Top Things to do in Basse-Normandie
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Top 10 Hidden Gems Things to do in Basse-Normandie, Normandy
Discover the best top things to do in Basse-Normandie, France including D-Day Beaches (Plages du Debarquement de la Bataille de Normandie), Chemins de la Baie du Mont Saint-Michel, Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, Ranville War Cemetery, Chateau Fort de Pirou, Musee Baron Gerard, Maisy Battery, Abbaye de La Lucerne, Le Moulin de Moidrey, Cornille Havard - Fondeur de Cloches.
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1. D-Day Beaches (Plages du Debarquement de la Bataille de Normandie)
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 329 reviews
Reviewed By 750dimitrisl - Sydney, Australia
We spent the best part of a day visiting the D-Day Beaches, in Normandy. It was quite an emotional trip. This is an amazing stretch of nature which now brings up such terrible images to visitors. The areas have been well maintained and it is easy to walk around and inspect the various sites. There are still some remnants of the war, such as battlements and others, as well as some wonderful memorials to the fallen and to those who participated in the war effort.
2. Chemins de la Baie du Mont Saint-Michel
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 345 reviews
Crossing the bay, walking barefoot on sand, water and mud, with an experienced guide, retracing the foot steps of the ancients pilgrims to Mont Saint-Michel. Along this walk you will discover a unique and ever changing landscape. Come to experienced an original way to reach Mont Saint-Michel. We suggest trips from 4 to 8 miles, for all the family, for adults and school groups...
Reviewed By Richard_in_Au
I took the 3 hour walk around Mont Saint Michel along the mudflats and across rivers and it was a good way to further experience the beauty of the island abbey. The tour was in french but I understood much of what was being said. As the tour ended, the tide came rushing in and watching that was an awesome sight as well.
3. Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 213 reviews
Reviewed By Nolinice - Oakville, Canada
just a kilometer off the beaten coastal path sits this gorgeous, well maintained, and unfortunately quite large Canadian war cemetery. always a sobering experience
4. Ranville War Cemetery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 184 reviews
Reviewed By DiggoryLondon
Having visited Pegasus Bridge nearby it was only fitting to visit this pristine Commonwealth War Grave site. Inside the main churchyard adjacent to the wall is the grave of Lieutenant Brotheridge the first person KIA on landing beside the bridge. The main cementry is the location of the grave of 16 year old Private R.E. Johns who was the youngest military casualty killed on 23.7.44. There are also German military graves present. The enormity of the lives lost during the battle can be be absorbed here.
5. Chateau Fort de Pirou
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 213 reviews
UNE FORTERESSE IMPRENABLE ! Chef d’oeuvre d’architecture militaire médiévale, Pirou est l’un des plus anciens châteaux forts normands, parmi les mieux conservés grâce à la remarquable restauration initiée depuis 1966 par l’abbé Marcel LELÉGARD (1925-1994). Bâti au XIIe siècle sur un îlot artificiel entouré de trois douves et de cinq portes fortifiées, les portes défensives s’ouvrent sur un ensemble exceptionnel : la boulangerie, le pressoir, la chapelle, la salle des Plaids (avec la Tapisserie de Pirou), le vieux logis (salle des gardes, salle à manger, cuisines) et le chemin de ronde avec ses belles toitures de schiste. Laissez-vous enchanter par la fabuleuse légende des Oies de Pirou, immerger dans l’époque médiévale et découvrir neuf siècles d’histoire. Vos droits d’entrée contribuent à la préservation du château en soutenant la « Fondation Abbaye de La Lucerne d’Outremer », propriétaire, qui a en charge sa gestion, son entretien et sa restauration.
6. Musee Baron Gerard
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 316 reviews
In the heart of the Episcopal palace of Bayeux, the MAHB reopened in 2013, provides a journey through history of art in Europe, from Archeology to Modern Art.-600 pieces of art with Impressionnist masterpiece of Gustave Caillebotte and Eugene Boudin-1000 pieces of Bayeux porcelain and lace-800 archeological and ethnographic pieces
7. Maisy Battery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 605 reviews
We are now closed for the season. We will reopen in April 2020. The Maisy Battery is a huge German WW2 Headquarters and Gun Batteries that was left buried in the fields of Normandy for the past 60 years. Only re-opened in 2006 this site now stands as the largest in Normandy of its type with over 3km of trenches open for you to see along side personnel buildings, ammunition tunnels, Hospitals and many more buildings that you can walk through and explore! Private tours are available on request taken by the owners. This is really a unique site to see on this coast! Please note: last entry is 1 hour before closing.
Reviewed By jsfor17 - Bangor, United Kingdom
I visited the Maisy battery in May 2017, on my second trip to Normandy, having come across it while browsing the internet. I put it on the 'must see' list and was not disappointed. My friend and I arrived at the battery about half way through our trip and were impressed by the friendly and relaxed hosts. They were chatty and informative - a very pleasant conversation was enjoyed. The little office was packed with fantastic relics from WW2, some found at the battery itself and for sale at reasonable prices - a real plus in Normandy. The entrance price was also very reasonable. We spent at least 2 hours in the battery's trenches, gun pits and bunkers getting loads of great photos that I have thoroughly enjoyed looking at and reliving the good memory ever since. The weather on the day we visited was sunny and hot but we had brought wellies just in case of mud (think ahead for your visit). A camera is essential and a torch is always good to have with you as are decent walking shoes and a waterproof coat. We were in Normandy visiting the D-Day sites non-stop for 5 days and the Maisy Battery stands out among the many sites we visited (all the main ones). I rate it so highly because it has a real sense of authenticity about it. You can easily imagine something of what the site was like in the 1940s - more than the many other sites we visited. It's a very hands-on place to visit: you can handle the artillery guns & explore the bunkers without restriction. We are planning to return to Normandy in 2018 & the Maisy battery will not be by-passed by us. Well done the Sterns.
8. Abbaye de La Lucerne
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 54 reviews
Nestling in a ridge of the Thar Valley, the Lucerne Abbey was founded in 1143 and occupied by Premonstratensian Canons. This roman Abbey has the sobriety of Cistercian style and is set in shady and picturesque surroundings and dominated over by the Gothic anglo-norman tower. Since 1959, the 7th Marvel of the Manche has been spectacularly restored, under the direction of Abbot Lelégard.
9. Le Moulin de Moidrey
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 279 reviews
Reviewed By JillPro - Cranston, United States
Built in 1806, this charming windmill later felt into disrepair but was fully renovated in 2003, and even made into a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007. It's now the only working mill in the region, which contains four other mills still in disrepair. A fascinating tour by the informative, witty, and multilingual miller explained the ins and outs of the simple but clever engineering design. End your tour buying a kilo bag of freshly milled wheat or rye flour--he's got several varieties, including flour specially milled for making pizza dough. Young children who aspire to be engineers will love seeing the working mechanisms on the second and third floors of the mill.
10. Cornille Havard - Fondeur de Cloches
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 399 reviews
In an authentic 19th Century workshop, discover nine centuries of tradition, from ageless methods to modern technology.
Reviewed By bebsaurus_13 - Paris, France
This isn't a museum, but a working foundry, so it's grimy, hot and space is tight. It's the real thing! The commented visit is interesting and well explained. It shows the whole production cycle of a bell, with the different techniques and materials used depending on the bell size and use. There is also a great selection of bells of various sizes to try out in the courtyard. I wouldn't want to live next door, because they are loud, but it is a lot of fun. This really was a great place to visit.
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