Savvy Sightseer - tips and insights for seasoned travelers!
A typically Norman look - Honfleur's Half-timbered Buildings
Reference point of the code-named beaches of the Allied troops' landings
Meticulous stitching in the historical tapestry
Normandy and Brittany
France’s northwest corner boasts countless reasons to make this a destination in itself – not just a side trip from Paris. With 360 miles of dramatic coastline, incomparable gardens, soaring cathedrals and an indelible place in world history, France’s Normandy and Brittany districts are not to be missed.
The Vieux Bassin (old harbor) of Honfleur inspired Impressionist artists such as Claude Monet and Eugène Boudin.
Peaceful and Alluring
In the mid-19th century, artists flocked to the region, 50 miles west of Paris, for inspiration. Claude Monet, a pioneer of the Impressionist style of painting, called Giverny home. Drawn by the changing play of light on images, he created the renowned Water Lilies series in two forms: a Japanese-styled pond on part of his five-acre land, and then dozens of oil renditions of the flowers, lily pads, trees and bridges in his groundbreaking style.
Another favorite place for Monet and other Impressionist painters in his time and today is Honfleur. The picturesque town is on Normandy’s coast, near Le Havre, where the Seine empties out into the English Channel (or La Manche to the French). From boats bobbing lazily in the harbor to the charming half-timbered houses and tiny shop-lined lanes, it’s easy to see why the town became a mecca for artists. Honfleur is much more than just a pretty face, though; it was also a prime seaport. It was from here that Samuel de Champlain departed on his way to Canada to found the city of Quebec in 1608. A fellow navigator from adjacent Brittany had steered the course for Champlain 100 years earlier – Jacques Cartier sailed from St. Malo’s harbor in the 1500s on his quest to find the Northwest Passage and laid claim in the name of France to what is today known as Canada.
Reminders of a War-torn Past
The most profound sight in Normandy, for an American at least, is the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer. This is a solemn, extremely respectful, place with neatly lined stark white crosses and Stars of David – over 9,000 of them. The overwhelming odds against a successful incursion on French soil by Allied forces is driven home by the mere act of standing on the hill looking down at Omaha Beach, where Americans valiantly stormed ashore on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Thousands of Americans died during the initial onslaught alone. Overlooking the gravestones is a soaring 22-foot bronze statue, “The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves.” The Cemetery’s Visitor Center* pays a fitting and very moving tribute to all who participated in Operation Overlord, using the words and images of the people who served. It dramatically puts into perspective challenges faced by very young soldiers: 500,000 beach obstacles and 6 ½ million mines were part of what made the Atlantic coast of France “one of the most heavily fortified places on earth.” A helmet stuffed with pictures and a letter from home reminds visitors of the very human face of a war.
Not far from Omaha Beach is one of the first towns in France liberated by the Allied forces, Bayeux. With no strategic military value, it escaped bombing and remains a charming town. Almost 900 years earlier, Bayeux was at the forefront of another invasion – but one in reverse. From it, troops headed out under the command of William, Duke of Normandy, as he stormed Britain’s coast on his way to wrest the country from his cousin. He succeeded and became William the Conqueror, King of England. The tale is preserved and retold through an amazing hand-stitched, over 200-foot long embroidered linen. The so-called Bayeux Tapestry is in remarkable condition, considering it was created late in the 11th century to detail the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings, a momentous event in British history. The colorful artwork, stretched out across three walls in the town’s Musée de la Tapisserie, is not without controversy. Some claim the Norman tale of the 1066 battle is only part of the story. Hidden within the stitches is said to be a pro-English version, and that it was British women, not Norman, whose handiwork crafted it.
Final resting place for thousands who fought liberate France and halt the spread of Nazism.
Reflecting pool leads from the Memorial out to the over 9000 graves.
Semicircular colonnade is the focal point of the 172.5-acre cemetery site.
The 22-foot bronze statue is an uplifting salute to the undaunted troops who defied the odds and came ashore.
Approaches and landing points of Allied troops
Visitor's Center tells the story of the invasion through the words of the people who lived it.
With photos and biographies, the Gallery introduces visitors to the people honored there.
A look at what soldiers brought into battle with them
A soldier's helmut stuffed with his most cherished possessions
A Mulberry Port is an artificial harbor created to facilitate naval landings. Remnants of the Gold Beach at Arromanches landing are still visible; it is considered one of the greatest engineering feats of World War II.
Sunken fortification
One of the American landing points, Omaha Beach was the scene of one of the most deadly battles of D-Day.
A 225-foot long tapestry tells of events leading up to the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
Unique artistry using the "Bayeux Stitch"
* The American Battle Monument Commission provides some of the Visitors' Center's powerful videos online. You can view these at: Normandy Videos.
Click on the images above for an expanded slide-show view and additional information.
The Chunnel and Northeast France
Lacking time for an extended visit to France's sights, an increasingly popular British getaway is to the northeast coast of France. Since the tunnel running under the English Channel, colloquially known as the Chunnel, opened in 1994, travel between England and France has become as easy as hopping a train, either as a passenger in the high-speed Eurostar originating in London or in your car aboard the Eurotunnel Shuttle train from Folkstone. Crossing the Channel now only takes a little more than a half-hour — about an hour faster than by ferry!
While many make a beeline for France’s capital Paris, a nice alternative is to take your car on the Shuttle and drive along the coast road from Calais to Boulogne-sur-Mer, a great place to soak up seaside ambiance and enjoy lunch at an outdoor café in the shadow of its imposing 13th century Count’s Castle.
For history buffs, there’s lots of places to visit along the way. Reminders of this region’s role in both World Wars are everywhere. At Wimille, the Terlincthun Cemetery holds remains of WWI British soldiers. In a pristine graveyard, beautifully tended flowering plants stand as a definitive reminder these soldiers have not been forgotten. Musée 39-45 is hard to miss in Ambleteuse – the Sherman tank and Howitzer parked on the roadside make the WWII historical museum easy to spot. At Audinghen, a former German bunker houses another WWII museum, Batterie Todt.
Drive your car aboard the Eurotunnel Shuttle and train from Folkstone, UK, to Calais, France, crossing the Channel in a little more than a half-hour.
A nice drive from Calais to Boulogne-sur-Mer.
WWII museum housed in a former German bunker at Audinghen.
Musee 39-45 is hard to miss in Ambleteuse.
At Wimille, France, a WWII British cemetery is kept well tended.
Boulogne-sur-Mer is a pretty port city, but has also been a strategic one from a military point of view for more than 2000 years, including reigns of Romans, English, Germans and French. The oldest still-standing building is its 12th century Belfry; its newest addition is at Place Godefroy de Bouillon, where Le Jardin Ephemere brings a bit of whimsy to town. A "temporary garden" appears in front of the Town Hall each year with various themes. The 11-year anniversary in 2017 was celebrated with a nod to the cinema - from Edward Scissorhands to Alice in Wonderland!
Click the photos below for a closer look at Boulogne-sur-Mer.
Notre-Dame Basilica was built in the 19th Century on the ruins of a medieval cathedral. It is dedicated to "Our Lady of the Sea." Its over 300-foot-tall dome was inspired by St. Paul's in London, St. Peter's in Rome, the Pantheon and France's own Les Invalides.
The oldest monument of Boulogne-sur-Mer, the Belfry serves as the home to a museum of Celtic remains from the Roman occupation.
Cobbled street leads up from the port to Boulogne's imposing 13th century Count’s Castle.
The largest fishing port in France, Boulogne-sur-Mer was liberated from German troops and used to transport goods from England to the front during WWII.
Edward Scissorhands tribute
Continue your trip through France with a visit to Paris, the Loire Valley, France's Churches, or back to the France home page.
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