Top Basse-Normandie hotels
The Abbey Mont Saint Michel
25 Reviews The Abbey Church built in the early years 0f 1000, is located right on top of the rock, 80 metres above sea level, on a platform 80metres long. Inside are Arches, Galleries and tall windows. The...
See All 150 Things to Do in Mont Saint Michel
Tidal Island Mont Saint Michel
22 Reviews Mont St-Michel is a small rocky island just off the coast of Normandy, close to the border with Brittany. This tiny, tidal island is linked to the mainland by a 2km long causeway. One day in the...
See All 150 Things to Do in Mont Saint Michel
La Grande Rue Mont Saint Michel
7 Reviews The Grand Rue is the only street on St. Mont Michel. It wasn't very wide, and was thick with people. There are lots of souvenir shops selling all types of things, even gargoyles! If you want some...
See All 150 Things to Do in Mont Saint Michel
The Cloister Mont Saint Michel
5 Reviews I loved the Cloister, but then I always do, there is something about those arches and the centre garden! The cloister is where prayer and meditation took place. It does send out that feeling of...
See All 150 Things to Do in Mont Saint Michel
The Ramparts Mont Saint Michel
4 Reviews Rampards are the paths on top of fortification walls and Le Mont Saint Michel has many of them. It's actually almost possible to completely walk around the rocky islands bases on these rampards, which...
See All 150 Things to Do in Mont Saint Michel
Monastery Mont Saint Michel
7 Reviews Builded on the top of the 'mont' the monastery overlooks the whole region. Different styles of architecture dominates these series of buildings... It's worth visiting, although you have to climb a lot...
See All 150 Things to Do in Mont Saint Michel
Eglise Saint Pierre Mont Saint Michel
3 Reviews The climb to the abbey is hard, you will have climbed no fewer than 900 steps, but it's worth it. Halfway up Grande-Rue is the medieval parish church of St-Pierre, which features a richly carved side...
See All 150 Things to Do in Mont Saint Michel
After a couple of days meeting with history and drama, passing on those places where civilization was defended with courage and blood, to put an end to WW2, the visit to Mont St Michel is a relief, remembering the best of mankind. Of course, no matter when you are going, you will have to share it with thousands. But it is worthwhile.
Three strong bunkers with powerful canons line the coast. They show the damages suffered during the bombing and assault, so giving us an idea of the violence of its conquest. The actual quietness enhances the feeling of a dead place. And death is really the obvious reference of the area.
Just had to include the statute at an intersection of town. It is big and beautiful and fairly new. It was in commemoration of the 60th D-Day anniversary.The newly uncovered gun batteries here were one more place we were unable to visit.
The western most beach of the allied invasion, the US 4th Infantry landed here on 6 June, 1944. Brig General Teddy Roosevelt Jr came ashore with the first wave, the only Allied general to do so. His actions were widely honored.This was our favorite beach. Perhaps because it was so late and there were few people about. Perhaps because it seemed more intimate, more approachable. Perhaps because after all it was only a beach, and by the end of the day we couldn't absorb any more history, and we just enjoyed a sunset on a beach. Again, we arrived too late to visit the museum, but there were plenty of monuments to go around (eight by one count).
Off the side of the road out of town the Germans for some reason abandoned this tank, perhaps they were out of fuel. This tank was protecting the fleeing soldiers. The battle of Normandy was lost, General Rommel was wounded and the Falaise Gap was closed. For years it was left where it sat, leaning ever more precariously and being overwhelmed with vegetation. Finally the town took action, in 1975 the tank was restored and a park made around it. For us it was the beginning of our WWII saga. Our first encounter with the tanks, the story, the people and the towns left behind. We were glad we came. There are others who make the pilgrimage, looking for history where it happened.
As a teenager I used to be staring at a large poster in my French class. Others might have been watching the Eifel tower or the Arc de Triomphe, I was gazing at a small mountain filled with ancient buildings and surrounded by the sea. It was a picture of Le-Mont-Saint-Michel, a pilgrims goal for almost more then 1.000 years. The island, merely a rock in the sea in front of the coast between Normandie and Bretagne, is completely filled with a huge abbey and it's surrounding village. The original chapel devoted to Saint Michel (Michael) is hardly visible now-a-days and this "Western wonder" attracts millions of tourists every year (after Paris it is actually the second touristic attraction in France). How many of these present day tourist are pilgrims can hardly be said, but Le-Mont (as it simply is called in the region) has attracted through the centuries many thousands pilgrims per year....
Bayeux is one of these ancient gems that Normandie has to offer his visitors. The small town is of incredable scenic beauty and guarantees a very pleasant day for all who arrive here. It is the home of the Tapissery de Reine Mathilde, the famous tapestry of Bayeux and the oldest in it's kind. It is 70 meters long and tells the story of William the Conqueror who regains his right to the English thrown in the battle of Hastings. In the centre of Bayeux ne also can admire the magnificent gothic cathedrale Notre Dame and the town offers many restaurants that serve deliscious Normandian cuisine.
We stayed in Bayeux while visiting Invasion of Normandy sites because we were told it was convenient. What a lovely surprise to find that Bayeux, in and of itself, is a wonderful travel desitnation.Don't miss the Bayeux Tapestry. The museum in which is is housed does an excellent job of explaining the images. We wish we had studied a bit in advance. This is not a period of history any in our group knew well and the tapestry story is long and involved.While in Bayeux be sure to purchase some local cider and Calvados.If you're there on Saturday don't miss their weekly market.
Bayeux is an attractive little town just off the Normany coast. Set just inland of the D Day landing beaches, Bayeux was the first town in France to be liberated from Nazi occupation.Bayeux is most known for the famous Bayeux Tapestry, over 1000 yers old it was commissioned in the middle of the 10th century. At 70 meters long the tapestry, tells the story of the successful attack by the Normans (French) on the Saxons (English) lead by William the Conqueror. There is also a mention of Halleys comet & soldiers getting stuck in quick sand off Mont Saint Michel. The Museum is open between a minimum of 9 - 6 pm, with a break for lunch from 12.30 - 2pm in the winter. Entrance was about 7 Euros.No Photos are allowed inside hence the postcard .
The 5 beaches of the D Day landing area Utah & Omah both landed by the Americans, Gold Juno and Sword which were taken mainly by by British and Canadians with smaller groups of Commonwealth and free French & Polish forces. On the 6th of June 1944 45,000 men took part in the intial "Operation Overlord" with many more following one the beaches were under allied control. Although the awful battle was bloody enough, the Nazis believed the invasion was to take place further up the coast near Calais where the channel is much narrower. This area was much heavier defended than the above mentioned beaches. Had they got it right, the chances are the operation would have been unsuccessful. Today the beaches are a haven of peace, the odd battlement dotted here & there are the only signs we saw that anything on this scale happened here.
Mercure Mont Saint Michel
200 Opinions
Hotel d'Argouges Bayeux
4 Reviews and 233 Opinions I would recommend this 3 star hotel to anyone staying in Bayeux. It is an old townhouse which has...
De la Fontaine Caen
1 Review and 66 Opinions We stayed at La Fontaine for three nights over the last weekend in August. I had picked the hotel...
Reviews and photos of Basse-Normandie attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Basse-Normandie sightseeing.
Q: I will be traveling to France early March and will need to get to Vire. Can I catch a train from Charles De Gaulle airport to my...
A: There are no direct trains between CDG and Vire. Take an RER train into the city and head for Gare Montparnasse Vaugirard, from where the trains to Vire depart. The...
Read 2 Replies
