Click here for details of restaurants, cheese, cidre and calvados venues.
Click here for outdoor activities including horse riding, golfing, fishing and walking.
I keep a blue notebook in the sitting room of Le Gui full of tourist leaflets and information such as banking and supermarket hours, doctors' office...etc.
Office du Tourisme
10, avenue du Général-de-Gaulle BP32
Vimoutiers France
tel : +33 (0)2 33 39 30 29
website: http://camembert-country.com/vimoutiers/infeng01.htm
Le Gui sits next to the beautiful twefth century Benedictine priory of St.Michel. Road signs point the way to the priory from roads all around, which makes it easy for visitors to Le Gui to find their way back in the evening!
The Priory gardens are open to the public for a small fee. They host art exhibitions and during the season the cider press restaurant is open for food and afternoon tea. The Priory also has a small shop selling post cards and gifts.
Vimoutiers - Monday (afternoon) and Friday
Montormel, the scene of a battle of unprecendented importance, determined the outcome of the second world war. At this historic spot, the first Polish Armoured Division closed the last escape road out of the Falaise gap.
Today the site houses a memorial at the top of the ridge and a museum set into the hillside with a vast glass wall overlooking the battlefield.
A number of tourist routes retrace the battles of June - August 1944 across Normandy to the D-Day landing beaches northwest of Crouttes. more info...
During the eleventh century the French created in wool on a linen canvas one of the most spectactular tapestries ever - the Bayeux Tapestry. It recounts, simply but with a wealth of detail, how and why William the Conqueror achieved the conquest of England on 14 October 1066.
I found this museum one of the best - well laid out, fascinating story and wonderful viewing of the texture and colour of a nine hundred year old piece of fabric. We thought that the town was interesting too, with its' lovely copper-domed cathedral and shops and restaurants.
Centre Guillaume le Conquérant
Rue de Nesmond
Bayeux
tel. : +33 (0)2 31 51 25 50
fax : +33 (0)2 31 51 25 59
e-mail: tapisseriedebayeux@dial.oleane.com
website: www.bayeux-tourism.com/eng
Honfleur, a medieval harbour town jams art shops next to gift shops, next to specialist calvados sellers and colourful seafood restaurants. Every direction has an intriguing alley or enticing window or brightly-painted doorway. You cannot take a bad photograph of Honfleur from any angle.
I highly recommend this tourist stop for a wonderful day out for the whole family.
Just down the road from Honfluer are the tourist beaches of Deauville and Trouville with more sand than you can count.
This region hosts dozens of chateau and gardens, so we're only listing a brief selection...
Monet's Garden at GivernyClaud Monet's gardens and studio at Giverny near the village of Vernon are about 60 miles to the east.
Open daily (except Mondays) from 9.30 am to 6.00 pm from 30th of March 2002 to 1st of November 2002. Open on following Mondays : April 1st, Whit Monday.
website: www.giverny.org/gardens
An 18th century Anglo-French park containing statues and romantic architectural features. Shaded pathways lead to the famous Chartreuses, a series of walled gardens containing masses of flowers.
Open from Easter to May 30th on weekends and Bank Holidays from 2 pm to 6 pm, from June 1st to September 30 th every day except Tuesday from 2 pm to 7 pm.
Château de Canon
Mezidon-Canon
tel. +33 (0)2 31 20 05 07
fax +33 (0)2 31 20 65 17
e-mail : coupdecano@aol.com
With over three centuries of plant history, this botanical garden, a real living museum, presents a collection of Normandy flora, medicinal plants, rockeries, exotic greenhouse specimens and a whole range of garden plants.
Open all year round from 8 am, (from 10am on week-end) closing time variable according to the season (exotic greenhouses from 2 to 5 pm). Free entry. In Caen, follow signs for: Château, Université.
Jardin des Plantes
5, Place Blot
Caen
tel. +33 (0)2 31 30 48 30
fax +33 (0)2 31 30 48 31
