Normandy

From the Norman invasion of England in 1066 to the D-Day landings of 1944, Normandy has long played an out-sized role in European history. This rich and often brutal past is brought vividly to life by the spectacular island monastery of Mont St-Michel; the Bayeux Tapestry, world-famous for its cartoon scenes of 11th-century life; and the cemeteries and memorials along the D-Day beaches. Lower-profile charms include a variety of dramatic coastal landscapes, lots of pebbly beaches, quiet pastoral villages and architectural gems, including Rouen’s medieval old city. Camembert, apples, cider, cream-rich cuisine and the very freshest fish and seafood provide further reasons to visit this accessible and beautiful region of France.

Normandy in Two Days

Depending where you are staying, head to the morning market to buy a picnic – a round of Camembert and bottle of cider included – then head to Mont St-Michel for the day. Day two, begin with Caen’s Le Mémorial or Bayeux’ Musée Mémorial, then head to the D-Day beaches.

Normandy in Four Days

With four days at hand, you have time to linger longer in Caen or Bayeux on day two, and then hit the beaches on day three instead. Fourth day, trip it to Étretat, followed by lunch in Honfleur and an afternoon in Rouen with its wonderful cathedral.

The harbour in Honfluer | Gerhard Roethlinger / Shutterstock ©

Arriving in Normandy

Boat Car ferries link the port town Le Havre (also Dieppe, Cherbourg and Ouistreham) with several English and Irish ports.

Rouen train station Just 70 minutes from Paris’ Gare St-Lazare (€24.10, 1¼ hours, up to 25 daily. Most major towns also accessible by rail.

Deauville-Normandie airport 7km east of Trouville. Ryanair links with London Stansted Airport.

Sleeping

Normandy has a wide range of accommodation options from inexpensive budget guesthouses with shared facilities to plush hotels with fine sea views. You'll find the widest variety in Rouen, but smaller flowery Bayeux is closer to both the D-Day beaches and Mont St-Michel.

TOP EXPERIENCE

Mont St-Michel

It’s one of France’s most iconic images: the slender spires, stout ramparts and rocky slopes of Mont St-Michel rising dramatically from the sea – or towering over sands laid bare by the receding tide. Despite huge numbers of tourists, both the abbey and the labyrinth of narrow alleys below still manage to transport visitors back to the Middle Ages.

Great For…

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8Need to Know

Abbaye du Mont-St-Michel (%02 33 89 80 00; www.monuments-nationaux.fr; adult/child incl guided tour €9/free; h9am-7pm, last entry 1hr before closing)

oTop Tip

Walk the eastern section of the Mont's ramparts for spectacular views of the bay.

The Mont’s star attraction is the stunning architectural ensemble high up on top: the abbey. Most areas can be visited without a guide, but it’s well worth taking the one-hour tour included in the ticket price.

History

Bishop Aubert of Avranches is said to have built a devotional chapel on the summit of the island in 708, following his vision of the Archangel Michael, whose gilded figure, perched on the vanquished dragon, crowns the tip of the abbey’s spire. In 966 Richard I, Duke of Normandy, gave Mont St-Michel to the Benedictines, who turned it into a centre of learning and, in the 11th century, into something of an ecclesiastical fortress, with a military garrison at the disposal of both abbot and king.

In the 15th century, during the Hundred Years War, the English blockaded and besieged Mont St-Michel three times. The fortified abbey withstood these assaults and was the only place in western and northern France not to fall into English hands. After the Revolution, Mont St-Michel was turned into a prison. In 1966 the abbey was symbolically returned to the Benedictines as part of the celebrations marking its millennium. Mont St-Michel and the bay became a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1979.

Église Abbatiale

Built on the rocky tip of the mountain cone, the transept rests on solid rock, while the nave, choir and transept arms are supported by the rooms below. This church is famous for its mix of architectural styles: the nave and south transept (11th and 12th centuries) are solid Norman Romanesque, while the choir (late 15th century) is Flamboyant Gothic.

La Merveille

The buildings on the northern side of the Mont are known as ‘The Marvel’. The famous cloître (cloister) is surrounded by a double row of delicately carved arches resting on granite pillars. The early-13th-century, barrel-roofed réfectoire (dining hall) is illuminated by a wall of recessed windows – remarkable given that the sheer drop precluded the use of flying buttresses. The Gothic Salle des Hôtes (Guest Hall), dating from 1213, has two enormous fireplaces.

Other features to look out for include the promenoir (ambulatory), with one of the oldest ribbed vaulted ceilings in Europe, and the Chapelle de Notre Dame sous Terre (Underground Chapel of Our Lady), one of the abbey’s oldest rooms, rediscovered in 1903.

Room in La Merveille | DOZIER Marc / Getty Images ©

Tidal Variations

The bay around Mont St-Michel is famed for having Europe’s highest tidal variations; the difference between low and high tides – only about six hours apart – can reach an astonishing 15m. The Mont is only completely surrounded by the sea every month or two, when the tidal coefficient is above 100 and high tide is above 14m. Regardless of the time of year, the waters sweep in at an astonishing clip, said to be as fast as a galloping horse.

yDon't Miss

Illuminated nocturnes (night-time visits) with live chamber music, 7pm to midnight, July and August.

Guided Tours

When the tide is out (the tourist office has tide tables), you can walk all the way around Mont St-Michel, a distance of about 1km, with a guide (doing so on your own is very risky). Straying too far from the Mont can be dangerous: you could get stuck in wet sand – from which Norman soldiers are depicted being rescued in one scene of the Bayeux Tapestry – or be overtaken either by the incoming tide or by water gushing from the new dam’s eight sluice gates.

Experienced outfits offering guided walks into – or even across – are based across the bay from Mont St-Michel in Genêts.

5Take a Break

On main street Grand Rue, bistro classics at Les Terrasses Poulard (www.terrasses-poulard.fr).

Mikhail Gnatkovskiy / Shutterstock ©

TOP EXPERIENCE

D-Day Beaches

Code-named ‘Operation Overlord’, the D-Day landings were the largest seaborne invasion in history. Early on 6 June 1944, swarms of landing craft – part of an armada of more than 6000 ships and boats – hit the beaches of northern Normandy. Most of the 135,000 Allied troops who stormed ashore arrived along 80km of beaches north of Bayeux code named Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.

Great For…

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8Need to Know

Information and reservations for guided minibus tours: Bayeux tourist office ( GOOGLE MAP ; %02 31 51 28 28; www.bayeux-bessin-tourisme.com; pont St-Jean; h9.30am-12.30pm & 2-6pm).

oTop Tip

Caen’s Le Mémorial and Bayeux’ Musée Mémorial provide a comprehensive overview of the events of D-Day.

The landings on D-Day – known as ‘Jour J’ in French – were followed by the 76-day Battle of Normandy, during which the Allies suffered 210,000 casualties, including 37,000 troops killed. German casualties are believed to have been around 200,000; another 200,000 German soldiers were taken prisoner. About 14,000 French civilians also died.

D-Day ruins, Omaha Beach | Danita Delimont / Getty Images ©

Omaha Beach

D-Day's most brutal fighting took place on the 7km stretch of coastline around Vierville-sur-Mer, St-Laurent-sur-Mer and Colleville-sur-Mer, 15km northwest of Bayeux (known as ‘Bloody Omaha’ to US veterans). Seven decades on, little evidence of the carnage unleashed here on 6 June 1944 remains, except for the American cemetery and concrete German bunkers; at very low tide spot remnants of the Mulberry harbour.

These days Omaha is a peaceful place, a beautiful stretch of fine golden sand partly lined with dunes and summer homes. Circuit de la Plage d’Omaha, trail-marked with a yellow stripe, is a self-guided tour along the beach.

White marble crosses and Stars of David stretch off in seemingly endless rows at the Normandy American Cemetery (%02 31 51 62 00; www.abmc.gov; Colleville-sur-Mer; h9am-6pm mid-Apr–mid-Sep, to 5pm mid-Sep–mid-Apr), situated 17km northwest of Bayeux on a now-serene bluff overlooking the bitterly contested sands of Omaha Beach. Featured in the opening scenes of Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan, this place of pilgrimage is one of the largest American war cemeteries in Europe. It contains the graves of 9387 American soldiers, including 33 pairs of brothers who are buried side by side (another 12 pairs of brothers are buried separately or memorialised here). Only about 40% of American war dead from the fighting in Normandy are interred in this cemetery – the rest were repatriated at the request of their families.

The visitor centre has an excellent multimedia presentation on the D-Day landings, told in part through the stories of individuals’ courage and sacrifice.

Normandy American Cemetery | peresanz / Shutterstock ©

yDon't Miss

English-language tours of the Normandy American Cemetery, daily at 2pm and, mid-April to mid-September, 11am.

Pointe du Hoc

At 7.10am on 6 June 1944, 225 US Army Rangers under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James Earl Rudder scaled the impossibly steep, 30m-high cliffs of Pointe du Hoc, 14km from Utah. Their objective was to disable five 155mm German artillery guns perfectly placed to rain shells onto the beaches of Utah and Omaha. Unbeknownst to Rudder and his team, the guns had been transferred inland shortly before, but they nevertheless managed to locate the massive artillery pieces and put them out of action.

By the time the Rangers were finally relieved on 8 June – after repelling fierce German counter-attacks for two days – 81 of the rangers had been killed and 58 more had been wounded.

Today the memorial site (%02 31 51 90 70; www.abmc.gov; h9am-6pm mid-Apr–mid-Sep, to 5pm rest of year), which France turned over to the US government in 1979, looks much as it did right after the battle, with the earth still pitted with huge bomb craters. The German command post (topped by a dagger-shaped memorial) and several concrete bunkers and casemates, scarred by bullet holes and blackened by flame-throwers, can be explored.

5Take a Break

Lunch with locals in Bayeux at Alchimie or enjoy afternoon tea at La Reine Mathilde.

Juno Beach

Dune-lined Juno Beach, around Courseulles-sur-Mer, was stormed by Canadian troops on D-Day. A Cross of Lorraine marks the spot where General Charles de Gaulle came ashore after the landings. He was followed by Winston Churchill on 12 June and King George VI on 16 June. Juno Beach’s only specifically Canadian museum, the Juno Beach Centre (%02 31 37 32 17; www.junobeach.org; voie des Français Libres, Courseulles-sur-Mer; adult/child €7/5.50, incl guided tour of Juno Beach €11/9; h9.30am-7pm Apr-Sep, 10am-5pm Oct-Dec, Feb & Mar, closed Jan), has multimedia exhibits on Canada’s role in the landings.

Arromanches-les-Bains

In order to unload the vast quantities of cargo needed by the invasion forces without having to capture – intact! – one of the heavily defended Channel ports (a lesson of the 1942 Dieppe Raid), the Allies set up prefabricated marinas, code named Mulberry harbours, off two of the landing beaches. A total of 146 massive cement caissons were towed over from England and sunk to form two semicircular breakwaters in which floating bridge spans were moored. In the three months after D-Day, the Mulberries facilitated the unloading of 2.5 million men, 4 million tonnes of equipment and 500,000 vehicles.

The harbour established at Omaha was destroyed by a ferocious gale just two weeks after D-Day, but the impressive remains of three dozen caissons belonging to the second, Port Winston (named after Churchill), can still be seen off Arromanches-les-Bains, 10km northeast of Bayeux. At low tide you can walk out to one of the caissons from the beach.

The best view of Port Winston and nearby Gold Beach is from the hill east of town, site of Arromanches 360° Circular Cinema (%02 31 06 06 44; www.arromanches360.com; chemin du Calvaire; admission €5.50; h10am-between 5.30pm & 7pm, closed 3 weeks in Jan & Mon mid-Nov–mid-Feb), which screens archival footage of the Battle of Normandy.

Down in Arromanches itself, right on the beach, the Musée du Débarquement (Landing Museum; %02 31 22 34 31; www.musee-arromanches.fr; place du 6 Juin; adult/child €7.90/5.80; h9am-12.30pm & 1.30-6pm Apr-Sep, 10am-12.30pm & 1.30-5pm Oct-Dec, Feb & Mar, closed Jan) makes for a very informative stop before visiting the beaches. Dioramas, models and two films explain the logistics and importance of Port Winston.

Resources

Several excellent websites have details on D-Day and its context, including www.normandiememoire.com, www.6juin1944.com and www.normandie44lamemoire.com.

Longues-sur-Mer

Part of the Nazis’ Atlantic Wall, the massive casemates and 150mm German guns near Longues-sur-Mer were designed to hit targets 20km away, including Gold Beach (east) and Omaha Beach (west). Over seven decades later, the mammoth artillery pieces are still in their colossal concrete emplacements. Contact the on-site Longues tourist office (%02 31 21 46 87; www.bayeux-bessin-tourisme.com; Site de la Batterie; h10am-1pm & 2-6pm, closed Nov-Mar) for tour details. The site itself is always open.

Utah Beach

Midway between Bayeux and Cherbourg, this beach – the Allies’ right (western) flank on D-Day – stretches for 5km near the village of La Madeleine. It was taken with only light resistance by the US 4th Infantry Division. Don't miss the impressive Musée du Débarquement de Utah Beach (Utah Beach Landing Museum; %02 33 71 53 35; www.utah-beach.com; Ste-Marie du Mont; adult/child €8/4; h9.30am-7pm Jun-Sep, 10am-6pm Oct-May, closed Jan), a few kilometres inland in Ste-Marie du Mont.

Musée du Débarquement de Utah Beach | Falombini / Getty Images ©

Motoring Trails

Follow the D514 along the D-Day coast or signposted circuits around the battle sites – look for ‘D-Day–Le Choc’ signs in the American sectors, ‘Overlord-L’Assaut’ signs in the British and Canadian sectors.

Caen

Founded by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, Caen – capital of the Basse Normandie region – was 80% destroyed during the 1944 Battle of Normandy. Rebuilt in the 1950s and ’60s in the utilitarian style in vogue at the time, modern-day Caen nevertheless offers visitors a walled medieval château, two ancient abbeys and excellent museums, including Le Mémorial – Un Musée pour La Paix (Memorial – A Museum for Peace; GOOGLE MAP ; %02 31 06 06 44; www.memorial-caen.fr; esplanade Général Eisenhower; adult/child €20/17; h9am-7pm early Feb-early Nov, 9.30am-6.30pm Tue-Sun early Nov-early Feb, closed 3 weeks in Jan).

With a special focus on the Battle of Normandy, this war and peace museum is among Europe’s premier WWII museums. It’s a hugely impressive affair, using film, animation and audio testimony to graphically evoke the realities of war, the trials of occupation and the joy of liberation. It is situated 3km northwest of the city centre, reachable by bus 2 from place Courtonne; by car follow the signs marked ‘Le Mémorial’.

Bayeux

Bayeux was the first French town to be liberated (on the morning of 7 June 1944) and is one of the few places in Calvados to have survived WWII practically unscathed. Bayeux makes an ideal base for exploring the D-Day beaches.

These days, it’s a great spot to soak up the gentle Norman atmosphere. The delightful, flowery city centre is crammed with 13th- to 18th-century buildings and a fine Gothic cathedral.

1Sights

A ‘triple ticket’ good for all three of Bayeux’ outstanding municipal museums costs €15/13.50 for an adult/child.

Musée d’Art et d’Histoire Baron GérardMuseum

(MAHB; GOOGLE MAP ; %02 31 92 14 21; www.bayeuxmuseum.com; 37 rue du Bienvenu; adult/child €7/4; h9.30am-6.30pm May-Sep, 10am-12.30pm & 2-6pm Oct-Apr, closed Jan–mid-Feb)

Opened in 2013, this is one of France’s most gorgeously presented provincial museums. The exquisite exhibitions cover everything from Gallo-Roman archaeology to medieval art to paintings from the Renaissance to the 20th century, including a fine work by Gustave Caillebotte. Other highlights include impossibly delicate local lace and Bayeux-made porcelain. Housed in the former bishop’s palace.

Cathédrale Notre DameCathedral

( GOOGLE MAP ; rue du Bienvenu; h8.30am-7pm)

Most of Bayeux’ spectacular Norman Gothic cathedral dates from the 13th century, though the crypt (take the stairs on the north side of the choir), the arches of the nave and the lower parts of the entrance towers are 11th-century Romanesque. The central tower was added in the 15th century; the copper dome dates from the 1860s.

Conservatoire de la DentelleMuseum

(Lace Conservatory; GOOGLE MAP ; %02 31 92 73 80; http://dentelledebayeux.free.fr; 6 rue du Bienvenu; h9.30am-12.30pm & 2.30-5pm Mon-Sat)

Lacemaking, brought to Bayeux by nuns in 1678, once employed 5000 people. The industry is long gone, but at the Conservatoire you can watch some of France’s most celebrated lacemakers create intricate designs using dozens of bobbins and hundreds of pins; a small shop sells some of their delicate creations. The half-timbered building housing the workshop, decorated with carved wooden figures, dates from the 1400s.

Bayeux War CemeteryCemetery

( GOOGLE MAP ; bd Fabien Ware)

The largest of the 18 Commonwealth military cemeteries in Normandy, this peaceful cemetery contains 4848 graves of soldiers from the UK and 10 other countries, including a few from Germany. Across the road is a memorial to 1807 Commonwealth soldiers whose remains were never found; the Latin inscription across the top reads: ‘We, once conquered by William, have now liberated the Conqueror’s native land’.

Musée Mémorial de la Bataille de NormandieMuseum

(Battle of Normandy Memorial Museum; GOOGLE MAP ; %02 31 51 46 90; www.bayeuxmuseum.com; bd Fabien Ware; adult/child €7/4; h9.30am-6.30pm May-Sep, 10am-12.30pm & 2-6pm Oct-Apr, closed Jan–mid-Feb)

Using well-chosen photos, personal accounts, dioramas and wartime objects, this first-rate museum offers an excellent introduction to the Battle of Normandy. The 25-minute film is screened in both French and English.

Cathédrale Notre Dame | AntoinetteW / Getty Images ©

Bayeux Tapestry

Two cross-Channel invasions, almost 900 years apart, gave Bayeux a front-row seat at defining moments in Western history. The dramatic story of the Norman invasion of England in 1066 is told – from an unashamedly Norman perspective – in 58 vivid scenes by the world-famous Bayeux Tapestry ( GOOGLE MAP ; %02 31 51 25 50; www.bayeuxmuseum.com; rue de Nesmond; adult/child incl audioguide €9/4; h9am-6.30pm Mar-Oct, to 7pm May-Aug, 9.30am-12.30pm & 2-6pm Nov-Feb). It was embroidered just a few years after William the Bastard, Duke of Normandy, became William the Conqueror, King of England.

Commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux, William’s half-brother, for the opening of Bayeux’ cathedral in 1077, the 68.3m-long cartoon strip tells the dramatic, bloody tale with verve and vividness. Fifty-eight action-packed scenes of pageantry and mayhem occupy the centre of the canvas, while religious allegories and illustrations of everyday 11th-century life, some of them naughty, adorn the borders. The final showdown at the Battle of Hastings is depicted in graphic fashion, complete with severed limbs and decapitated heads (along the bottom of scene 52). Halley’s Comet, which blazed across the sky in 1066, appears in scene 32.

A 16-minute film gives the conquest historical, political and cultural context, including crucial details on the grooming habits of Norman and Saxon knights.

Edward the Confessor depicted on the tapestry | Photos.com / Getty Images ©

5Eating

La Reine MathildePastries€

( GOOGLE MAP ; 47 rue St-Martin; cakes from €2.50; h9am-7.30pm Tue-Sun)

This sumptuously decorated patisserie and salon de thé (tearoom), ideal for a sweet breakfast or a relaxing cup of afternoon tea, hasn’t changed much since it was built in 1898.

Au Ptit BistrotModern French€€

( GOOGLE MAP ; %02 31 92 30 08; 31 rue Larcher; lunch menu €17-20, dinner menu €27-33, mains €16-19; hnoon-2pm & 7-9pm Tue-Sat)

Near the cathedral, this friendly, welcoming eatery whips up creative, beautifully prepared dishes that highlight the Norman bounty without a lick of pretension. Recent hits include chestnut soup, duck breast and bulgur with seasonal fruits and roasted pineapple, and black cod with spinach and spicy guacamole. Reservations essential.

AlchimieModern French€€

(49 rue Saint-Jean; lunch menu €12)

On a street lined with restaurants, Alchimie has a simple but elegant design that takes nothing from the beautifully presented dishes. Choose from the day's specials listed on a chalkboard menu, which might include hits like brandade de morue (codfish baked savoury pie). It's a local favourite, so call ahead.

La RapièreItalian€€

( GOOGLE MAP ; %02 31 21 05 45; www.larapiere.net; 53 rue St-Jean; lunch menus €16-42, dinner menus €30-52; hnoon-1.30pm Tue & Thu-Sat, 7-9pm Tue-Sat, closed mid-Dec–early Feb)

Housed in a late-1400s mansion composed of stone walls and big wooden beams, this atmospheric restaurant specialises in Normandy staples such as terrines, duck and veal with Camembert. The various fixed-price menus assure a splendid meal on any budget.

Detour: Honfleur

Long a favourite with painters such as Monet, Normandy’s most charming port town is a popular day-trip destination. The centre can be overrun with visitors, but it’s hard not to love the rugged maritime charm of the old harbour which evokes maritime Normandy of centuries past.

Honfleur is superb for aimless ambling. The harbour, with its bobbing pleasure boats, is Honfleur’s focal point. On the west side, quai Ste-Catherine is lined with tall, taper-thin houses – many protected from the elements by slate tiles – dating from the 16th to 18th centuries. The Lieutenance ( GOOGLE MAP ; 12 Place Ste-Catherine), at the mouth of the old harbour, was once the residence of the town’s royal governor. Just northeast of the Lieutenance is the Avant Port, home to Honfleur’s dozen fishing vessels, which sell their catch at the Marché au Poisson (Fish Market; GOOGLE MAP ; Jetée de Transit; h8am-noon or later Thu-Sun).

Come lunch, La Cidrerie ( GOOGLE MAP ; %02 31 89 59 85; 26 place Hamelin; mains €8-12; hnoon-2.30pm & 7-9.30pm Thu-Mon) serves piping hot galettes and fizzy Norman ciders served in bowls, while L'Endroit ( GOOGLE MAP ; %02 31 88 08 43; 3 rue Charles et Paul Bréard; weekday lunch menus €25, other menus €30, mains €24-29; hnoon-1.30pm & 7.30-9pm Thu-Mon) cooks up dishes showcasing the bounty of Normandy fields and coastline in an eclectic and artfully designed space with open kitchen.

Quai Ste-Catherine, Honfleur | Gimas / Shutterstock ©

8Information

Tourist Office Covers both Bayeux and the surrounding Bessin region, including the D-Day beaches. Has a walking-tour map of town and bus and train schedules, and sells books on the D-Day landings in English. Charges €2 to book hotels and B&Bs.

8Getting There & Away

Bus

Bus Verts (%09 70 83 00 14; www.busverts.fr) Buses 70 and 74 (bus 75 in July and August) link Bayeux’ train station and place St-Patrice with many of the villages, memorials and museums along Omaha, Gold and Juno D-Day beaches.

Train

Bayeux’ train station is 1km southeast of the cathedral. Direct services:

Caen €7, 20 minutes, at least hourly.

Pontorson (Mont St-Michel) €25, 1¾ hours, three daily.

For Paris’ Gare St-Lazare and Rouen, you may have to change at Caen.

8Getting Around

Bicycle

Vélos ( GOOGLE MAP ; %02 31 92 89 16; www.velosbayeux.com; 5 rue Larcher; per half-/full day from €7.50/10; h8am-8.30pm) Year-round bike rental from a fruit and veggie store a few paces from the tourist office.

Car

There’s free parking at Parking d’Ornano, at the southern end of rue Larcher.

Taxi

Taxi (%02 31 92 92 40; www.bayeux-taxis.com) Can take you around Bayeux or out to the D-Day sites.

Norman Cuisine

Normandy may be the largest French region without even a single vineyard, but its culinary riches more than make up for the dearth of local wines – and besides, any self-respecting Norman would rather wash down a meal with a pitcher of tart cider or calvados (apple brandy).

Normandy is a land of cream, soft cheeses, apples and an astonishingly rich range of seafood and fish. Classics to look out for include coquilles St-Jacques (scallops), available from October to May, and sole dieppoise (Dieppe sole). Don’t forget your trou normand (‘Norman hole’), the traditional break between courses of a meal for a glass of calvados to cleanse the palate and improve the appetite for the next course!

Benoist Sébire / Getty Images ©

Rouen

With its soaring Gothic cathedral, beautifully restored medieval quarter, excellent museums and vibrant cultural life, Rouen is one of Normandy’s most engaging destinations.

1Sights

The heart of the old city is rue du Gros Horloge, which is two blocks north of the city centre’s main east–west thoroughfare, rue Général Leclerc. The main shopping precinct is due north of the cathedral, on pedestrianised rue des Carmes and nearby streets.

Rouen

1Sights

1Cathédrale Notre DameC2

2Gros HorlogeB2

3Historial Jeanne d'ArcC2

4Monument JuifC2

5Musée des Beaux-ArtsC1

6Palais de JusticeB2

7Place du Vieux MarchéB2

5Eating

8Bar à HuitresB1

9CitizenC1

10Dame CakesC2

11La CornaëlleD2

12La Rose des VentsC2

13L'EspiguetteD2

14Made in NormandyD2

15Minute et MijotéB1

6Drinking & Nightlife

16La Boîte à BièresA1

17Le SaxoD3

18Les BerthomB2

Historial Jeanne d'ArcMuseum

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %02 35 52 48 00; www.historialjeannedarc.fr; 7 rue St-Romain; adult/child €10/7; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun)

For an introduction to the great 15th-century heroine and the events that earned her fame – and shortly thereafter condemnation – don't miss this excellent new site. It's less of a museum, and more of an immersive, theatre-like experience, where you walk through medieval corridors and watch (and hear via headphones) the dramatic retelling of Joan's visions, her victories, the trial that sealed her fate, and the mythologising that followed in the years after her death.

It's not coincidentally set inside one part of the archbishop's palace, where Joan was likely tried and condemned in 1431.

Cathédrale Notre DameCathedral

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.cathedrale-rouen.net; place de la Cathédrale; h2-7pm Mon, 9am-7pm Tue-Sat, 8am-6pm Sun Apr-Oct, shorter hours Nov-Mar)

Rouen’s stunning Gothic cathedral, built between the late 12th and 16th centuries, was famously the subject of a series of canvases painted by Monet at various times of the day and year. The 75m-tall Tour de Beurre (Butter Tower) was financed by locals in return for being allowed to eat butter during Lent – or so the story goes.

Place du Vieux MarchéSquare

( MAP GOOGLE MAP )

The old city's main thoroughfare, rue du Gros Horloge, runs from the cathedral west to place du Vieux Marché. This is where 19-year-old Joan of Arc was executed for heresy in 1431.

Gros HorlogeTower

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; rue du Gros Horloge; adult/child €7/3.50; h10am-1pm & 2-7pm Tue-Sun Apr-Oct, to 6pm Nov-Mar)

Spanning rue du Gros Horloge, the Great Clock’s Renaissance archway has a gilded, one-handed medieval clock face on each side. High above, a Gothic belfry, reached via spiral stairs, affords spectacular views. The excellent audioguide is a great introduction to Rouen’s colourful history and is available in eight languages.

Musée des Beaux-ArtsGallery

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %02 35 71 28 40; www.mbarouen.fr; esplanade Marcel Duchamp; h10am-6pm Wed-Mon)

Housed in a grand structure erected in 1870, Rouen’s outstanding fine-arts museum features canvases by Rubens, Modigliani, Pissarro, Renoir, Sisley (lots) and, of course, several works by Monet. There's also one jaw-dropping painting by Caravaggio.

Panorama XXLGallery

( GOOGLE MAP ; www.panoramxxl.com; Quai de Boisguilbert; adult/child €10/7; h10am-7pm May-Sep, to 6pm Oct-Apr)

In a large, circular column on the waterfront, Panorama XXL lives up to its oversized name, with one massive 360-degree exhibition inside that offers in-depth exploring of one vast landscape, created with photographs, drawings, digital images and recorded audio. Past years have featured Amazonia, Ancient Rome and Rouen in 1431 – often with sunrise and sunset creating different moods. A 15m-high viewing platform in the middle of the room gives a fine vantage point over the scene.

Palais de JusticeArchitecture

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; place Maréchal Foch & rue aux Juifs)

The ornately Gothic Law Courts, little more than a shell at the end of WWII, have been restored to their early-16th-century glory. On rue Jeanne d'Arc, however, you can still see the pock-marked façade, which shows the damages sustained during bombing raids in 1944. Around the corner on pedestrianised rue aux Juifs, you can peer in the spire- and gargoyle-adorned courtyard.

Don't Miss

The free son et lumière (sound and light) show projected on the façade of Rouen Cathedral every night from June (at 11pm) to late September (at 9.30pm).

5Eating

Rouen’s main dining district, home to dozens of eateries and cafes, is around place du Vieux Marché and adjacent place de la Pucelle. East of the cathedral, there’s a row of classy little restaurants along the northern side of rue Martainville, near Église St-Maclou.

CitizenCafe€

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 4 Rue de l'Écureuil; mains €7-12, Sat brunch €22; h9am-7pm Mon-Fri, from 11am Sat)

Citizen is undeniably hip with its chunky wood communal tables, industrial fixtures and groovy tunes playing overhead. More important than the surrounds is the coffee, which is the best in town, and the tasty bites on hand (granola, fresh fruit and fromage blanc for breakfast; smoked salmon salad for lunch), plus beers from Brooklyn Brewery. Outdoor seating on the plaza.

La CornaëlleCrêperie€

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %02 35 08 53 75; 174 rue Eau de Robec; crêpes €8-12; hnoon-3pm & 7-10pm Tue-Sat, noon-3pm Sun)

Arched ceilings, pale stone walls and some low-playing blues set the scene for an enjoyable night nibbling on delicious savoury galettes, while sipping some of the fizzy local cider. Finish off with a decadent dessert crepe (try the poêlée Normande with apples, caramel, cream and flambéed calvados).

L’EspiguetteBistro€

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %02 35 71 66 27; 25 place St-Amand; weekday lunch menu €13, mains €17-24; hnoon-10pm Tue-Sat)

This charmingly decorated eatery serves excellent bistro classics (think osso buco, fillet of sole, beef tartare), with the day's offerings scribbled on a chalkboard. Grab a seat at one of the outdoor tables on a warm day. It's quite popular with locals, so reserve ahead, even at lunchtime. Speaking of which, the lunch menu is a great deal.

La Rose des VentsModern French€

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %02 35 70 29 78; 37 rue St-Nicolas; mains €16; hnoon-3pm Tue-Sat)

Tucked away inside a retro second-hand shop, this stylish establishment is hugely popular with foodies and hipsters. Patrons rave about the two lunch mains, which change weekly according to what’s available in the market. They can usually whip up something for vegetarians as well. Reservations are recommended.

Dame CakesPastries€

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %02 35 07 49 31; www.damecakes.fr; 70 rue St-Romain; lunch menu €16-20, tea & cake menu €9; h10.30am-7pm Mon-Sat; v)

Walk through the historic, early 20th-century façade and you’ll discover a delightfully civilised selection of pastries, cakes and chocolates. From noon to 3pm you can tuck into delicious quiches, gratins and salads in the attached salon de thé (tearoom). Lovely.

Minute et MijotéBistro€€

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %02 32 08 40 00; http://minutemijote.canalblog.com; 58 rue de Fontenelle; lunch menus €16.50-21, dinner menus €26-31; hnoon-2pm & 7.45-10pm Mon-Sat)

This smart bistro, with its retro decor, is a longtime favourite dining spot in Rouen. The menu is limited (just two seafood and two meat plates per night on average), but the chef uses quality ingredients, prepared with care, and it's a great value overall.

Made in NormandyFrench€€

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %02 35 14 07 45; www.lemadeinnormandy.fr; 236 rue Martainville; lunch menu €13-15, dinner menu €19-23; hnoon-2pm & 7-9.30pm Thu-Mon)

A candle-lit, semi-formal restaurant that serves outstanding French and Norman dishes, including succulent beef, Dieppe-style seafood stew and rich crème brulée.

Market-Oyster Lunch

For remarkably fresh seafood, grab a seat at the horseshoe-shaped bar at Bar à Huîtres ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; place du Vieux Marché; mains €10-16, oysters per half-dozen/dozen from €10/17; h10am-2pm Tue-Sat), a casual but polished eatery located inside Rouen's covered market. Specials change daily based on what's fresh, from giant shrimp to fillet of sole, all cooked to perfection. Don't neglect the restaurant's namesake – delicious, locally farmed huîtres (oysters), with several different varieties on offer.

Fresh oysters | biggereye / Shutterstock ©

6Drinking & Nightlife

The bars and cafes around place du Vieux Marché and in the old town buzz from noon until the early hours. Rouen is also the centre of Normandy’s gay life.

Les BerthomBar

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 60 rue de la Vicomte; h5pm-midnight Sun-Wed, to 2am Thu-Sat)

Beer lovers should pay a visit to this sleek brewpub near the Vieux Marché. You'll find a changing selection of beers on tap (nine or so at a time, with good Belgian abbey-style ales dominating the list). It's a lively spot for a drink, with bartenders cranking up the beats as the night progresses.

Le SaxoBar

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %02 35 98 24 92; www.facebook.com/le.saxo.rouen; 11 place St-Marc; h5pm-2am Mon-Sat)

Le Saxo swings to jazz, blues, rock, reggae and world music, with free concerts by local bands on Friday and Saturday from 10pm to 1.30am (except in July and August). It hosts jazz jam sessions every other Thursday from 9pm. Serves 13 beers on tap and 120 by the bottle.

La Boîte à BièresBar

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.laboiteabieres.fr; 35 rue Cauchoise; h5pm-2am Tue-Sat; W)

This friendly, often-crowded establishment, with walls plastered with memorabilia, is affectionately known as BAB. It serves 15 or so beers on tap and another 230 in bottles, including local bières artisanales (microbrews).

8Information

Tourist Office ( GOOGLE MAP ; %02 32 08 32 40; www.rouentourisme.com; 25 place de la Cathédrale; h9am-7pm Mon-Sat, 9.30am-12.30pm & 2-6pm Sun May-Sep, 9.30am-12.30pm & 1.30-6pm Mon-Sat Oct-Apr) Housed in a 1500s Renaissance building facing the cathedral. Can provide English brochures on Normandy and details on guided tours in English (July and August). Rouen’s only exchange bureau is at the back.

8Getting There & Around

Bicycle

Cy’clic (%08 00 08 78 00; http://cyclic.rouen.fr; h5am-1am), Rouen’s version of Paris’ Vélib’, lets you rent a city bike from 20 locations around town. Credit card registration for one/seven days costs €1/5, plus a deposit of €150. Use is free for the first 30 minutes; the 2nd/3rd/4th and subsequent half-hours cost €1/2/4 each.

Train

The train station, Rouen-Rive-Droite ( GOOGLE MAP ), is 1.2km north of the cathedral. In the city centre, train tickets are available at the Boutique SNCF ( GOOGLE MAP ; cnr rue aux Juifs & rue Eugène Boudin; h12.30-7pm Mon, 10am-7pm Tue-Sat). Direct services:

Caen €28, 1¾ hours, five or six daily.

Paris’ Gare St-Lazare €24.10, 1¼ hours, 25 daily Monday to Friday, 13 to 18 Saturday and Sunday.

Trouville & Deauville

The twin seaside towns of Trouville-sur-Mer (population 4800) and Deauville (population 3800), 15km southwest of Honfleur, are hugely popular with Parisians, who flock here year-round on weekends – and all week long from June to September and during Paris’ school holidays.

Chic Deauville has been a playground of well-heeled Parisians ever since it was founded by Napoléon III’s half-brother, the Duke of Morny, in 1861. Expensive, flashy and brash, it’s packed with designer boutiques, deluxe hotels and meticulously tended public gardens, and hosts two racetracks and the high-profile American Film Festival.

Unpretentious Trouville is both a veteran beach resort, graced with impressive mansions from the late 1800s, and a working fishing port. Popular with middle-class French families, the town was frequented by painters and writers during the 19th century (eg Mozin and Flaubert), lured by the 2km-long sandy beach and the laid-back seaside ambience.

1Sights

In Deauville, the rich and beautiful strut their stuff along the beachside Promenade des Planches, a 643m-long boardwalk that’s lined with a row of 1920s cabins named after famous Americans (mainly film stars). After swimming in the nearby 50m Piscine Olympique (Olympic swimming pool; GOOGLE MAP ; %02 31 14 02 17; bd de la Mer, Deauville; weekday/weekend from €4/6; h10am-2pm & 3.30-7pm Mon-Sat, 10am-4pm Sun, closed 2 weeks in Jan & 3 weeks in Jun), filled with seawater heated to 28°C, they – like you – can head to the beach, hundreds of metres wide at low tide; walk across the street to their eye-popping, neo-something mansion; or head down the block to the spectacularly Italianate casino.

Trouville, too, has a waterfront casino, wide beach and Promenade des Planches (boardwalk). At the latter, 583m long and outfitted with Bauhaus-style pavilions from the 1930s, you can swim in a freshwater swimming pool and windsurf; there’s also a playground for kids. Trouville’s most impressive 19th-century villas are right nearby.

Musée Villa MontabelloMuseum

( GOOGLE MAP ; %02 31 88 16 26; 64 rue du Général Leclerc, Trouville; adult/child €3/free, Sun free; h2-5.30pm Wed-Mon Apr–mid-Nov, from 11am Sat, Sun & holidays)

In a fine mansion built in 1865, this municipal museum recounts Trouville's history and features works by Charles Mozin, Eugène Isabey and Charles Pecrus. Situated 1km northeast of the tourist office, near the beach (and signed off the beach).

The two towns and beach scenes play a starring role in the impressionist works in the small permanent collection. There's also a short film (in French only), vintage travel posters from the 1930s, some early 20th-century clothing and black-and-white photos of beach-goers from days long past. The first floor features temporary exhibitions, with changing shows every three months or so.

The Cider Route

Normandy’s signposted, 40km Route du Cidre, about 30km south of Deauville, wends its way through the Pays d’Auge, a rural area of orchards, pastures, hedgerows, half-timbered farmhouses and stud farms, through picturesque villages such as Cambremer and Beuvron-en-Auge. Signs reading ‘Cru de Cambremer’ indicate the way to 17 small-scale, traditional producteurs (producers) who are happy to show you their facilities and sell you their homegrown apple cider (about €3.50 a bottle), calvados (apple brandy) – affectionately known as calva – and pommeau (a mixture of apple juice and calvados).

Traditional Normandy cider takes about six months to make. Ripe apples are shaken off the trees or gathered from the ground between early October and early December. After being stored for two or three weeks, they are pressed, purified, slow-fermented, bottled and naturally carbonated, just like Champagne.

Normandy’s AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) cider is made with a blend of apple varieties and is known for being fruity, tangy and slightly bitter. You can enjoy it in crêperies and restaurants throughout Normandy.

5Eating

In Trouville, there are lots of restaurants and buzzing brasseries along riverfront bd Fernand Moureaux; many specialise in fresh fish, mussels and seafood. The area has a fantastic atmosphere on summer evenings. Inland, check out the small restaurants and cafes along and near rue d’Orléans and on pedestrianised rue des Bains.

Deauville has a good selection of eateries scattered around town, with clusters around the tourist office and place Morny.

Les VapeursBrasserie€€

( GOOGLE MAP ; %02 31 88 15 24; 160 bd Fernand Moureaux, Trouville; mains €17-32; hnoon-10pm)

Across from the fish market, Les Vapeurs has been going strong since 1927. The huge menu is a showcase for seafood platters, mussels in cream sauce, grilled haddock and classic brasserie fare (like steak tartare). It's served amid old-time ambience, with black-and-white photos, a touch of neon and wicker chairs at the outdoor tables in front.

L'EssentielFusion€€

( GOOGLE MAP ; %02 31 87 22 11; 29 rue Mirabeau; lunch menu €20-28, dinner menu €60, mains €23-34; hnoon-2pm & 7.30-11pm Thu-Mon)

One of Deauville's top dining rooms, L'Essentiel serves up an imaginative blend of French ingredients with Asian and Latin American accents. Start off with codfish croquettes with sweet potato aioli before moving on to scallops with broccoli yuzu, or wagyu flank steak with roasted turnips and smoked cashew juice.

A Fishy Business

oThe Marché aux Poissons (Fish Market; GOOGLE MAP ; bd Fernand Moureaux, Trouville; h8am-7.30pm) is the place in Trouville to head for fresh oysters with lemon (from €9 to €16 a dozen) and many other maritime delicacies. Even if you don't have access to a kitchen, there's cooked peel-and-eat shrimp, mussels, sea urchins and scallops, which you can enjoy on the tables out front. Located on the waterfront 250m south of the casino.

oPoissonnerie Pillet Saiter ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.poissonnerie-pilletsaiter.fr; bd Fernand Moureaux, Trouville; oysters per dozen €10-15; h8am-7.30pm), proud of having operated its own fishing boat since 1887, sells platters of seafood (by weight) and oysters (by the six or dozen) that you can eat at little tables.

8Information

Deauville Tourist Office ( GOOGLE MAP ; %02 31 14 40 00; www.deauville.org; place de la Mairie; h10am-6pm Mon-Sat, 10am-1pm & 2-5pm Sun) Has a trilingual walking tour brochure with a Deauville map and can help find accommodation. The website has details on cultural events and horse races. Situated 800m west of the train station along rue Désiré le Hoc.

Trouville Tourist Office ( GOOGLE MAP ; %02 31 14 60 70; www.trouvillesurmer.org; 32 bd Fernand Moureaux; h10am-6pm Mon-Sat, 10am-1.30pm Sun Sep-Jun, 9.30am-7pm Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm Sun Jul & Aug) Has a free map of Trouville and sells map-brochures for two self-guided architectural tours (€3.50) and two rural walks (€1) of 7km and 11km. Situated 200m north of pont des Belges.

8Getting There & Around

Bicycle

Les Trouvillaises ( GOOGLE MAP ; %02 31 98 54 11; www.lestrouvillaises.fr; place Foch; bicycle per hour/day €5/14; h9am-7pm mid-Mar–Oct) Based near Trouville’s Casino (next to the footbridge/passenger ferry to Deauville), Les Trouvillaises rents out a variety of two- and four-wheel pedal-powered conveyances, including bicycles, tandems and carts, for both adults and children.

Bus

Deauville and Trouville’s joint bus station is next to the Trouville-Deauville train station.

Bus Verts Bus 20 goes to Caen (€5.15, two hours, seven to 12 daily) and Honfleur (€2.10, 30 minutes, four to seven daily).

Train

The Trouville-Deauville train station is in Deauville right next to pont des Belges (the bridge to Trouville). Getting here usually requires a change at Lisieux (€6.80, 20 minutes, nine to 11 daily), though there are two or three direct trains a day to Paris’ Gare St-Lazare (€35, two hours). Destinations that require a change of trains include Caen (€14.50, 1¼ to two hours, six to 11 daily) and Rouen (from €25, 1¼ to two hours, five to eight daily).

Étretat

The dramatic twin cliffs of Étretat, 60km north of Trouville and 90km west of Rouen, made it a favourite of painters like Gustave Courbet and Claude Monet. With the vogue for sea air at the end of the 19th century, fashionable Parisians came and built extravagant villas. Étretat has never gone out of style and still swells with visitors every weekend.

1Sights & Activities

The pebbly beach is separated from the town centre by a dyke. To the left as you face the sea, you can see the Falaise d’Aval, renowned for its free-standing arch – compared by French writer Maupassant to an elephant dipping its trunk in the sea – and the adjacent Aiguille, a 70m-high spire of chalk-white rock rising from the waves. Further along the cliff is a second natural arch known as La Manneporte. To reach the plateau above, take the steep footpath from the southwestern end of the beachfront.

To the right as you face the sea towers the Falaise d’Amont, atop which a memorial marks the spot where two aviators were last seen before attempting to cross the Atlantic in 1927.

The tourist office has a map of trails around town and can also provide details on sail-powered cruises aboard a two-masted schooner (March to October).

8Information

Tourist Office (%02 35 27 05 21; www.etretat.net; place Maurice Guillard; h9.30am-6.30pm mid-Jun–mid-Sep, 10am-noon & 2-6pm Mon-Sat mid-Sep–mid-Jun, Sun during school holidays) Situated inside the town hall.

8Getting There & Away

Keolis (%02 35 28 19 88; www.keolis-seine-maritime.com) Scenic bus 24 (seven or more daily) goes to Le Havre’s train station (€2, one hour) and to Fécamp (€2, 30 minutes).

Le Havre

A Unesco World Heritage Site since 2005, Le Havre is a love letter to modernism, evoking, more than any other French city, France’s postwar energy and optimism. All but obliterated in September 1944 by Allied bombing raids that killed 3000 civilians, the centre was completely rebuilt by the Belgian architect Auguste Perret, whose bright, airy modernist vision remains, miraculously, largely intact. Attractions include a museum full of captivating impressionist paintings, a soaring church with a mesmerising stained-glass tower, and hilltop gardens with views over the city. Le Havre is a regular port of call for cruise ships.

1Sights & Activities

Musée MalrauxGallery

(MuMa; GOOGLE MAP ; %02 35 19 62 72; 2 bd Clemenceau; adult/child incl audioguide €5/free; h11am-6pm Mon & Wed-Fri, to 7pm Sat & Sun)

Near the waterfront, this luminous modern space houses a fabulous collection of impressionist works – the finest in France outside Paris – by masters such as Monet (who grew up in Le Havre), Pissarro, Renoir and Sisley. You'll also find works by the Fauvist painter Raoul Dufy, born in Le Havre, and paintings by Eugène Boudin, a mentor of Monet and another Le Havre native.

There's a cafe with fine views over the harbour. MuMa is 1km southeast of the tourist office, at the southwestern tip of the city centre.

Église St-JosephChurch

( GOOGLE MAP ; bd François 1er; h10am-6pm)

Perret’s masterful, 107m-high Église St-Joseph, visible from all over town, was built using bare concrete from 1951 to 1959. Some 13,000 panels of coloured glass make the soaring, sombre interior particularly striking when it’s sunny.

Stained-glass artist Margaret Huré created a cohesive masterpiece in her collaboration with Peret, and her use of shading and colour was thoughtfully conceived, evoking different moods depending on where the sun is in the sky – and the ensuing colours created by the illumination.

Appartement TémoinArchitecture

( GOOGLE MAP ; %02 35 22 31 22; 181 rue de Paris; adult/child €5/free; htours 2pm, 3pm, 4pm & 5pm Wed, Sat & Sun, plus 2pm & 3pm Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri Jun-Sep)

Furnished in impeccable early-1950s style, this lovingly furnished bourgeois apartment can be visited on a one-hour guided tour that starts at 181 rue de Paris (Maison du Patrimoine), a block north of Le Volcan.

The apartment is a remarkable time capsule of the post-war boom days that Le Havre experienced, complete with clothes, newspapers, furniture and appliances exactly as one would have seen entering a downtown apartment in the decade of the city's reconstruction.

Le VolcanCultural Centre

(Espace Oscar Niemeyer; GOOGLE MAP ; %02 35 19 10 10; www.levolcan.com; place Charles de Gaulle; hlibrary 10am-7pm)

Le Havre’s most conspicuous landmark, designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer and opened in 1982, is also the city’s premier cultural venue. One look and you’ll understand how it got its name, which means ‘the volcano’. After extensive renovations the complex reopened in 2015, with a new concert hall and an ultramodern mediathèque (multimedia library). Situated at the western end of the Bassin du Commerce, the city centre’s former port.

It's worth stopping by the library and cafe while strolling around Le Havre. Check the website for upcoming performances, which tend toward avant-garde and interdisciplinary works.

5Eating

You'll find a concentration of restaurants along pedestrian-friendly Rue Victor Hugo, one block north of Le Volcan. There's another cluster of restaurants in Quartier St-François, the area just south of the Bassin du Commerce – check out rue de Bretagne, rue Jean de la Fontaine and rue du Général Faidherbe.

Halles CentralesMarket€

( GOOGLE MAP ; rue Voltaire; h8.30am-7.30pm Mon-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun)

Food stalls at Le Havre’s main market include a patisserie, a fromagerie and many tempting fruit stands; there’s also a small supermarket. Situated a block west of Le Volcan.

La Taverne PailletteBrasserie€€

( GOOGLE MAP ; %02 35 41 31 50; www.taverne-paillette.com; 22 rue Georges Braque; lunch menu €15, mains €16-26; hnoon-midnight daily)

Solid brasserie food is the order of the day at this Le Havre institution – think big bowls of mussels, generous salads, gargantuan seafood platters and, in the Alsatian tradition, eight types of choucroute (sauerkraut). Situated five blocks north of Église St-Joseph, at the northeast corner of a park called Square St-Roch.

Bistrot des HallesBistro€€

( GOOGLE MAP ; %02 35 22 50 52; 7 place des Halles Centrales; lunch menu €14, other menu €25, mains €15-24; hnoon-3pm & 7-11pm Mon-Sat, noon-3pm Sun)

For a very French dining experience, head to this Lyon-style bistro, decked out with old-time enamel publicity plaques. Specialities include steak, magret de canard (duck breast fillet), cassoulet and large salads. Situated two blocks west of Le Volcan and across from the covered market (Halles Centrales).

8Information

Maison du Patrimoine ( GOOGLE MAP ; %02 35 22 31 22; 181 rue de Paris; h1.45-6.30pm year-round, plus 10am-noon Apr-Sep) The tourist office’s city centre annexe has an exposition on Perret’s postwar reconstruction of the city.

Tourist Office ( GOOGLE MAP ; %02 32 74 04 04; www.lehavretourisme.com; 186 bd Clemenceau; h2-6pm Mon, 10am-12.30pm & 2-6pm Tue-Sun) Has a map in English for a two-hour walking tour of Le Havre’s architectural highlights and details on cultural events. Situated at the western edge of the city centre, one block south of the La Plage tram terminus.

8Getting There & Away

Boat

Le Havre’s car ferry terminal, situated 1km southeast of Le Volcan, is linked with the English port of Portsmouth via Brittany Ferries (www.brittany-ferries.co.uk). Ferries depart daily from late March to early November.

Bus

The bus station is next to the train station.

Bus Verts Heading south, bus 20 (four to six daily) goes to Honfleur (€4.15, 30 minutes) and Deauville and Trouville (€6.25, one hour).

Keolis For the Côte d’Albâtre, take scenic bus 24 (seven or more daily) to Étretat (€2, one hour).

Train

The train station, Gare du Havre, is 1.5km east of Le Volcan, at the eastern end of bd de Strasbourg. The tram stop out front is called ‘Gares’. Destinations:

Fécamp €9.30, one to 1½ hours, eight to 15 daily.

Paris’ Gare St-Lazare €35, 2¼ hours, 15 daily Monday to Friday, seven to nine Saturday and Sunday.

Rouen €16, one hour, 16 to 20 daily Monday to Saturday, 10 Sunday.

8Getting Around

Two modern tram lines run by LiA (www.transports-lia.fr), link the train station with the city centre and the beach. A single ride costs €1.70; travelling all day is €3.80.

Location de Vélos rents out bicycles (two hours/half-day/full day €3/4/7) at two sites, including the train station and a shop on 9 ave René Coty, one block north of the Mairie du Havre.