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Normandy Holiday Cottages
Normandy self catering cottages and holiday properties are available from the rental companies below. They can be found throughout the region and may be booked for as little as £200 in some cases. Extras such as wi-fi internet access and satellite television are also offered for selected properties.
Cottages 4 You - Over
200 Normandy holiday cottages and holiday homes, including historical timber-framed houses, stone cottages and apartments. Their self catering properties are situated near places like Bayeux, Mortain, Calvados and Orne.
Holiday Lettings - More than
200 Normandy cottages and self catering properties including traditional Normandy farmhouses, renovated stone barns and thatched cottages. Prices are as low as £150 for low-season seven day breaks.
Chez Nous - Another 200 Normandy self catering holiday cottages from Chez Nous. The range also includes gites, villas and modern holiday apartments, with booking rates ranging between £250 and £970. Special offers are available for selected properties.
Hoseasons - 15 villas and cottages in Normandy from Hoseasons. Their collection features modern holiday homes for the most part, all of which include private swimming pools. Wi-fi internet access is available in some cases as is satellite television.
Normandy
Normandy features coastline that stretches for over 350 miles. Inland, a picturesque hedge-row countryside of farmland, market towns and historical attraction provide holiday makers with a quintessential French charm. Its close location means that it's just a short train ride away from the UK.
The Normandy beaches will be forever known for the
Allied landings in 1944 and there are plenty of reminders of the historic event. Monuments and museums such as the Caen War Memorial pay homage to the fallen. Sign-posted paths lead to the beaches which are found in 'the historical area of the battle of Normandy' This is an open-air museum that exhibits all the sites involved in the battle.
There are a number of fine towns in Normandy that are a must visit during your stay. For example, Giverny, on the banks of the River Seine, was the home of painter
Claude Monet. The industrial Rouen is also worth visiting for its impressive Notre Dame Cathedral. There are also countless museums that showcase antiquities from a rich and eventful past.
Perched on a 260ft high rock,
Mont-St-Michel is also a major attraction. It is France's second most visited site, behind the Eiffel Tower. Normandy is also noted for its gastronomy. The famous cheeses, Camembert and Livarot originate from the region and can be sampled in a number of top quality restaurants. More information about Normandy visitor attractions and activities follows below.
Normandy visitor attractions
The diverse scenery and natural beauty of Nomandy makes it an ideal location for cottage holiday makers who enjoy out door activities combined with sight seeing. With its windswept beaches, wooded valleys and rich farmlands, the area is rich in history.
Outdoor activities
Normandy is the perfect for walking and cycling down secluded roads and through quiet, leafy lanes. If a beach holiday is what is required, there are several popular resorts such as Trouville and Deauville. At
Lisieux, Le Nautil is open every day - an amazing swimming pool with a 54metre - long toboggan, jacuzzis and a solarium. Children will enjoy
Festyland – an adventure park with a pirate theme or the conservation Zoo de Cerza 10kms north of Lisieux.
The
Jardin des Plantes at Caen has a great play area suitable for all ages.
Haras du Pin, in Southern Normandy, founded in the mid-17th century, is the largest stud farm in France and there are daily displays and guided tours of the forge, tack room and stables where some 100 stallions are kept. Open April – mid-October and mid-October – March daily It also has a beautiful parkland where families can enjoy an outdoor picnic.
Food and drink
Normandy caters for hearty appetites and specialises in meat and fish stews and soups. Their pastries, desserts and jams reflect the abundance of apples and pears grown in this area. There are no vineyards but cider is widely popular. Calvados, their famous cider brandy, has been made in the area since the 16th century.
La Table du Terroir in Bayeux is reasonably priced and specialises in home-made pates. In summer, you can dine outside on the terrace. At Deauville.
Le Spinnaker is one of Normandy’s finest fish restaurants and offers baked lobster, turbot and grilled meat. Le 37 is a modern, lively bistro in the centre of Rouen with an up to date menu offering dishes such as sweet and sour pork or cod with onion confit. Booking is essential.
History and Culture
The people of Normandy are famously religious and there are many beautiful abbeys and cathedrals to visit.
Mont St Michel is a must for tourists, especially at night when the abbey is illuminated. At Rouen, famous for its magnificent Gothic cathedral, Joan of Arc was burned at the stake and her story is depicted in the stained glass of the
Eglise Jeanne d’Arc. There are also some fascinating Renaissance chateaux to visit and the Chateau de Sassy is one of the most impressive.
Bayeux is famous for its 70 metre tapestry depicting the conquest of England by William the Conqueror in 1066. In WW2, On D-Day, 6th June 1944,
Normandy became a battleground where 13500 Allied troops fought for victory on French soil. The steep landing beaches have retained the code names, Gold, Juno, Omaha, Sword and Utah and the military cemeteries in the area are a place of pilgrimage for those who wish to pay their respects to ‘the glorious dead’.
