Normandy

Normandy town property guides

• Avranches
• Bagnoles de l’Orne
• Barneville Carteret
• Bayeux
• Caen
• Carentan
• Deauville
• Coutances
• Domfront
• Gouville sur Mer
• Grandcamp Maisy
• Honfleur
• Isigny sur Mer
• La Haye du Puits
• Mortagne-au-Perche
• Periers
• St Hilaire du Harcouet
• St Lo
• Vimoutiers
• Vire

A surprising variety of countryside and coastline.

From ultra-modern Le Treport to the Mont-Saint-Michel, the Normandy coast exhibits an astonishing variety of landscapes.
Here, the sea sculpts the cliffs with the pounding of its waves, creating fantasy architecture and the waters stretch on towards infinity. There are vast expanses of golden sand that disappear and reappear with the tide and the air is full of new promise.
This same sea is responsible for tempering the harsh rigours of winter and moderating the hot excesses of summer whilst gentle skies look down and favour the 600 kilometres of coastline of this earthly paradise.
The Normandy coast is lively, however, the Norman countryside, with its golden prairies, its cool, wooded valleys and its beech and pine forests, remains a haven of peace and tranquillity. Its little villages, leafy lanes and clear streams are the ideal setting in which to relax and rediscover the joys of nature.
Normandy offers the tourist a surprising variety of countryside and coastline.
In upper Normandy, you can discover the Alabaster Coast: extending from Le Tréport to Le Havre, its striking chalk cliffs, higher than 100 metres in places are gently lapped by the sea. In lower Normandy you will be able to find the Floral Coast: From the Seine to the Orne, the pastures and orchards of Auge slope gently down to the rivers’ edge, bordered by terraces of flowers, shaded alleyways and elegant villas.

The Landing Beaches – Mother of Pearl and Bessin Coasts

Beyond the Orne stretch steep cliffs shadowing beaches of fine golden sand. The British beaches (Sword, Juno, Gold Beaches), and the American beaches (Omaha Beach, Utah Beach) were names given in the war and have remained, the original ones never to be reverted to. Arromanches with its artificial port, la Pointe du Hoc and the cemeteries, monuments, milestones and military relics continue to serve as reminders of the battles.

Le Cotentin
Giving way to the shifting sands of the bay of Veys, the rocky spur of North Cotentin juts into the sea. It is a “Lands End” formed by savage cliffs and deserted shores surrounded by landscapes of flowering heather and gorse. The cliffs of Jobourg are the highest in Europe.

Further towards the north a softer coastline is evident, as the terrain changes into the large beaches of the west coast.

The west coast is sheltered from the east and north winds benefiting from the warm currents of the Gulf Stream.Here 100 kilometres of sand unfold like a long ribbon, occasionally intercepted by rocks and harbours and ending majestically at Mont Saint Michel. The sunniest beaches are here and the sea is a beautiful shade of deep blue.

A rich History
Normandy was the home of the Normans in the early Middle Ages, the last people to successfully invade England. The Normans were a mixture of the indigenous Gauls and of the Viking invaders under the leadership of Rollo (Gange Rolf), who besieged Paris and was given the area of Normandy (Treaty of St.-Claire-sur-Epte, 911) in return for defending it against future pirate attacks.

Rollo’s descendant William, Duke of Normandy, invaded England in 1066 and became King William I of England. Normandy remained associated with England until 1087, in 1106-1144 and in 1154-1204. Normandy was occupied by English forces during the Hundred Years’ War in 1346-1360 and again in 1415-1450.

Norman families, such as that of Tancred of Hauteville played important parts in the Crusades and established a Kingdom in Sicily and the south of Italy.

During World War II, the town of Dieppe was the site of the ill-fated Dieppe Raid by Canadian and British units in 1942. Later, Normandy was also the site of the Normandy Invasion or Operation Overlord that began on June 6, 1944, a day now known as D-Day. This was the successful invasion of German-occupied France by U.S., British, and Canadian troops. Caen and other Norman towns endured many casualties in the fight for the province, which continued until the liberation of Le Havre on (September 12).

Gastronomy and Cider
Normandy is famous for its rich, rolling countryside, which provides plentiful pasture for dairy cattle and orchards for apples. The dairy produce of the region is renowned: its cheeses are world famous and include Camembert, Livarot and Pont l’Evêque. Normandy butter is highly prized, as is Normandy cream, both of which are lavishly used in local gastronomic specialities.

Normandy is a major cider-producing region (very little wine is produced). Perry is also produced, but in less significant quantities. The apple brandy, of which the most famous variety is calvados, is also popular.

The mealtime “trou normand”, or Norman break, is a pause between meal courses in which diners partake of a glassful of calvados, is still observed in many homes and restaurants. Pommeau is an aperitif produced by blending unfermented cider and apple brandy. Another aperitif is the “Kir normand”, a measure of cassis topped up with cider. Benedictine is produced in Fécamp.

Apples are also used in cooking: for example, “moules à la normande” are mussels cooked with apples and cream, bourdelots are apples baked in pastry, and localities all over the province have their own variation of apple tart. A classic pastry dish from the region is “Flan Normand” a flaky pastry-based variant of the apple tart.

Other regional specialities include tripes à la mode de Caen, andouilles, teurgoule (spiced rice pudding) and seafood.

Normandy is the most significant oyster-cultivating region in France.

Normandy property market:

A property for sale in Normandy can vary from 65,000 euros for a stone house to renovate in the Normandy country side up to 800,000 euros for a very nice half timbered house with outbuildings and a large land. Finding a property in Normandy requires time and advice that you can get for free from our consultants in charge of this area

Useful information

Normandy Regional Tourism Board:
www.normandy-tourism.org

Maps of Normandy:
www.ign.fr
www.maps.google.fr

Travel from the UK

By ferry: Ferries go to Cherbourg from Portsmouth or Poole, to Caen from Portsmouth and to Dieppe from Newhaven.
By air: Easyjet flies from Belfast, Liverpool Newcastle and London Luton to Paris.
Ryanair flies from Shannon, Dublin and Glasgow to Paris. From there it is easiest to travel by train to Normandy.

Our team of sale advisers at Sextant Properties will be happy to help you to find a property in Normandy. We have a large network of estate agents in Normandy. All of them are registered estate agents and speak both French and English. Whatever kind of property you are looking for: farmhouse, longere, barn, gite, B&B, country house, mill, castle or chateau, we will do our best to find a property in Normandy matching your requirements. To find out more about our property for sale in Normandy do not hesitate to contact us.