short haul FEATURE
NORMANDY French bred
Now is the time to sell Normandy, as the French region’s towns, villages and beaches gear up for an infl ux of visitors in 2014, says Steve Hartridge
E
arly July will see crowds fl ock to Normandy to see the lycra- clad bike riders of the Tour de
France racing through villages from Avranches to Mont-Saint-Michel in the west of the region. But a much larger peloton of
tourists is expected in 2014 for events commemorating the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings. On June 6 1944, Normandy beaches code-named ‘Utah’, ‘Omaha’, ‘Gold’, ‘Juno’ and ‘Sword’ saw the arrival of thousands of Allied troops. The losses were instant and many but the Battle of Normandy and Operation Overlord eventually led to the liberation of France and Continental Europe. There are plenty of opportunities
for visitors to Normandy to refl ect on those continent-shaping events. American troops suffered badly at Omaha Beach, as depicted in the vivid opening to Tom Hanks/Steven Spielberg’s movie Saving Private Ryan. Each year more than a million
visitors arrive to pay homage at the American cemetery at Colleville-sur-
Mer, on a bluff overlooking Omaha beach, which was laid out in an area of 170 acres and ceded to the US by the French government. Close to the beach, Overlord Museum opened in June this year dedicated to the story of June 6 1944 and the Battle of Normandy. It has an exceptional collection of over 10,000 objects from personal items to pieces of aircraft wreckage to parts of the very largest armoured fi ghting vehicles. The displays, which include
scenic reconstructions of the major battles using models, vehicles and mannequin fi gures, are arranged in a way to appeal to younger generations. An older facility, the Omaha Memorial Museum at Saint-Laurent- sur-Mer, displays a collection of uniforms, weapons, vivid archive photos and maps. In Bayeux the Battle of Normandy Musuem charts the key events that led to Bayeux becoming the fi rst town in France to be liberated, on the morning of June 7 1944. On June 6 the Bayeux Tourist Offi ce
installed a huge screen on the front of the Pont Saint-Jean building; it will count down the days until June 6 2014, when the commemorative D-Day Festival gets underway. But medieval Bayeux, where
cobblestones cover streets lined with bistros and cafes and cathedral spires peer towards the horizon, is best-known for the world-famous Bayeux Tapestry, a Unesco World Heritage Site.
The linen canvas with wool embroidery, 70 metres long and 50 centimetres high, was commissioned in the late 11th century by Bishop Odon, the brother of William the Conqueror, to decorate the cathedral. It tells the story of the conquest of England by William and features scenes of the Battle of Hastings. Elsewhere in Bayeux, visit Notre Dame Cathedral, inaugurated by William the Conqueror in 1077, and the Lace Conservatory, which preserves and promotes traditional lace-making skills which go back over 300 years. Much of Rouen appears like a living fi lm set for a medieval period series, with its fi ne half-timbered houses, over a thousand spires and its gothic churches. The historic capital of Normandy was where Joan of Arc was convicted and then burnt at the stake in 1431
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on the Place du Vieux Marché. Rouen’s own Notre-Dame
Cathedral inspired Monet to paint his Cathedral series, while the banks of the Seine attract strollers. Rouen also has a reputation as having one of the best restaurant scenes in France. Camembert is best known, of
course, as the home of the famous soft cheese. Little more than a village near Vimoutiers, in the Orne region, the main attraction is Président Farm, where visitors learn all about the production of Camembert and how it fulfi ls its AOC label (Appellation d’origine contrôlée). The area surrounding Camembert is characterised by quiet dales, orchards and fi ne manors. Deauville is the jewel of la Côte Fleurie. A glamorous seaside resort that attracts the well-to-do of Paris and international fi lm stars to its annual movie festival each September, it has plenty of distractions. These include its famous 700 yard-long wooden promenade, several excellent hotels and a casino. But most head straight for Deauville’s vast white sands,
This page clockwise: Medieval Rouen; Room with a view at Hotel Golf du
Barriere; The 18th at Barrière du Deauville
July/August 2013 61
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