10 Things to Do in Normandy

Honfleur is a small harbour town that has inspired artists for over a century. Here, Claude Monet, Eugène Boudin and other Impressionists first began painting outdoors, seeking to capture light playing on the old harbour’s water.

A walk along Vieux Bassin is a journey into the past. Narrow, colourful 16th–17th-century houses reflect in the harbour's calm water, fishing boats bob at the quays, and numerous galleries display contemporary artists' work.

💡 Guide's tip: Arrive in Honfleur early or at sunset, when the light is especially beautiful, and you will understand why Impressionists loved it. Avoid summer weekends — the town is packed.

Giverny is a place of pilgrimage for Impressionism lovers. Claude Monet lived here for 43 years and created his most famous works, including the ‘Water Lilies’ series. His house museum and gardens welcome visitors April–November.

The garden has two parts: the flower garden before the house (Clos Normand), a riot of colours and shapes, and the water garden with its Japanese bridge and famous water-lily pond. In spring and summer, when the lilies bloom, you can compare the living flowers with those on the great master's canvases.

🎨 Interesting fact: Monet designed the water garden himself, diverted a stream and planted water lilies. Local residents objected, fearing the exotic plants would poison the water. Today, this garden is one of France's most photographed sights.

Normandy is a cheese paradise. Four famous cheeses with protected designations of origin (AOC) are made here: Camembert, Livarot, Pont-l’Évêque and Neufchâtel. All are soft cheeses with bloomy white or washed rinds, rich flavours and aromas.

A cheese farm visit reveals the entire production process, from milking cows to maturing cheese in cellars. Learn what makes Norman cheeses special (the secret is rich pastures and the breed of cow), then taste different varieties.

Étretat is where nature created a true work of art. Snow-white chalk cliffs up to 90 metres high, carved by wind and waves, form striking arches and needles that have become Normandy's symbol.

The most famous cliffs are Falaise d’Aval (Falaise d'Aval), with an arch and the Aiguille resembling an elephant's trunk, and Falaise d’Amont with an arch resembling a horse drinking water. Monet, Courbet and other artists came to capture this beauty.

💡 Guide's tip: Allow a full day for the D-Day beaches. Start at Caen’s museum for context, then visit Arromanches, Omaha Beach and the American cemetery. An emotionally demanding but important journey into history.

Deauville is the French Miami, an elegant resort on the English Channel. In 1913, Coco Chanel opened her first boutique here and revolutionised fashion by introducing swimsuits and suntans, previously considered improper.

Deauville's famous beach with colourful umbrellas and changing cabins, the Les Planches boardwalk bearing film stars' names, a casino, racecourse and luxury hotels all create a Belle Époque atmosphere of glamour.

Events in Deauville

Normandy is a seafood lover's paradise. The English Channel coast abounds in oysters, mussels, scallops, prawns, crabs and langoustines. Trouville has one of the region's largest seafood markets, where you can buy everything incredibly fresh and assemble your own "royal platter".

Plateau de fruits de mer — a traditional French dish: a tiered platter filled with different seafood on ice. More than a meal, it is a ritual lasting several hours, accompanied by white wine or champagne.

Mont-Saint-Michel is a wonder of architecture and nature, and one of France's most recognisable sights. The medieval abbey on a rocky island, surrounded by the sea at high tide, looks like a fairy-tale castle.

Technically, Mont-Saint-Michel is on the Normandy–Brittany border (currently in Normandy), but a visit is an absolute must on any trip to the region. It is especially magical at sunset, when the last rays turn the abbey walls gold.

✨ Interesting fact: Mont-Saint-Michel receives more than three million visitors a year, making it France's third-most visited attraction after the Eiffel Tower and Versailles. In the Middle Ages, it was one of Europe's main pilgrimage sites.