The D-Day anniversary was celebrated about two months ago. D-Day is the name given to Allied invasion of western Europe launched on June 6, 1944, by the landing of US, British and Canadian forces to the beaches at Normandy – the largest naval, air and land operation in history at the time, which leaded to the end of World War II. (britannica.com) (Photo above: Arromanches-les-Bains, Calvados, Normandy, travelfrancebucketlist.com)

I remember the grand celebrations at the 75th anniversary of D-Day, when the gathering of world leaders to commemorate the event had been widely covered in the media.

The late Queen Elizabeth and world leaders at events commemorating the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Portsmouth, southern England, June 2019 (Photos: thetimes.co.uk / edition.cnn.com)

The D-Day landing beaches along the Normandy coast were given the code names Utah, Omaha, Gold (Arromanches), Juno and Sword. Arromanches was a critical place of the Normandy landings, where the Allies installed the artificial Mulberry harbour (later called as Port Winston, named after Winston Churchill) to enable the offloading of vehicles and troops to the beaches under tidal threat.

Sections of the artificial Mulberry harbour buried in the sand on the Arromanches (Gold) beach, which can be seen up close at low tide. (Photo: tripsmiths.com)

Churchill and Roosevelt had spent years planning D-Day until Allied Commander General Eisenhower set the date for the invasion under codename ‘Operation Overlord’. On D-Day night, British parachutists landed to the Pegasus Bridge over the Caen Canal in Normandy where they confronted the German troops. Among many museums in Normandy, I noted “Caen Memorial Museum” near Pegasus Bridge in Caen and “D-Day Museum” in Arromanches-les-Bains (header/primary image of this post) for detailed information about D-Day.

J. Seward Johnson Jr.’s sculpture, inspired by Alfred Eisenstaedt’s famous photo of an American sailor grabbing and kissing a a stranger, a young woman, on August 14, 1945 (V-J day) in New York City’s Times Square. The sculpture was on display for one year outside the Caen Memorial Museum in Normandy at the 70th anniversary of World War 2. (Photo: dailymail.co.uk)

Although Normandy, named after the first Vikings (known as Normans) settled in the region, is mostly associated with D-Day landing beaches, they are not the prime inspiration of this post. A couple of years ago, I had read the following lines in the book “All the Flowers in Paris” by Sarah Jio, a writer I love and a New York Times best-selling author:

“And can we get a tarte normande, the kind you used to love as a little girl?”
The mere mention has my mouth watering and my heart aching. I can almost taste the tarts my mother used to make, with apples from the trees in our garden, loads of freshly grated cinnamon, and a dollop of whipped cream on top.

“Tarte Normande à La Crème” (Photo: elle-et-vire.com)

I did not know until I read these lines that Normandy was famous for its apple tart: ‘Tarte Normande‘ (Normandy apple tart) – described by Sarah Jio so well that I could visualize this special tart made freshly with apples from the trees in the region, and had wanted to taste it.

Map showing some basic sites and villages of Normandy (normandysites.com)

Normandy on the English Channel (map: goheadtours.com) / Five departments (counties) of Normandy and their capital cities (map: thelocal.fr)

Normandy, located in the north of France on the English Channel and close to Paris, is known for its apple and pear orchards and apple products like cider and calvados. Calvados, an apple brandy produced form distilled cider and stored and aged in oak casks, is said to be served traditionally as a digestif during meals in Normandy. It is also good in cocktails like pommeau (apple juice and calvados) and mulled cider. (bbc.co.uk, normandie-tourisme.fr) (Calvados is also the name of a department or region in Normandy where the apple brandy is produced.)

You can check ‘drinkcalvados.com‘ – the official website of Calvados, for details about the French apple brandy craf­ted in Normandy since 1553.

Maison Drouin (Christian Drouin) in Pont l’Êveque at the Pays D’auge region, Normandy (Photos: drinkcalvados.com)

Apples and bottles of calvados at Christian Drouin, a 17th century farm and distillery where the Drouin family produces calvados since 1960. You can take a guided tour to see the apple orchards and the half-timbered barn where apple brandy (Christian Drouin calvados with many gold medals) is kept in oak casks. They offer visitors ‘calvados’, ‘ciders’, ‘per­ries’ and ‘Pom­meau de Normandie‘. (drinkcalvados.com, National Geographic Traveller)

The village of Cambremer on the Cider Route, Normandy (Photo: normandie-tourisme.fr)

Cider Route (Route de Cidre), in the picturesque Pays D’auge region of Normandy, is a trail with many cider and calvados producers, which products you can taste at the distilleries and cider farms on the route. You can also notice the fields of apple trees, authentic half-timbered houses of Normandy and well-protected castles along this route connecting some of the picturesque villages in Normandy like Beuvron-en-Auge, Cambremer, Bonnebosq and Beaufour-Druval.

A view from the village of Beuvron-en-Auge and its 12th-century ‘Chapelle de Clermont’ (Photos: sortie-visits.com)

I noted “Cafe du Coiffeur“, a cafe bar which was the village hairdresser until 1970s and “Le Pavé d’Auge” Norman cuisine restaurant (a one-star Michelin restaurant) suggested in National Geographic Traveller (April 2023 issue).

“Cafe du Coiffeur” (Photo: flickr.com via pinterest.cl) and “Le Pavé d’Auge” restaurant (Photo: pavedauge.com) in the village Beuvron-en-Auge, Normandy

‘Le Pavé d’Auge’ also offers bed & breakfast rooms for accommodation / A dessert served at Le Pavé d’Auge restaurant (Photos: pavedauge.com)

The lovely village of Beuvron-en-Auge is counted among the ‘most beautiful villages in France‘. British artist David Hockney lives nearby this picturesque village with timber-framed houses and Norman cows grazing under apple trees. He had fallen in love with Normandy at a trip to France in 2018 and had bought a house there close to the seaside resort of Cabourg. (normandie-tourisme.fr).

We had the chance to see Hockney’s exhibition with my daughter in Istanbul – called “The Arrival of Spring, Normandy, 2020” consisting of the paintings created by the artist’s iPad at the beginnings of the Covid-19 pandemic, while he was at his house in Normandy.

Hockney’s house (no.316) what he calls his ‘seven dwarves house‘, Normandy, April 2020 (By David Hockney via the guardian.com) / A blooming apple tree, iPAD drawing of Hockney, 2020 (timeout.com)

A little further north is Beaumont-en-Auge, also a lovely village with half-timbered houses, charming little stores and antiques galleries. I have read that Europe’s last remaining kaleidoscope maker Dominic Store lives here. After visiting the village in 1970s, he had bought a half-timbered cottage in which he opened his shop ‘Après la Pluie‘. (National Geographic Traveller, April 2023 issue)

Colorful half-timbered houses and charming stores in the village of Beaumont-en-Auge, Normandy (Photos: normandielovers.fr)

The chic and popular seaside resort of Deauville, often called the ‘Parisian Riviera‘, located on Normandy’s Côte Fleurie (Flowery Coast) is closeby Beaumont-en-Auge. Deauville is known for its wide sandy beach, famous boardwalk, grand casino, golf courses and has elegant villas along with half-timbered cottages. The town hosts horse races, polo matches and Deauville American Film Festival.
Nearby is Trouville (Trouville-sur-Mer), whose long sandy beach was declared ‘Queen of Beaches’ in the past, once visited by famous painters and writers like Flaubert, Proust, Monet and Boudin. Trouville has a lively fishing port and fish market as well as glamorous buildings and villas and a casino. (normandie-tourisme.fr).

Deauville beach with its broadwalk and colorful parasols / Deauville Casino, founded in 1912 (Photos: laseineavelo.fr / the guardian.com)
(Deauville and its beach was primary filming location of the 1966 award-winning classic French film “Un Homme et Une Femme” directed by Claude Lelouch, who used to live in the area. The Rothschilds, Gérard Depardieu and Yves Saint Laurent are said to be among current and former homeowners in the town. I have also read that Coco Chanel chose to open her first fashion boutique in Deauville in 1913. (nytimes.com))

Villas along the grand beach at Trouville-sur-Mer (normandie-tourisme.fr) / Trouville fish market (theculturetrip.com)

Cabourg is also on Normandy’s Côte Fleurie – a picturesque seaside town with a stunning sandy beach and half-timbered belle époque villas, home to “Cabourg Romantic Film Festival” held every year in June.

The Grand Hotel Cabourg – a chic and charming hotel on Cabourg Beach in Normandy. Marcel Proust, the French author known for his 7-volume autobiographical novel “In Search of Lost Time” was the most famous regular of the hotel – also a location of Cabourg Film Festival (all.accor.com)

A romantic seaside setting to watch the romantic films screened at Cabourg festival (Photo: normandie-tourisme.fr) /
Gad Elmaleh and Sophie Marceau at the closing evening of Cabourg Film Festival, June 2012 (Photo: saywho.co.uk)

I have also noted Honfleur, close to Deauville and Trouville – the charming quiet port town with a picturesque harbour where Monet had painted once and from where the French explorer Champlain sailed to Canada and founded Quebec. Baudelaire had also once lived and wrote poems in Honfleur.

Honfleurs’s beautiful old port (Vieux Bassin) lined with timber-frame houses, colourful cafes and restaurants. (Photo: normandie-tourisme.fr).

I liked the following lines about Honfleur’s port uttered by a local guide in Honfleur:

“Painters, obsessed with the port and its changing hues and reflections, would sit here for hours and discuss the art of capturing natural light over mugs of apple cider.” (travelandleisureasia.com)

First occupied by the Vikings who arrived from the areas of Denmark, Norway and Sweden in the ninth century and captured by the English twice during the Hundreds’ Year War, Honfleur was an important port of trade from the 16th to the 19th century. (cntraveler.com, britannica.com)

Caen (left) and Rouen (right), the famous Viking towns of Normandy along with Honfleur (Photos: matadornetwork.com / wallpaperflare.com)
(Rouen, on the River Seine, is the capital of Normandy and its Seine-Maritime department. Count of Rouen (Rollo), the first ruler of Normandy, was a Viking. The city is known for its majestic cathedral and the 14th century astronomical clock.
Caen, the capital of Calvados department in Normandy, is nearby the D-Day landing beaches – home to the “Caen Memorial Museum” I had mentioned above, as well as many-turreted Caen Castle and abbeys, built by William I (the first Norman king of England).

Besides the old port, you come across art galleries, craft studios, little souvenir shops, cosy cafes, chocolate and cookie shops and crêperies in Honfleur,. (travelandleisureasia.com)

Picturesque Honfleur (telegraph.co.uk) / Old buildings in Honfleur (RossHelen editorial / Alamy via theculturetrip.com)

Paintings of several artists inspired by Honfleur including the ones of Eugène Boudin who was born in Honfleur and of Monet can be seen in Eugène Boudin Museum.

Note that the home of Monet, his garden and water lilies, subject to many of his paintings, is in Giverny, a little village on the edge of Normandy on the bank of the river Seine. Giverny is also home to Fondation Claude Monet museum.

Fondation Claude Monet Giverny (Photo: france.fr)

Monet’s bedroom and living room (Photos taken by one of my friends who recently visited Monet’s house in Giverny)

Normandy Cheese Route

Besides its apple tart, calvados and other apple products, Normandy is also known for its dairy products from the mottled Normande cows like butter, cream, and cheese, especially camembert – the creamy flavored raw-milk French cheese.

Mottled Normande cows, used in camembert producing, in the village of Vimoutiers (Photo: thenationalnews.com) / Creamy delicious ‘Camembert de Normandie‘ – France’s most popular cheese and one of my favorite cheeses (Photo: normandie-tourisme.fr)

Camembert cheese coming from the village of Camembert is one of the four famous Normandy cheeses: ‘Livarot’, ‘Pont-l’Évêque’, ‘Neufchâtel’ and ‘Camembert‘- also the names of the villages on the Normandy cheese route that named them.

The village of Camembert in Normandy – the birthplace of the camembert cheese, first produced in 1791. (Photo:nytimes.com)

There is a camembert museum in Vimoutiers, the small village just before Camembert with displaying the history, manufacture and the culture of the camembert cheese. There is also a grand statue of Marie Harel, inventor of camembert cheese.
‘Fromagerie Durand‘ and ‘Fromagerie du Clos de Beaumoncel (Maison du Camembert) are the artisan producers of Camembert in the village.
‘Fromagerie René’ (Lisieux), ‘La Ferme de la Bourgeotere’ (Cambremer), ‘Fromagerie E. Graindorge‘ (Livarot) are among the suggested cheesemakers in the Pays d’Auge region.
‘Ferme du Champ Secret‘ (Champsecret) is also closeby, one of the few farmhouse producers in Normandy making organic Camembert with raw milk from their own Normande cows. (nytimes.com, National Geographic Traveller)

Camembert cheese maturing in a special room at the ‘Fromagerie Durand‘ in Camembert (Photo: nytimes.com) / Camembert, Livarot, Pont-l’Evêque and Neufchâtel cheeses (clockwise from bottom left) – Normandy’s soft farmhouse cheeses (Photo: normandie-tourisme.fr)

There is a camembert museum in Vimoutiers, the small village just before Camembert with displaying the history, manufacture and the culture of the camembert cheese. There is also a grand statue of Marie Harel, inventor of camembert cheese.
‘Fromagerie Durand‘ and ‘Fromagerie du Clos de Beaumoncel (Maison du Camembert)‘ are the artisan producers of camembert in the village of Camembert.
‘Fromagerie René’ (Lisieux), ‘La Ferme de la Bourgeotere’ (Cambremer) and ‘Fromagerie E. Graindorge‘ (Livarot) are among the suggested cheesemakers in the Pays d’Auge region.
‘Ferme du Champ Secret‘ (Champsecret) is also closeby, one of the few farmhouse producers in Normandy making organic Camembert with raw milk from their own Normande cows. (nytimes.com, National Geographic Traveller)

Camembert Museum (Musée du Camembert) in Vimoutiers, and ‘Maison du Camembert‘ (displaying Marie Harel) neighboring ‘Fromagerie Clos de Beaumoncel’ in Camembert (Photos: tripadvisor.com / maisonducamembert.com)

Pont-l’Évêque is a small pretty riverside town of Normandy with colorful timber-framed houses famous for its pont-l’évêque cheese, one of the oldest French cheeses produced in the town.

Historical half-timbered houses on the main street of Pont-l’Évêque, in Normandy (Photo by Nicola Williams via
nationalgeographic.com) / Pont-l’Évêque by the Touques river flowing in Pays d’Auge region (Photo: wikimedia.org)

Normandy cheese route covers the calm villages of half-timbered houses and diary farms (fromagerie) beyond the rolling green fields and meadows dotted by the Normande cows. You can visit the farms along the route and try Normandy’s farmhouse cheeses by artisan producers who also offer tours and tastings.

A traditional Norman farm (‘La Ferme des Pâtis’) close to Lisieux towards Caen, and a guesthouse (‘La Ferme Balder’), both in the Pays d’Auge region (Photos: authenticnormandy.fr / normandie-tourisme.fr)

Besides traditional cheeses and apple delicacies, other gifts of the Norman countryside include homemade jams, honey, confiture de lait (milk jam), buttery pastries, artisan butter, freshly baked biscuits, and rich chocolates. There are many specialty shops throughout Normandy. (travelandleisureasia.com)
Coming to dishes, seafood varieties like mussels and fries (moules-frites) are popular along the Norman coast. Note also Normandy apple crêpes (Crêpes Normande ), and the savory crêpes (Galette Normande) – a traditional main dish in both Normandy and Brittany.

‘La Crèmerie Normande’, a family fromagerie that offers farmhouse cheeses and charcuterie in Villers-sur-Mer – a popular resort near Trouville / ‘La Maison du Biscuit’, a traditional family biscuit factory in Sortosville-en-Beaumont, in La Manche department of Normandy.

Map of Pays d’Auge region – home to Cider and Cheese Routes of Normandy / Map of some favorite Normandy regions (Maps: normandielovers.fr) (The “Mont-Saint-Michel“, a beautiful abbey on a small island, is a UNESCO site. The “Alabester Coast” is famous for its impressive white cliffs.)

Mont-Saint -Michel – one of the most famous attractions in France / The cliffs of Étretat on the Alabester Coast (Photos: normandie-tourisme.fr)

Suisse-Normande

Suisse-Normande ((Norman Switzerland) is a wild, hilly region of Normandy spread around the River Orne, in the border of the departments of Calvados and Orne to the south of the city of Caen. Suisse Normande Route is a favourite hiking trail offering panoramic views.

Sunset over Suisse Normande from the ‘Rochers des Parcs in Clécy‘, a picturesque rock climbing location in the region (Photo: nationalgeographic.com/travel)

Suisse-Normande region is perfect for outdoor adventure sports like canoeing, kayaking or bungee jumping. There are also places to cycle, go horse-riding and walk as well as rock climbing locations in the region. The region is home to picturesque villages, cosy riverside hotels and chateaux (castles) with “witch-hat turrets and moat-filled gardens“. (National Geographic Traveller, normandie-tourisme.fr)

Canoeing and horse riding in Suisse Normande (Photos: normandie-tourisme.fr / equidext.com)

Suisse Normande is where William the Conquerer, the Duke of Normandy and the first Norman king of England grew up. I was surprised having read that the White Tower at The Tower of London was made from Caen limestone shipped from Normandy when William I was the king of England. His birthplace is the medieval town of Falaise – the residence of the first Dukes of Normandy. You can visit Falaise city and its impressive castle, Château de Falaise (William the Conqueror’s Castle / Château Guillaume le Conquérant) overlooking the town from a rocky outcrop – the oldest fortress in Normandy. (Britannica, National Geographic Traveller, normandie-tourisme.fr)

The city of Falaise and its castle (Photos: falaise-suissenormande.com)

Castles ( Châteaux) of Normandy

Normandy is packed with many beautiful castles. The following are counted among the “Top Five Chateaux” in Normandy by National Geographic Traveller:

Château de Vendeuvre: A jolly 18th century castle in Vendeuvre in Swiss-Normande, close to William the Conqueror’s Castle. It is classified as historic monument with original furniture and decoration and its beautiful gardens, and is still home to the Vendeuvre family. The castle has also a museum of miniature furniture inside.

Châteaux de Vendeuvre (Photo: expedia.com)

Château de Boutemont: An historic castle from the Middle Ages with remarkable gardens in Ouilly le Vicomte, between Pont-l’Évêque and Lisieux in Pays d’Auge region, close to Deauville, Trouville and Hornfleur.

Photos: (chateaudeboutemont.com)

Château du Breuil (La Spiriterie Française): A 16th-century castle listed as a historical monument, located in Le Breuil en Auge also in Pays d’Auge region closeby Château de Boutemont. The estate includes a lake and is home to horses. The castle has a distillery producing award-winning exclusive brands of calvados, cognac, rum, whisky and liqueur. They offer tours of their distillery and tastings of their products.

Château de Breuil (Photos: terredauge-tourisme.fr)

Aging of Single Malt Whisky at Château de Breuil (Photo: normandie-cabourg-paysdauge-tourisme.fr) / Bottles of Calvados produced by Château de Breuil (Photo: spiriterie.com)

Château de Crèvecœur: A 15th century estate with a farm located in Mézidon Vallée d’Auge close to Cambremer, the starting point of the Cider Route. The chateau helds exhibitions and events on life in the Middle Ages and activities like jousting tournements and falconry.

Photos: (pinterest.fr / normandie-tourisme.fr)

Château de Saint-Germain-de-Livet: A charming 15th-century castle encircled by a moat of water, located just south of Lisieux, in Saint-Germain-de-Livet, Pays d’Auge – close to the castles above. It has a fortress and manor with beautiful peacock gardens. The castle is the property of the municipality of Lisieux, which stages seasonal exhibitions there.

Photos: (normandie-tourisme.fr)

I have also took note of the two marvelous castles for accommodation (castle hotels), which had been suggested by Condé Nast Traveler. Both castles are close to the D-day landing beaches (cntraveler.com):

Château d’Audrieu: An 18th century-castle and a five-star hotel located in Audrieu between Caen and Bayeux . The hotel with a grand estate, a tree house and a huge lawn area is said to be perfect for families.

Photos: (chateaudaudrieu.com)

Château d’Audrieu is nearby “Vergers de Ducy“, 200-year-old family-owned organic cider farm producing cider, Pommeau and Calvados, and is closeby “Les Sablés d’Asnelles, a bakery and tea room famous for its tinned shortbread cookies – said to be the partners of the hotel. (Château d’Audrieu website)

Apples and cider of “Vergers de Ducy” farm nearby Château d’Audrieu (Photos: tripadvisor.co.uk / untappd.com)

Château La Chenevière is the other castle I noted to stay at, a five-star hotel located on the Normandy coast in the fishing village of Port-en-Bessin, between Bayeux and the D-Day landing beaches.

Château La Chenevière – A great18th century manor house and hotel in a romantic park (Photo: cntraveler.com)

Photos: (lacheneviere.com)

Although it might be quite tempting to stay at a chateaux, mind that Normandy is full of small hotels, guest houses, and cute village inns (auberges) in the form of half-timbered cottages, spread over its picturesque seaside towns or its pastoral countryside.

“Hôtel Tardif Noble Guest House” – a boutique hotel in the center of Bayeux (Photo: kimkim.com)

Bayeux, home to the lovely hotel above, is close to the D-Day landing beaches, specifically Arromanches-les-Bains (Gold Beach). Château La Chenevière and Château d’Audrieu, the two castle hotels I mentioned above, are also closeby Bayeux.

Bayeux is a beautiful Norman town known for its impressive old cathedral, half-timbered houses dating back to the Middle Ages and manor houses with towers, and 11th-century UNESCO-listed tapestry at Bayeux Museum depicting the Norman conquest of England. (chateaudaudrieu.com)

However, what brings Bayeux primarily to my attention is its Norman Apple Tart (“tarte aux pommes Normande”) at the town’s most famous tearoom “À La Reine Mathilde” which I have read about in an article (cntraveler.com) – as the “Norman apple tart” is the real inspiration of this post.

À La Reine Mathilde, a historical 19th century pâtisserie and tearoom in Bayeux, catchy with its window and interior decoration, is known for its traditional pastries (47 Rue Saint-Martin, Bayeux). (Photo: tripadvisor.fr)

Finally…

Sandy beaches, picturesque villages, castles, half-timbered houses, apple orchards, cheese and cider farms as well as the wonderful tastes like the camembert of Normandy, the Calvados and most of all, the Normandy apple tart …

Normandy has many gifts to offer at its historical location, just a few hours from Paris.