Discovering Calvados: a practical guide
Calvados mixes history with gentle living: the D-Day beaches, the cathedral and tapestry of Bayeux, the port of Honfleur, Norman villages of the Pays d'Auge and seaside resorts. The département is easy to explore in a few days.
This practical guide helps you choose your stops and organise your trip. Underlined site names link to their detailed pages.
Understanding Calvados in a few minutes
The département divides into four areas: the Côte Fleurie, with Deauville and Honfleur; the Pays d'Auge, with Beuvron-en-Auge; the D-Day coast and Bayeux; and the Suisse Normande in the south, with the Gorges de la Vire and the Méandre de Hom. Château de Caen overlooks the city of Caen, the regional capital.
Distances are short: from Honfleur to Bayeux takes about an hour and a half.
- Caen is a good base for visiting the coast.
- Allow a full day for the D-Day beaches.
- Trains connect Caen, Bayeux and Lisieux well.
Honfleur
A historic port on the Seine estuary, with its Vieux Bassin lined with tall half-timbered houses, a source of inspiration for the Impressionist painters.
Château de Caen
Founded in the eleventh century by William the Conqueror, Caen castle has known many vicissitudes during its very long history.
Beuvron-en-Auge
A little jewel of Norman architecture, dominated by half-timbering, Beuvron-en-Auge is classified as a "most beautiful village of France".
Deauville
A chic seaside resort of the Côte Fleurie, famous for its wooden Planches along the beach, its cabins bearing star names and its American film festival.
Culture, history and heritage
Calvados is known for the history of the 1944 landings. Major sites include Le Mémorial de Caen, Musée du Débarquement, Arromanches 360, Pointe du Hoc, Cimetière Américain de Normandie, Musée Mémorial d'Omaha, Centre Juno Beach, Mémorial Pegasus and the Musée mémorial de la Bataille de Normandie.
Medieval heritage is just as rich: La cathédrale de Bayeux, the Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux, the Abbaye aux Hommes in Caen, Château de Guillaume-le-Conquérant (Falaise). Castles such as Château de Canon et ses jardins, Château de Vendeuvre - Musée du mobilier and Château de Colombières complete the offer. Musée et sites archéologiques de Vieux-la-Romaine evokes Roman times.
- Book the Caen Memorial in advance in summer.
- Allow half a day for the tapestry and cathedral in Bayeux.
- The military cemeteries are places of remembrance.
Le Mémorial de Caen
Visit the Caen Memorial, the first museum devoted to the history of the twentieth century.
La cathédrale de Bayeux
Bayeux's Notre-Dame cathedral, dedicated in 1077 in the presence of William, was one of the most important Romanesque monuments.
Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux
The Bayeux Tapestry (Calvados) is a 70-metre-long embroidery made in the eleventh century.
Pointe du Hoc
A steep rocky promontory stormed by the American Rangers on 6 June 1944, whose ground, shattered by craters, and blockhouses still bear witness to the fighting.
Food and local produce
Calvados is the land of Camembert, Pont-l'Évêque, Livarot, cider, pommeau and Calvados brandy. You can also try seafood, mussels and Norman shortbread. In the Pays d'Auge, several farms offer tastings.
The markets of Honfleur, Bayeux and Caen are good places to taste. Restaurants in Deauville and Honfleur mostly serve fish.
- Enjoy Calvados in moderation, and nominate a driver.
- Taste the cheeses straight from the producers.
- Book in Honfleur at weekends.
Beuvron-en-Auge
A little jewel of Norman architecture, dominated by half-timbering, Beuvron-en-Auge is classified as a "most beautiful village of France".
Honfleur
A historic port on the Seine estuary, with its Vieux Bassin lined with tall half-timbered houses, a source of inspiration for the Impressionist painters.
Blangy-le-Château
A village of the Pays d'Auge, in the heart of a Norman bocage, ranked among the Most Beautiful Villages of France.
Nature and wide open spaces
The coast offers varied landscapes: Les Falaises des Vaches Noires, La Brèche du Diable, Pain de sucre, Plage de Deauville. In the south, Demoiselles de Fontenailles, Gorges de la Vire and Méandre de Hom are wilder.
For children, several parks are open: Le Cerza, Zoo de Jurques, Parc animalier de la Dame Blanche, Naturospace and Paléospace l'Odyssée.
- On the cliffs, stay on the paths.
- Check tide times before going to the beach.
- At the Vaches Noires, stay away from the foot of the cliff.
Les Falaises des Vaches Noires
The Vaches Noires in Normandy (Calvados, France) are cliffs made mainly of clays and glauconitic chalk.
Le Cerza
Created in 1986 by the brothers Patrick and Thierry Jardin in the Pays d'Auge, the Cerza zoological park extends over several tens of hectares and hosts about 1,500 animals belonging to more than 120 species from around the world.
Gorges de la Vire
In the south-west of the département, the Bocage Virois, crossed by the rivers Vire and Souleuvre, lies in a landscape of great variety: granite plateaus alternate with valleys carved by schist, offering a contrasting succession of wooded hills, sheer faces…
La Brèche du Diable
9 km north of Falaise, near Soumont-Saint-Quentin, the Laizon river has forced a passage through the hills of Armorican sandstone.
When to go and how to plan
From May to September the weather is better, though it stays changeable. The D-Day commemorations in early June attract many people. Autumn is pleasant and quiet.
A car is the simplest option, but trains connect the main towns. A three-day trip can combine Caen and Bayeux, the D-Day beaches, then Honfleur and the Pays d'Auge.
- Book accommodation well ahead around 6 June.
- Pack a waterproof jacket.
- Start early for the memorial sites.
Musée de Normandie
The Musée de Normandie is a municipal museum of the city of Caen, in the Calvados département, region of Basse-Normandie.
Chemin de fer miniature
One of the largest miniature railway installations in Europe in HO scale (1/87).
Musée de la Percée du Bocage
Through 8 museum spaces and a sound-and-light show presented with a diorama, the guided visit lets you discover the adventure of the fighters in the bocage.
Going further
Explore the départements of this area: