Situated on the west coast of the Cotentin peninsula, Barneville-Carteret is a very pleasant family seaside resort with its special setting, its beautiful sandy beach, its lively fishing and sailing port, and its Douaniers footpath which takes walkers around Carteret cape. The port of Carteret offers boat connections to the Channel Islands.

The village of Lessay is known for its abbey church, a remarkable example of Romanesque art, but also for its Sainte-Croix country fair which attracts a large number of visitors every year the second weekend of September.

City of Art and History Valognes, nicknamed the Versailles of Normandy, has numerous mansions. The most well-known is Beaumont mansion, a historical monument dating from the 18th century, is open to the public and the visit includes rooms containing antique furniture, a monumental double spiral staircase and formal gardens.

Nearby, in the Grand Quartier house, a regional cider museum presents a collection of utensils used in cider-making.

The brandy and old trades museum in Thieuville mansion explains how Calvados is made through an exhibition of machines and tools, with a section dedicated to traditional costumes and trades.

The town's built heritage can be explored on a walk through the streets of Valognes, especially the Rue de Poterie and Rue des Religieuses.

Sainte-Mère-Église, a village on the Cotentin peninsula, was made famous on the night of 5 June 1944 during the American Airborne Landing. During the operation, US paratrooper John Steele's parachute caught on the church steeple and he hung there, feigning death. Today his effigy, complete with parachute, remind us of past events.

Near the church is the Airborne museum, which offers an exhibition dedicated to the Landing of the 82nd American airborne division.

Dominated by the towers of its cathedral, the City of Art and History of Coutances has a beautiful religious heritage. Built in the 13th century, the Notre-Dame cathedral constitutes a remarkable example of the Normandy Gothic art. To discover: its nave, its 13th-century stained glass windows, as well as its magnificent tower, a masterpiece of Gothic style.

Not far from the cathedral, the particularly relaxing botanic garden is a place great for strolling.

The city of Coutances is also well-known for its "Jazz sous les Pommiers" (Jazz under the apple trees) music festival, which is held every year in May.

145,000 hectares in size among which 30,000 hectares are wetlands, the Regional Nature Park of Cotentin and Bessin Marshes extends over two départements: the Manche and the Calvados. From the Vire and Douve marshes to the Veys bay, through the hedged farmland, dunes and moors landscapes, the Regional Nature Park of Cotentin and Bessin Marshes is a fantastic place to visit.

The park's visitor centre, Les Ponts d'Ouve, is located in Saint-Côme-du-Mont. Visitors can observe wild birds on the marsh from an educational footpath.

The coastal city of Cherbourg-Octeville, on the north of the Cotentin peninsula, possesses a rich maritime heritage. Created in the 18th century, Cherbourg-Octeville harbour is the biggest artificial harbour in the world. The best way to explore the harbour and its forts is on one of the boat trips on offer. The city also has several ports: a fishing harbour, a marina, a commercial port and a naval port.

Not to be missed is the Cité de la Mer ("sea town"), a vast scientific, tourist and cultural complex dedicated to the marine world, particularly the ocean and the underwater environment.

Famous fishing and sailing port, Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue is also an oyster farming centre and a seaside resort benefiting from a mild and pleasant climate. Off the port, the Tatihou island, fortified by Vauban, is a place great for walking and discovering its botanical garden, its ornithological observatory and its maritime museum.

The village of Barfleur, with its picturesque granite houses, has a long maritime history and is listed as one of the Most Beautiful Villages of France. The small fishing port dominated by the silhouette of its 17th-century church makes a charming scene.

Not far from the village is the Barfleur headland, where stands a 71-metre lighthouse offering a magnificent view of Cotentin.

Situated in the North of the Manche département, the Cotentin peninsula offers a charming group of landscapes alternating between marshes, meadows, hedged farmland, moors, cliffs and wild coasts.

Its coast, with among others the Écalgrain bay, the Jobourg headland, the Carteret cape, the Barfleur headland and the Veys bay, enchants walkers and sea lovers. The best way to fully appreciate the beauty of the Cotentin scenery is along one of the lovely coastal footpaths.

Rebuilt after 1944 destructions, the city of Saint-Lô nevertheless preserved its charm with its ramparts and its towers dominating the Vire valley.

The collection at the Fine art museum recounts the history of tapestry from the 16th century to our days and features the 16th-century wall hanging "La Tenture des Amours de Gombault et Macée".

Restored to its former glory after the Second World War, the Saint-Lô national stud farm is one of the largest in France and offers guided tours for visitors. During the “Jeudis du Haras” Thursday open days, from the end of July to September, stallions are presented to visitors.