A contemporary building created within the walls of William the Conqueror's ducal castle houses the Caen Museum of Fine Arts, in the capital of Calvados.

From the 14th century to the present day, around 350 paintings provide a complete overview of European painting. The French, Italian, Flemish and Dutch collections spanning the 16th and 17th centuries, as well as a unique set of etchings, make it one of France's most important museums.

The collections covering the 16th and 17th century include Perugino, Veronese, Tintoretto, Poussin, Champaigne, Rubens and Ruysdael; for the 18th century, Boucher, Rigaud and Tiepolo; for the 19th century, Romantic and Realist painters such as Courbet, Delacroix and Géricault, Impressionists like Monet and Boudin; then Cubists and contemporaries such as Braque, Dufy and Soulages.

Don't miss the prints room, with a total of around 50,000 works making up the Mancel Collection, and an extensive programme of activities for adults, families and young people.

To round off the visit, a walk in the sculpture park is a must, to see masterpieces by Rodin, Bourdelle, Marta Pan, Huang Yong Ping and Alain Kirili.

Come face to face with history at the Mémorial de Caen! Inaugurated in 1988 and part of the International Network of Museums for Peace, the Mémorial, located on Esplanade Eisenhower in Caen, a martyr city that was almost totally destroyed by bombings in the Second World War, is a 20th-century history museum dedicated to peace.

From the origins of the Second World War to the Cold War, from the Holocaust to the Battle of Normandy, and from the end of the Second World War to the fall of the Berlin Wall, the museum explores the world before and after 1945. The bloody events of the century are analysed using documents, photos and archive footage, as well as historical artefacts that once belonged to civilians or soldiers.

What events paved the way for the Second World War? How did people live under the Occupation? What forms of resistance and repression were there? The Mémorial de Caen aims to answer all these questions.

Its focus on education makes it a first-rate museum for teaching the younger generations and passing on the duty of remembrance.

Good to know: the Mémorial also organises guided tours of the D-Day beaches, including Omaha Beach, Le Hoc headland, the American cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer and Arromanches artificial harbour.

The prefecture of Calvados and capital of the former region of Basse-Normandie, the city of Caen suffered serious damage during the Battle of Normandy in 1944. This certified City of Art and History nonetheless has some first-rate architectural reminders of its splendid past.

It's worth taking the time to admire its built heritage. The Men's Abbey, or Abbey of St. Stephen of Caen, was founded by William the Conqueror to obtain the Vatican's pardon for his marriage to a distant cousin, the Princess of Flanders. The prestigious and imposing structure was begun in the 11th century in the Romanesque style, and was completed in the 13th century in the Gothic style. It combines both architectural styles with elegance and harmony, forming an aesthetically remarkable whole. The Ladies' Abbey, built between 1060 and 1080 at the request of Queen Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror, was the female equivalent of the Men's Abbey. The Church of the Trinity, a beautiful example of the Romanesque style with a choir where Queen Matilda was laid to rest, is its highlight.

Caen Castle, residence of the Dukes of Normandy, is another of the city's main attractions. Built in the 11th century, also by the illustrious William the Conqueror, it was a real fortress during the Hundred Years War. It was restored after being seriously damaged during the Second World War, and now encompasses the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Normandy, the Exchequer Hall, the Church of St. George, and a garden of medicinal plants. Its wall walk offers a lovely view of the city and ramparts.

The Caen Memorial Museum, Centre for History and Peace, inaugurated in 1988 by President François Mitterrand, is an international educational and cultural centre built to commemorate the Battle of Normandy. With 5,600 m² of permanent exhibitions, its rooms boasting every modern technology evoke the period from 1918 to the present day, with a particular focus on the Second World War and the post-war era. In the city's must-see museum, you can watch D-Day unfold on a giant screen, as it was experienced by both sides, and admire the gallery of famous Nobel Peace Prize winners.

Within the castle and the sculpture park, a contemporary building houses the Museum of Fine Arts, containing one of France's biggest collections of European paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries. There you can admire works from France, Italy, Holland and Flanders.

Caen offers many other gems, such as the Escoville mansion, a superb Renaissance house built in the 16th century by a rich lord, and now housing the Tourist Office. You can also admire the Church of St. Peter and its many sculptures, the Botanical Garden (Jardin des Plantes), home to many rare specimens at the heart of the city, or the "Vaugueux" quarter where Edith Piaf's family lived. And be sure to take the time to stroll around the medieval streets or the lovely marina in the city centre.

In the mid-19th century, Cabourg in Calvados was a simple fishing and farming village. The visionary project of a Parisian businessman, Henri Durand-Morimbau, transformed it into a sought-after seaside resort. The architect from Caen he called upon, Paul Leroux, designed a plan for the town reminiscent of a Greco-Roman theatre. The resort, which opened in 1855, enjoyed rapid expansion thanks to the fashion for sea bathing and was given a boost by the establishment of the Société des Bains de Mer, created to welcome people taking the waters and holiday-makers.

Wealthy people and celebrities bought superb villas there, which can still be admired today. The delightfully quaint Cabourg Casino has kept all the charm of the 1900s. Facing the sea, the legendary Grand Hôtel was made famous by Marcel Proust, who was a regular and had a room reserved for him there between 1907 and 1914. It exudes a charming, old-world atmosphere.

Overlooking one of Normandy's most beautiful beaches, which stretches for four kilometres, the Marcel Proust promenade reveals the town's Belle Époque architecture to visitors. You can admire the beautiful houses and many flowerbeds. For Cabourg has also earned two flower-related certifications and is full of parks and gardens. The town shows off its floral know-how in spring each year, during the Garden en Fleurs weekend.

The racecourse is another heritage gem of this town in Pays d'Auge. Its ultra-modern facilities and night-time trotting races during the summer attract equestrian enthusiasts all year round.

Renowned cultural events are held every year in Cabourg, including the Cabourg mon Amour music festival and the Cabourg Film festival.

Beuvron-en-Auge, the former fiefdom of the Harcourt family, is listed among the Most Beautiful Villages in France, and is surely one of the most charming in Pays d'Auge! You can take an enjoyable stroll on its streets, admiring its perfectly restored half-timbered houses from the 17th and 18th centuries, and the delightful manors dotted about the surrounding countryside.

The village is remarkable for its unique central square with its timber-framed covered market, surrounded by beautiful half-timbered houses. The superb Vieux Manoir from the 16th century, with a timber frame and carved beams, is the best-known of these buildings. The old Boule d'Or inn, built in the 18th century, is another must-see.

A space for craft trades containing artisans' workshops has been set up in the old school. A ceramist, a carpenter, a cutler and a porcelain painter can be found there.

Beuvron-en-Auge is located on the Cider Route, 40 kilometres of landscapes and local heritage including stud farms, castles and Norman manors. From Clermont Chapel, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Dives Valley and the surrounding hills.

The first museum designed to commemorate 6 June 1944 and the Battle of Normandy, the D-Day Museum in Arromanches-les-Bains opened in 1954.

Built opposite the still visible remains of the artificial harbour built for the D-Day landings, the museum tells the story of the Allied forces' arrival, known as Operation Overlord, and describes how Arromanches harbour worked.

In the night of 5 to 6 June 1944, the first parachute drops preceded the arrival of a fleet of around 5,000 Allied ships on the Norman coasts, from which 130,000 American, British and Canadian soldiers disembarked. One by one, at a cost of very heavy losses, the strategic targets were reached: Bénouville Bridge, Pegasus Bridge, the Merville battery and Sainte-Mère-Église. The Battle of Normandy had begun. The D-Day Museum tells the whole story of this great page in history, and gives an idea of the logistical challenge that was the Allied forces' D-Day adventure on the beaches of Normandy, including the construction of the artificial harbour, which was carried over the sea in pieces and assembled in front of Arromanches. This masterpiece of engineering played a key role in victory in Europe.

In the heart of Normandy, the Bayeux Tapestry Museum, along with the Battle of Normandy Memorial Museum and the Baron Gérard Museum of Art and History, is one of the three sites of the Bayeux Museum brand, designed to tell the story of the town.

Almost 70 metres long and 50 centimetres high, the famous 11th-century tapestry tells the epic story of the conquest of England in 1066 by William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, before his accession to the English throne following the Battle of Hastings.

Housed in the former Grand Seminary, this masterpiece of Romanesque art, sometimes called "Queen Matilda's Tapestry", also tells the story of life in medieval Europe. This perfectly preserved piece of cloth, which weighs no less than 350 kilos, has been listed on the UNESCO "Memory of the World" register since 2007. In late 2025, this exceptional exhibit will be relocated to a new, purpose-built museum building.

An audioguide in 16 languages, along with a commentary adapted for youngsters, helps people understand its history and how it was made. As well as the scenes depicted in wool yarn on this piece of linen, the museum also tells its story through a permanent exhibition and a film.

The medieval town of Bayeux, in Calvados, is one of the few towns in the area to have been spared during the bombings of 1944. Its historic centre is therefore remarkably well preserved, and today visitors can enjoy the treasures of an authentic heritage. The centre of Bessin's capital reveals old cobbled streets lined with ancient timber-framed houses and elegant mansions from the 17th and 18th centuries. The Tourist Office provides an itinerary so visitors don't miss any of this exceptional architectural heritage.

The Bayeux tapestry, known as Queen Matilda's tapestry, is an integral part of the town's identity and occupies the whole of the William the Conqueror Centre. This fresco embroidered in the 11th century with wool thread, 70 metres long and 50 centimetres tall, depicts the conquest of England by William, Duke of Normandy. This thousand-year-old masterpiece, which was initially intended to adorn the newly built cathedral, is now listed on UNESCO's "Memory of the World" register.

In Old Bayeux, the Romanesque and Gothic Cathedral of Our Lady, dating from the 11th century, is one of the most beautiful cathedrals in France and is the pride of the town. It combines the various styles of the three centuries in which it was built, and is particularly remarkable for its beautiful façade with five portals adorned with sculptures, its vast nave and its carillon that rings every quarter of an hour. It was consecrated in 1077 in the presence of William the Conqueror and his wife Matilda.

In Bayeux, culture is also a priority. The Baron Gérard Museum of Art and History displays some beautiful collections of art and local crafts, and the Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy presents a fascinating exhibition about the military operations of 1944. At the Lace Conservatory, you can learn about a centuries-old skill which was initiated by the Sisters of Providence in the 17th century and eventually fell out of favour in the 1950s.

Visitors can take a detour via the British Military Cemetery, the final resting place of over 4,000 Commonwealth soldiers who gave their lives to liberate France. As for lovers of nature and the great outdoors, they can stroll along the charming path by the River Aure, or discover the weeping beech tree, classified as a Remarkable Tree, on a walk around the botanical garden in Bayeux.

The lace-making tradition in Bayeux goes back over 300 years. The town developed its reputation around the bobbin lace technique, which became an industry in the 19th century. By buying a lace factory in 1829 and opening a shop in Paris, the Lefébure family made the town prosperous. At that time, there were about twenty companies employing nearly 15,000 lace-makers, making Bayeux one of the most important production centres in Europe.

The fineness of its white or black silk, which was used to decorate the clothes of elegant women with ruffles or braids, made Bayeux bobbin lace part of the local heritage. However, from 1870 onwards, mechanical production took over from artisanal, manual lace-making.

This centuries-old skill is showcased at the Lace Conservatory, in the town's historic centre, which displays various specimens of Bayeux lace. Discovery workshops are available, with the aim of keeping this traditional technique alive and passing it on.

In Bayeux, Calvados, not far from the D-Day beaches, you can visit the leading museum about the Battle of Normandy, from its beginnings to the end of August 1944.

As they fought to restore freedom to Europe, the Allied armies had to drive back the enemy and forge a path to liberate the capital, an aim which they achieved on 25 August, at a cost of very heavy civilian and military losses.

With a display and a themed trail in chronological order designed for all audiences, the museum tells the story of these two-and-a-half months of strategic fighting.

There is an explanatory film for visitors, who can also see period objects, cannons, handguns, machines and military costumes from various army corps.

A must-see museum, to be combined with a visit to the D-Day Museum in Arromanches-les-Bains or the Mémorial de Caen, before going to discover the D-Day beaches.

The seaside resort of Deauville, on the Flower Coast, owes its international fame to the American film festival, which makes it an unmissable cultural hub. Yet there is far more to its brand image than this annual gathering for stars of the silver screen.

This town in Calvados has other distinctive symbols, starting with its huge, sandy beach, brightened up by parasols in five colours which enchant photographers from all countries. The beach is next to the famous Les Planches promenade, a listed historic monument (Monument historique) which runs alongside the Art Deco-style Pompeian Baths, inspired by designs from Antiquity and created by the architect Charles Adda. This iconic place is enhanced by the famous beach huts, created by the same architect in 1923 and named after American actors.

Its charming villas, including the villa Strassburger, the most characteristic of the Belle Époque villas, but also its prestigious hotels, luxury boutiques, thalassotherapy centre and casino complete the picture of this resort, which is certainly associated with high society, but whose glamorous and romantic character is undeniable. Even Trouville-Deauville station, built in the neo-Norman style and listed as a historic monument since 2010, stands out for its two frescoes created in 1932 and its red and yellow paving stones.

The town boasts many green spaces, such as the Lais de Mer park, a vast expanse on the edge of the beach with a playground and a "garden of hearts" dedicated to lovers, but also the Rives de la Touques park, a verdant promenade created on the riverbank; the inter-communal leisure park and its 11 hectares with various areas and playgrounds; the sublime Calouste Gulbenkian park, created by a talented landscape gardener, or the Greenway (Voie Verte) which connects the town centres of Saint-Arnoult and Deauville.

The town is also a major centre for equestrianism, with its prestigious Deauville-Clairefontaine racecourse, inaugurated in 1864, which is one of the leading racecourses in France and organises numerous flat races. The seaside resort also hosts the famous Deauville International Polo Club (world polo championship), and hosts yearling sales and sailing regattas...

In the Flower Coast hinterland, spanning the departments of Calvados, Orne and Eure, lies a place of rolling meadows and beautiful, characterful villages. Lovers of authentic nature will be thrilled by these pastoral and peaceful landscapes, especially in the spring, when the apple trees are in blossom. Farms, houses and timber-framed manors are scattered across these unspoilt lands, making up a charming picture.

The elegant square in Beuvron-en-Auge, certified as one of the country's most beautiful villages under the "Plus beau village de France" label, features typical Norman houses arranged around a superbly restored covered market. Its old manor is the most characteristic building, with its turret, corbelled construction and carved beams.

Another must-see is Crèvecoeur-en-Auge Castle, a magnificent medieval site surrounded by water. This well-preserved building, a unique example of a small rural seigniory, is remarkable for its harmonious set of fortifications, made up of the chapel and timber-framed farmyard buildings, including the dovecote.

The unmissable Saint-Germain-de-Livet Castle is a medieval gem of Pays d'Auge, being part timber-framed manor, part Renaissance house with glazed bricks. This castle surrounded by a moat is typical of the local architecture from the 15th and 16th centuries. Breuil-en-Auge Castle is also worth a visit, with its beautiful building where renowned eau-de-vie is made.

Pays d'Auge also owes its reputation to its gastronomic heritage: its flagship products are cider, calvados and cheeses made with milk from the cows you see grazing peacefully in the meadows. Normandy's cheese producers put all their know-how and passion into making Camembert, Pont-l'Évêque and Livarot.

There are many places of interest in the area, such as Coupesarte manor, a magnificent 16th-century private residence and listed historic monument, whose exterior you can admire; Saint-Pierre-en-Auge and its centuries-old market held on Monday mornings in a magnificent hall built by the monks of the Benedictine abbey, as well as the view of the Touques valley that can be contemplated at Beaumont-en-Auge; the Church of Montreuil-en-Auge in the middle of the orchards; Le Bais manor, in Cambremer, and its superb timber-framed dovecote; the marvellous Le Kinnor Castle in Fervaques, a listed historic monument… The list is long, and those are just a few of the sights to see… The horse-breeding tradition, with its thoroughbred farms, is also clear to see in this area, which has many stud farms.

The Château de Vendeuvre, surrounded by a magnificent landscaped park of 14 hectares, is a beautiful 18th-century residence that has kept its original furniture and décor. It uses automata to recreate the life of an aristocratic family during that period. The amazing collection of dog kennels cannot fail to astonish children and grown-ups alike.

The French formal gardens, created during the 18th century, are adorned with "surprise" fountains and water features, associated with ancient tales and each one named more poetically than the one before it: Chinese bridge, temple of serenity, tortoise cascade, fountain of the muses... Restored from 1970 onwards, the garden is dotted with surprises: a shell grotto, mazes, a suspended reflecting pool, a 300-year-old plane tree, and topiary hedges made up of elegantly structured shrubs. In the distance, you can make out the hills of Pays d'Auge.

The Museum of Miniature Furniture, another of the château's curiosities, has an exhibition of over 800 small pieces of furniture and thousands of decorative art objects from the 16th century to 1930. This unusual museum, unique in the world, is the result of Countess Elyane de Vendeuvre's passion for furniture since the age of 7, when she noticed a small 18th-century writing desk at an aunt's house.

It was in Falaise, at the heart of Normandy, that the illustrious local figure of William the Conqueror was born in 1027. The ducal castle, where he was born and around which the town expanded in the Middle Ages, is the emblem of the town. Perched on a rocky crag, the imposing fortress and listed historic monument was built from the 10th century onwards. You can immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the period, with its three keeps and ramparts flanked by towers, models of war machines and other weapons of the time, as well as its new exhibition based on 3D digital technologies, which takes visitors back in time through 1,000 years of history.

Falaise was an economic powerhouse in the region, with craft activities such as drapery or hosiery, supported by the big local fairs. Although war took its toll on the area, its rich heritage includes other gems to admire. On a walk around, you can discover four churches, the main one being that of the Trinity, a 13th-century Gothic building, and some beautiful mansions that add to the town's charm.

There are several museums for visitors to take in some culture. The Falaise Memorial, dedicated to civilians during the Second World War, will show you what everyday life was like for the people of Normandy between 1939 and the Battle of Normandy, in 1944. At the Museum of Automata, Automates Avenue, 300 specimens come to life before visitors' very eyes in a magical display set in a recreation of the streets of Paris.

The capital of Pays d'Auge and one of the oldest towns in Normandy, Lisieux is above all famous for St. Thérèse, a religious figure who continues to shape the town's identity. Born in 1873, deceased in Lisieux at the age of 24 and canonised in 1925, Marie-Françoise Thérèse Martin was considered, in the words of Pius X, as "the greatest saint of modern times". The basilica erected in her honour to contain her relics attracts some 600,000 visitors every year.

As the number two pilgrimage town in France, after Lourdes, Lisieux invites you to discover its rich religious heritage, with its unmissable Basilica of St. Thérèse, remarkable by day for its imposing proportions and by night for its blue-tinged illuminations. In the Romano-Byzantine style, with some Art Deco touches, it has splendid mosaics in its nave and crypt. Its vaulted ceiling is 37 metres high and the top of the dome, almost 100 metres high, can be reached by climbing the 300 steps. This building, one of the most monumental churches of the 20th century, took eight years to build, from 1929 to 1937.

The Cathedral of St. Peter, meanwhile, is in the Gothic style and was built from the 12th to 16th centuries. Its tall and high nave is richly decorated with 18th-century paintings, 15th-century bas-reliefs, 13th-century stained glass windows and 17th-century statues. Near the cathedral, you can take a stroll in the charming Bishop's Palace garden. This vast green space has been landscaped as a French formal garden which, local legend has it, was designed by Le Nôtre, the famous gardener to King Louis XIV.

There are walks through the town for visitors to discover typical houses and old private mansions. An itinerary shown by a blue line on the ground lets them follow in the footsteps of St. Thérèse (her house, the Carmel, the basilica), while another trail tells the story of medieval Lisieux.

The Museum of Art and History, which has earned Musée de France certification, is located in one of the last remaining timber-framed houses in Lisieux. It tells the story of the town from Antiquity to the present day, emphasising its key periods (medieval town, textile town, reconstruction…)

With its hills and gorges carved by the river, alternating with the meadows and forests, Norman Switzerland straddles Calvados and Orne. It's a dream destination for lovers of the great outdoors and leisure activities like hiking or canoeing and kayaking.

This unspoilt area is a remnant of the Armorican Massif, from which it still has many mountains up to 300 metres high. Its built heritage, with picturesque villages, castles, farms and manors dotted about the countryside, is also well worth discovering.

Calvados has several municipalities of note, starting with Clécy, a village emblematic of Norman Switzerland. It enjoys a superb location on the banks of the Orne, between forest, river and rocky escarpments. Its cliffs are often chosen for activities such as rock climbing, via ferrata, zipline or paragliding. From the banks of the Orne, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Rochers des Parcs, which are popular with climbers, and the Pain de Sucre rock.

You can also visit Thury-Harcourt, the northern gateway to Norman Switzerland, where there used to be many tanneries. It enjoys an exceptional natural setting, with the Boucle du Hom overlooking the Orne Valley. The Souleuvre viaduct, in Pays de Vire, is a well-known spot among bungee jumpers. The green resort of Pont-d'Ouilly, meanwhile, is home to one of the biggest leisure centres in the region, particularly for canoeing and kayaking.

Condé-en-Normandie, birthplace of the famous explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville, also has plenty of charm, with the Druance running through its town centre. Apart from its privileged natural setting, the town is worth a visit to enjoy some culture at the Charles-Léandre Museum Space, dedicated to local history and the painter Charles Léandre, as well as the Museum of Typographic Printing. Not far from there, you can visit Pontécoulant Castle, a beautiful 16th-century house with its own English-style park.

In Orne, Norman Switzerland also offers many places to visit: the Rock of Oëtre, a prestigious lookout with views of the Rouvre Gorges; the picturesque site of Putanges-le-Lac, with its gorges, valleys and Lake Rabodanges, ideal for water sports; the beautiful castle of La Motte-Fouquet and the Vère Valley with its verdant gorges.

The Château de Balleroy was built in the 17th century for Jean de Choisy, advisor to King Louis XIII, who called on the talent of the famous architect François Mansart. After being occupied by the Marquises of Balleroy for three centuries, it was bought in 1970 by a wealthy American publisher, Malcolm Forbes, who completely restored it, before selling it in 2019 to the American entrepreneur Roy Truman Eddleman. The French formal gardens, featuring boxwood beds and surrounded by the outbuildings and moat, were redesigned in the early 20th century. Its beautiful park inspired by English country gardens was created in the 19th century in the Romantic style.

Inside, you can admire a fine collection of paintings by master artists, a superb dining room adorned with Regency wood panelling, and a formal reception room with royal portraits on display.

One of the château's outbuildings houses the amazing Balloon Museum, inspired by Malcolm Forbes' great passion for hot-air balloons. It has a display of objects and documents telling the story of hot-air and gas balloons since the Montgolfier brothers' first flight in 1783, and charting the history of aerostation. Until 1999, the owner organised the balloon festival every year, during which hot-air balloons would fly above the château.

At the heart of the D-Day beaches, 9 km from Bayeux, Port-en-Bessin-Huppain is Normandy's leading artisanal fishing port. Nestling between two tall cliffs, between sea and countryside, this site in an authentic setting has a prosperous past. Over the centuries, it evolved from a military stronghold into an oil port, then a commercial port and finally the artisanal port we see today.

Specialising in particular in Label Rouge-certified Normandy scallops, Port-en-Bessin-Huppain is still very active economically, its life revolving around the comings and goings of the trawlers. The lively atmosphere of its auction, now computerised, is a real daily spectacle.

The Museum of Underwater Wrecks presents countless objects gleaned during 35 years of ocean explorations, including many traces of the 1944 D-Day Landings.

From the jetty, you can admire the impressive cliffs. The artillery tower, known as the Vauban Tower, was built at the end of the 17th century and overlooks the entrance to the port. A listed historic monument since 1948, its function was to protect the port from Anglo-Dutch incursions.

A jewel on the Seine estuary, the Town of Art and History of Honfleur is a must for anyone visiting Calvados. Its half-timbered and timber-framed houses, picturesque cobbled streets lined with art galleries, slate roofs, restaurants and shops... In this town of painters and Impressionism, everything combines and mingles to compose a harmonious picture that artists have always celebrated. Courbet, Monet and so many others were not mistaken!

Its well-preserved architectural heritage, a reminder of its rich past as a fishing and trading port, is its main attraction. The authentic charm of its beautiful typical houses and charming hotels has earned it an international reputation. A stroll along the quays of the Old Basin (Vieux Bassin), as its charming Norman harbour is known, is an experience not to be missed. The ensemble formed by the beautiful narrow houses by the harbour, which are listed historic monuments, and the old trawlers moored there is always a welcome sight! At the end of the Basin is the Lieutenancy where the King's Lieutenant resided in the 17th century. This is one of the few remnants of the town's fortifications.

The Church of St. Catherine, dating from the 15th and 16th centuries and built entirely from timber from the neighbouring forest, is the largest wooden church in France! It is remarkable for its original shape, like an upturned double boat hull. Its separate bell tower, facing the church, contains religious objects. Overlooking Honfleur, the 17th-century Chapel of Our Lady of Grace watches over the town and contains paintings, models of boats and an antique organ. From the nearby lookout, you can admire panoramic views of the Normandy Bridge (Pont de Normandie), the city of Le Havre and the Seine. As for the Church of St. Leonard, its portal is a fine example of Flamboyant Gothic architecture.

Among the other local sights, you can admire the majestic 2,141-metre-long Normandy Bridge linking Honfleur to Le Havre, or discover the Satie Houses, a museum dedicated to the musician born there; the Eugène Boudin Museum, in honour of the painter born in Honfleur, which exhibits collections of paintings and drawings from the 19th and 20th centuries, and the Marine Museum. Nature-lovers will enjoy the Naturospace, which recreates the ecosystem of a tropical forest, or the Garden of Personalities, an idyllic and cultural attraction.

The Normandy Bridge (Pont de Normandie), inaugurated in 1995, only took six years to build and now spans the Seine estuary, connecting the town of Honfleur in Calvados and the city of Le Havre in Seine-Maritime. This technological feat, an example of French civil engineering know-how, links the two departments while being perfectly integrated into the landscape.

When it was commissioned, it was the largest cable-stayed bridge in the world, with a length of 2,141 metres and a central span of 856 metres. It has no less than 184 cables to support the weight of the deck, and consists of access viaducts and two piers standing 214 metres tall. The challenge was to cross the Seine channel in a single stretch, so as not to impede navigation. The advantage of the cable-stayed bridge is its stability in high winds and the fact that it costs less than a suspension bridge.

From the road bridge, which is also accessible to pedestrians and cyclists, there are many viewpoints over the Seine estuary, the port of Le Havre, Tancarville bridge and the town of Honfleur, offering a whole array of landscapes and colours that change according to the time of day!

When you hear the name of Le Havre, its port is the first thing that springs to mind. Yet this city in Seine-Maritime has many tales to tell. Much of the city was destroyed by bombing in 1944, and was rebuilt after the war by Auguste Perret. Many of its monuments are symbols of this rebirth today. The city centre's resolutely modern and surprising architecture earned Le Havre UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2005!

Charged with putting the city back on its feet, the architect created bright and functional homes, as evidenced by the Perret Show Flat: a visit there will take you right back to the 50s. Built in memory of the bombing victims, the majestic Church of St. Joseph, which has a New York skyscraper feel to it, overlooks the entire city. An architectural masterpiece of the 20th century, the building is one of France's listed Historic Monuments (Monuments Historiques), and is distinguished by its impressive 107-metre-high octagonal lantern tower! Inside, the innumerable multi-coloured stained glass windows are truly admirable...

Another exceptional place to discover is the Hanging Gardens, which are certified Remarkable Gardens (Jardins Remarquables) and Botanical Gardens of France and French-speaking Countries (Jardins botaniques de France et des pays francophones). Located in a former fort in Sainte-Adresse overlooking the Bay of Seine, its themed landscaped gardens offer a splendid view of the sea and Le Havre!

Consisting of two buildings in the shape of a volcano, the Oscar Niemeyer Centre, built in the late 1970s by the famous Brazilian architect, and the André Malraux Museum of Modern Art, with its remarkable Impressionist and Fauvist collections from the 19th and 20th centuries, will delight lovers of art and culture. Interested in finding out how the Le Havre bourgeoisie lived in the 18th century? Head to the Ship-owner's House (Maison de l'Armateur), a five-storey museum house where rooms with exotic wood floors unfold around an octagonal skylight.

Your visit to Le Havre would not be complete without a trip to the port, which stretches for some thirty kilometres. Founded at the beginning of the 16th century at the behest of Francis I, it is one of France's largest commercial ports today. You will be able to see huge cargo ships and liners that have come for a stopover. Board the Ville du Havre II and enjoy an outing exploring the port and the Bay of Seine.

At the entrance to Le Havre harbour and near the harbour master's office, in a contemporary building where light and space reign supreme, stands the André Malraux Museum of Modern Art.

In the city rebuilt by the architect Auguste Perret, the museum which was inaugurated in 1961 by André Malraux, Minister of Culture at the time, and restructured between 1995 and 1999, has one of France's most extensive Impressionist collections, including works by Renoir, Monet, Pissarro, Sisley, Degas, Boudin and more.

Its architecture, a masterpiece of modernity, is emphasised by a monumental sculpture, Le Signal by Henri Georges Adam, which stands proudly on the museum forecourt.

The MuMa offers a tour of 14 unmissable exhibits (works by Van Dongen, Dubuffet, Vallotton, Renoir, Manet, Monet, Degas, etc.), paintings from the 15th to the 20th century, collections of sculptures, photographs and graphic arts, as well as a young visitors' trail and themed walks, not forgetting temporary exhibitions and special events.