Come and choose a theme for your itinerary in Normandy
The Ivory and Spice trail: Seen from the heights ofthe grandiose cliffs of the Pays de Caux, the breathtaking beauty of the sea isan invitation to try one's luck beyond the horizon, and Norman sailors haveventured on every ocean since the end of the middle ages. Sailors from Dieppereached the coasts of Africa to bring back ivory, those from Fécamp fished forprecious cod off the coast of America, while king François 1st had the"Haven of Grace" (Le Havre) built to shelter the finest merchantfleet in his kingdom. Unknown fruits and precious wood, ivory and heady spicesbrought wealth to the trading posts set up by Jacques Coeur or Jehan Ango,while country houses and châteaux were built in the fertile countryside of thePays de Caux.
The Fruit trail: In Duclair, in one of the meandersof the river Seine at the heart of the Boucles de la Seine Normande RegionalNatural Park, you will enter a landscape full of orchards, where, depending onthe season, flowers and fruits bloom all around you. In this protected area, aunique place to visit: Jumièges Abbey
The Camembert trail: It was Marie Harel and herdaughter, also called Marie, who made camembert widely known and set it on itsway to becoming the "king of cheeses". The purpose of the 35 miletrail, organised jointly by the Tourist Office and the Camembert Museum inVimoutiers, is to introduce visitors to the "kingdom of milk" andpromote the products of the Pays d'Auge. The Trail leads the visitor to Orbec,Canapville, Ticheville, Guerquesalles, Roiville where Marie Harel was born,Champosoult where her family tomb is to be seen, Les Champeaux, Crouttes andits Saint-Michel Priory, and Vimoutiers (with its statue of Marie Harel).
The Cider trail: To the east of Caen, the "CiderTrail" is a signposted tourist circuit, winding through countryside whichis typical of the Pays d'Auge, linking the villages of Beuvron en Auge (classifiedvillage), Bonnebosq, Beaufour and Druval via picturesque little roads in thedistrict of Cambremer. Some twenty cider producers and distillers of"Cambremer Vintage" Calvados open their cellars and pressing sheds tovisitors and encourage them to taste their products along this circuit, whichis one of the Tourist Circuits. Let yourself be guided along this initiatorycircuit! If you need more information these websites are for you: http://www.calvados-tourisme.co.uk/en/discover/tourist-trails.php (External link)
To quench your thirst for knowledge about cider products,you can also visit the IDAC web site, the showcase of the cider and Calvadosproducers association.
The Mill trail North of Caen, the "Milltrail" runs between the valleys of the Seulles, Mue and Thue in theCreully district, between Caen and Courseulles sur Mer. This circuit issituated in the verdant Bessin countryside near to the D-Day beaches and theMother-of-Pearl Coast.
The Tradition trailSituated close to Caen, this tourist circuit, which runs through the"Pré-Bocage" countryside with its typical small fields, via thelittle towns of Villers Bocage, Dampierre and Caumont l'Eventé, is thereflection of local traditions, to which local farmers and artisans are stillfirmly attached.