in Honfleur
  • If you only want to stay in one place, Pont-l’Évêque is very central and will give you easy access to the whole region
    See the best rated accommodations in Pont-l’Évêque
  • As far as seaside resorts are concerned, my favorite is Cabourg
    See the best rated accommodations in Cabourg
Pays d'Auge - HOnfleur
Honfleur

To Know

  • The coastal area is a famous destination. It is very popular during the summer and school vacations as well as on weekends, as Parisians like to get away from it all. Book early or avoid these periods
  • Honfleur is an old port. There is only one street that passes over the bridge. City driving can be very slow and difficult, especially during the summer months
  • Deauville has several large parking lots. On the other hand, Cabourg and Villers-sur-Mer do not have any. It can be very difficult to find a parking space in the middle of the day in summer
Pays d'Auge - Black Cows
Cliffs of “Vaches noires” at Villers-sur-Mer

#5 – The Boucles de la Seine, a Norman destination

Why visit?

The banks of the Seine offer a less varied experience than other regions. But there is something special about this corner of Normandy.
It is a place where you travel back in time, imagine how life was in the days when abbeys were the center of life.

If you like walking, this is a great place for you. The area around the river has 1200 km of hiking trails with valleys, cliffs, forests and marshes.
We think this is the best place to slow down and enjoy the changing lights of the river, as many painters have done.

The Loops of the Seine - Jumièges
Abbey of Jumièges

The most beautiful places

  • Discover the route with the abbeys including: Jumièges, Saint-Martin de Boscherville, Saint-Wandrille
  • Walk along the river: for example, the loop where Jumièges is located
  • Birdwatching in the Marais Vernier marsh
  • End the trip in Rouen and visit its many historical buildings
The Boucles de la Seine - Boscherville
Saint-Martin-de-Boscherville Abbey

Where to stay?

  • You can start in Le Havre
    See the best rated accommodations in Le Havre
  • And finish in Rouen
    See the best rated accommodations in Rouen
  • Otherwise, Caudebec-en-Caux is a nice little town that is quite central and offers easy access to all sites
    See the best rated housing in Caudebec-en-Caux
The Loops of the Seine - Jumièges 2
The Seine

To Know

Your GPS can show you shortcuts to your next destination. The road sign often indicates the shoreline road. It is longer but offers more beautiful views.

The Boucles de la Seine - Caudebec
The oldest house in Caudebec-en-Caux

#6 – Mont-Saint-Michel and the Avranchin

Why visit?

Mont-Saint-Michel is one of the most famous attractions in France. It is a Unesco heritage site. The abbey at the top is one of the most beautiful in Normandy.
It’s quite an impressive sight, when you arrive from the continent.
The small island is covered with fortifications and houses and there is a massive abbey on top. It is a must-see.
The surrounding area is called the Avranchin – around the town of Avranches. It offers beautiful beaches and historical buildings.

Avranchin - mont saint michel

The most beautiful places and tips

  • The Mont-Saint-Michel itself with its abbey at the top. We recommend visiting early to avoid the crowds as the streets are very narrow. Book your free entrance to the abbey
  • Wear good shoes
  • Take a tour of the Mont-Saint-Michel bay with viewpoints such as the Roche-Torin
  • Visit Avranches and the Scriptorial Museum with the Mont-Saint-Michel scripts
  • …

Where to stay?

We find it really worthwhile to sleep on the Mont-Saint-Michel to enjoy the unique atmosphere at night. See our guide to the 7 intramural hotels.

See the best rated accommodations in the area

Or see our article on where to sleep at Mont-Saint-Michel.

View from a cabin on the Mont-Saint-Michel
View from a room on the Mont-Saint-Michel

A magical experience at Mont-Saint-Michel:

Step 1 – plan and get there

  • All our best advices to visit the Mont-Saint-Michel – read
  • How to get to Mont-Saint-Michel – read
  • Visit Mont-Saint-Michel from Paris – read

Step 2 – decide on your program

  • What to do at Mont-Saint-Michel – read
  • Tour of the Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel – read
  • The museums of Mont-Saint-Michel – read
  • Where to eat at the mountain – read
  • Visit Alligator Bay – read
  • Visit the Scriptorial Museum of Avranches – read
  • Discover the most beautiful views of Mont-Saint-Michel – read

Don’t forget to book your time to visit the abbey here!

Step 3 – decide where to sleep

  • Where to sleep near Mont Saint-Michel – read
  • Hotels on the Mont Saint-Michel intramuros – read
  • Luxury accommodations around the mountain – read

#7 – The beaches and landing sites

Why visit?

You can find World War II sites all over France, but the most famous are the D-Day landing beaches: Omaha Beach, Utah Beach…
Along the coast north of Bayeux, history buffs will have a lot of fun: there are many battle artilleries, museums, battle sites…
Apart from the war-related visits, you can also enjoy the small towns, some abbeys and castles.

Longues-sur-mer battery

The most beautiful places

The 5 landing beaches: Utah, Omaha, Juno, Gold Beach and Sword Beach Beach and in particular :

  • The American Cemetery
  • The sculpture on Omaha beach
  • The Caen Memorial Museum
  • The remains of the Mullberrey port on the beach of Arromanches
  • …
visit Normandy landing beaches D-Day

Where to stay?

The most convenient cities to stay and visit all the landing beaches are :

  • Bayeux, a charming little town inland
    see the best hotel offers
  • Arromanches-les-bains, central and at the seaside, it is at the level of Gold Beach
    see the best hotel offers
  • Caen is the largest city in the area
    see the best hotel offers

Find out more about D-Day in Normandy:

  • The best landing sites to visit – read
  • Visit the 5 landing beaches – read
  • The best D-Day museums in Normandy – coming soon
  • German batteries to visit – coming soon
  • Where to sleep to visit the landing beaches – coming soon

#8 – La Suisse Normande

Finally, Normandy is not very high in altitude overall.
However, there is a small area called Suisse Normande, where you almost feel like you are in the mountains.
This small area can be visited by car in one day. But if you like hiking or climbing, this could be an interesting destination for you.

Our favorite viewpoints are those of the Clécy viaduct and the Roche d’Oëtre.

See the best rated accommodations in the region

La Suisse Normande

Don’t make the same mistake we did!

On one of our last trips to Europe, a hacker stole our credit card details while we were using a hotel WiFi.
So our trip began with a “card blocked” call… Not funny at all!
Learn from our mistake, make a small VPN investment to surf without worry.

See our favorite VPN offer arrow

#9 – The city of Rouen

Why visit

Rouen is a cultural and historical city. In terms of historical buildings, it is the most fascinating to visit.
It has a high concentration of listed buildings and just walking around is fascinating.
Moreover, its cathedral is one of the most impressive in Normandy and France and has played an important role in history.

Rouen

What to see

  • The old streets with a myriad of historical buildings
  • The “Big Clock” – an impressive clock tower / door (with a time movement system dating back to 1389)
  • History and Joan of Arc Museum
  • Notre Dame Cathedral – the resting place of kings

See the best rated accommodations in Rouen.

#10 – The city of Caen

Why visit

Located in the heart of Normandy, it is very convenient for exploring the region.
Caen has a rich history due to William the Conqueror.
The religious buildings that surround the city are the highlights.
A large part of the city was destroyed during the liberation in 1944.
But some older houses can be found by walking around the pretty downtown.

Caen

What to see

  • Abbaye aux Hommes (Abbey)
  • The ruins of the castle
  • World War II Memorial and Museum
  • The old districts and the churches

See the best rated accommodations in Caen.

Plan your trip to Normandy!

→ Inspiration destinations

Deciding where to go in Normandy – the best destinations
Our weekend ideas: best-of, romantic, unusual, seaside, luxury, family

→ Best-of

Best things to do in Normandy
Best cities in Normandy
Most beautiful beaches of Normandy
Most beautiful villages of Normandy
Best castles of Normandy
Best abbeys of Normandy
Read our complete guide to visit the Mont-Saint-Michel
Discover the D-Day sites

→ Practice

Where to stay in Normandy – best places and hotels
See our tips for renting a car at CDG airport, Orly airport, Beauvais airport, Caen, Rouen, Bayeux…


See all our tips for a successful trip to Normandyarrow

About the bloggers…

Claire et Manu blog normandie Bonjour, we are Claire and Manu, sister and brother, and we have been publishing travel guides around the world for 9 years. As true lovers of the beautiful regions of our country, France, our ambition is to bring you all the information and inspiration you need to make your trip there a success.
Let us be your local guides to awaken your senses in Normandy! Discover the story behind the blog

Primary Sidebar

Claire and Manu's blogs

A sister with a passion for travel, an epicurean brother, strong family values... blogs that we have built in our image and at the service of travellers from all over the world.
→ discover our story


Need information about traveling in Normandy? We may have the answer:

Si vous appréciez ce contenu et que vous souhaitez nous aider à demeurer totalement indépendants

Offrez nous un café →

Footer

More about Claire, Manu, and the blog
Contact us

Search

Other regions to discover

Loirelovers.fr corsicalovers.fr ZigZagroadtrips.com And the site that presents our entire approach: Regionlovers.fr

Legal notice / Terms of use / Privacy policy
Normandielovers.fr is a participant in the Amazon EU, US, UK and Canada Partner Programs, affiliate programs designed to allow sites to earn money by linking to Amazon.

Copyright Normandie Lovers © 2023

Avant les plages et villages... parlons cookies !
We share everything with you: our favourite places, our tips, our good plans... and without invading you
with ads! To bring you the best possible site, cookies are an essential ingredient. Do you accept them?

Find out more
Fonctionnel Always active
Le stockage ou l’accès technique est strictement nécessaire dans la finalité d’intérêt légitime de permettre l’utilisation d’un service spécifique explicitement demandé par l’abonné ou l’utilisateur, ou dans le seul but d’effectuer la transmission d’une communication sur un réseau de communications électroniques.
Préférences
Le stockage ou l’accès technique est nécessaire dans la finalité d’intérêt légitime de stocker des préférences qui ne sont pas demandées par l’abonné ou l’utilisateur.
Statistiques
Le stockage ou l’accès technique qui est utilisé exclusivement à des fins statistiques. Le stockage ou l’accès technique qui est utilisé exclusivement dans des finalités statistiques anonymes. En l’absence d’une assignation à comparaître, d’une conformité volontaire de la part de votre fournisseur d’accès à internet ou d’enregistrements supplémentaires provenant d’une tierce partie, les informations stockées ou extraites à cette seule fin ne peuvent généralement pas être utilisées pour vous identifier.
Marketing
Le stockage ou l’accès technique est nécessaire pour créer des profils d’utilisateurs afin d’envoyer des publicités, ou pour suivre l’utilisateur sur un site web ou sur plusieurs sites web ayant des finalités marketing similaires.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
Voir les préférences
{title} {title} {title}
Avant les plages et villages... parlons cookies !
Pour offrir les meilleures expériences, nous utilisons des technologies telles que les cookies pour stocker et/ou accéder aux informations des appareils. Le fait de consentir à ces technologies nous permettra de traiter des données telles que le comportement de navigation ou les ID uniques sur ce site. Le fait de ne pas consentir ou de retirer son consentement peut avoir un effet négatif sur certaines caractéristiques et fonctions.
Fonctionnel Always active
Le stockage ou l’accès technique est strictement nécessaire dans la finalité d’intérêt légitime de permettre l’utilisation d’un service spécifique explicitement demandé par l’abonné ou l’utilisateur, ou dans le seul but d’effectuer la transmission d’une communication sur un réseau de communications électroniques.
Préférences
Le stockage ou l’accès technique est nécessaire dans la finalité d’intérêt légitime de stocker des préférences qui ne sont pas demandées par l’abonné ou l’utilisateur.
Statistiques
Le stockage ou l’accès technique qui est utilisé exclusivement à des fins statistiques. Le stockage ou l’accès technique qui est utilisé exclusivement dans des finalités statistiques anonymes. En l’absence d’une assignation à comparaître, d’une conformité volontaire de la part de votre fournisseur d’accès à internet ou d’enregistrements supplémentaires provenant d’une tierce partie, les informations stockées ou extraites à cette seule fin ne peuvent généralement pas être utilisées pour vous identifier.
Marketing
Le stockage ou l’accès technique est nécessaire pour créer des profils d’utilisateurs afin d’envoyer des publicités, ou pour suivre l’utilisateur sur un site web ou sur plusieurs sites web ayant des finalités marketing similaires.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
Voir les préférences
{title} {title} {title}
  • Français (French)
  • English
  • Deutsch (German)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Italiano (Italian)