Holiday Home Normandy

Conquer Normandy with a Holiday Home

Located alongside the English Channel, France’s Normandy boasts some of the nation’s most iconic architectural and artistic achievements.

Whether you’re looking for soaring cathedrals, picturesque coastlines, or world-renowned art, you’ll find something to enjoy on a trip to Normandy. The best way for families to fully experience this historically rich region is to rent a holiday home in Normandy. 

Although Normandy’s heyday was during the Middle Ages, most tourists are familiar with the Allied victory that took place here during WWII.

You can better appreciate the massive scale of the Battle of Normandy at the many cemeteries, museums, and memorials in and around the city of Caen. A few of the most popular attractions in the region include the D-Day Museum, the Caen Memorial Center, the American Cemetery on Omaha Beach, and Utah Beach. 

After exploring all the WWII sites, take a step even further back in time and learn about Normandy’s 1066 AD invasion of the UK. One of the best Norman cities to learn about the Battle of Hastings is Bayeux. Here you’ll find the famed 230-foot long Bayeux Tapestry. Created sometime in the 11th century, this massive embroidered tapestry vividly details the history of the Battle of Hastings. While you’re in Bayeux, also schedule time to visit the city’s impressive cathedral. 

Although the Bayeux Cathedral is impressive, the most famous cathedral in Normandy is in Rouen. Construction on this marvelous cathedral dates back to the 4th century and at one time it held the title for the highest spire in the world. Today, most art students know of the Rouen Cathedral thanks to Impressionist Claude Monet’s dozens of paintings depicting the cathedral's facade. 

Rouen has many other impressive historical attractions to explore once you’ve finished touring the cathedral. You could see the exact location where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake, climb to the top of one of France's oldest clock towers, and admire great paintings at the Musée des Beaux-Arts.

Rouen is also home to the birthplaces of two of France’s greatest writers: Pierre Corneille and Gustave Flaubert. You can learn more about these authors by touring their well-preserved homes in Rouen. 

For those who want to see more of Monet, you can visit the great painter’s garden retreat at Giverny while in Normandy. Monet spent over 40 years of his life painting in this garden retreat. Although there aren’t any paintings here, people love touring Monet’s studio/home as well his beautifully maintained garden. Please note that Monet’s Giverny garden isn’t open in the winter. 

Last, but certainly not least, no trip to Normandy is complete without a visit to the awe-inspiring Mont Saint-Michel. Officially listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Mont St. Michel is a small town with a very famous Benedictine Abbey on an island near Avranches. Watching the rising and falling of the tides from atop this storied abbey is one of the greatest travel experiences in Europe.