Calvados | French Holiday Travel Guide

Calvados is a Normandy region so rich in enchanting landscapes, glorious coastlines, fascinating heritage and sublime gastronomy that it’s hard to argue against it being the most perfect department for any France-loving visitor to explore.

There really is something for everyone to enjoy here, and what’s more it’s easily accessible thanks to a proximity to the UK via ferry ports.

                                   
                                                               Honfleur  ©Calvados-tourisme.com

Taking a rapid tour of its varied topographical treats, we find mile after mile of lovely sandy beaches stretching from pretty port Honfleur in the east to Isigny in the west. Moving inland, we discover the lush meadows and apple orchards of the Pays d’Auge – the apple is king here, so much so that it has become the department’s shiny red emblem!

Equally compelling are the patchwork fields and forests of the wooded bocage and the peaks and gorges of the Suisse Normande, both of which promise a warm and friendly welcome, some other-worldy peace and quiet as well as the chance to enjoy invigorating fresh air pursuits.



                                                        Pays D'auge-Auberge deux Tonneaux(Inn) and Bessin-Landscape
                                                                                      ©Calvados-tourisme.com                                          

For history lovers there are historic châteaux and manor houses to visit, dotted around picturesque country villages seemingly frozen perfectly in time. And let’s not forget the region’s most famous son, William the Conqueror, so vividly remembered in history trails linking Caen, Falaise and Bayeux, home of the famously embroidered 70-metre piece of linen.

More recent battles are respectfully remembered, too, the D-Day landings and Battle of Normandy from June 1944 marked by eight themed routes, four of which pass through Calvados.

                                         
                                                   Arromanches: D-Day Landing beaches ©Calvados-tourisme.com

Then there’s the local produce, so familiar and well loved. Who wouldn’t want to visit the land that gives us such rich dairy products as Camembert cheese and Isigny butter and cream – here there are five AOC dairy products alone! – not to mention delicious seafood such as scallops from Port au Bessin and an array of apple drinks that squeeze every last drop of flavour and creative passion from the region’s symbolic fruit. If Calvados really is an apple, you’d be a fool not to take a bite!

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Fruits of the land and sea are harvested to delicious effect in Calvados, so whether you are dining out or self-catering, your tastebuds will be well and truly tickled.

From the humble apple come all manner of drinks, ranging from over 400 types of cider (hic!) to the fiery, distilled apple brandy, Calvados. Did you know that 18 kilos of cider apples are required to produce 13 litres of cider with a 5% alcohol content, in turn providing one litre of 70% Calvados?

Also delicious is pommeau, a blend of Calvados and apple juice that has proudly held its AOC status since 1991. Any trip to the region also made more enjoyable by a visit to a cider farm, in more ways than one!
                                                         
On the dinner plate, there’s much to tempt. Dairy figures heavily in its rustic heartland – you will spot the famous Norman cows, with their russet and white colouring, all over the countryside.

As well as aforementioned butters and Camembert, you will also find Pont l’Evêque and Livarot on groaning local cheese trolleys. Again, make a visit to a dairy farm to enhance your Calvados experience.

Other local specialities for foodies include pork dishes from traditional Bayeux pigs; les tripes à la mode de Caen (tripe cooked with vegetables, cider and Calvados); and andouille or chitterling sausage from Vire.

As well as scallops, the region is also noted for its oysters, shrimps and mussels – all best sampled in seaside restaurants, fresh from the daily catch.
                                          
                                                                                                            
         
                                                Calvados, Cider and Cheeses©Calvados-tourisme.com

For the sweet of tooth, apple tart is a clear local winner, while caramels from Isigny, buttery biscuits les Sablées d’Asnelle and locally produced jams and honeys will all make your visit that much sweeter.
                                                                                                         
Finally, the region has a real gourmet edge these days, so whether you fancy a cookery course or fine dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant, a refined dining experience is a perfect complement to the rustic fare widely available.

And don’t miss out on the experience of a Normandy market, either – ask at any tourist office for details of local markets and food festivals, always an explosion of wonderful colours, scents and flavours.

More information on the Gastronomie pages of the Calvados Tourist Board website

The great outdoors is writ large in Calvados. Suisse Normande, located in the south, is a striking landscape of vertiginous cliffs and ridges, wooded hills and the rolling water of the Orne river, a perfect destination for canoeing, white-water rafting and hang-gliding, not to mention more genteel pursuits such as fishing and hiking. Also here is the riverside park at the ruined chateau in Thury Harcourt, and the pretty town of Clécy.

www.ot-suisse-normande.com

Sports fans will be in paradise in Calvados. Take your pick from 12 splendid golf courses, each offering different challenges and aesthetic appeal, from the rural and technical to the coastal.

The region also boasts eight horse race courses, the most famous being at Deauville la Touques. Watersports fans will be in their element, too, no matter their age or ability. Choose from kite-surfing on the wind-swept beaches at Ouistreham, sea-kayaking around Trouville and gentle family boat trips in Suisse Normande.

Visit www.calvados-nautisme.com for full information on courses and equipment hire, harbours, tides and nautical events.


                                       
                                                           Trouville's Port-Cote Fleurie ©Calvados-toursime.com
 

Whether it’s two legs or two wheels that you wish to explore Calvados on, an array of marked trails awaits.

By foot, a good one for families is the ‘Guillaume Circuit’ at Cambremer, a short walk in the footsteps of William the Conqueror. On bike, set off from Ouistreham for two flat rides of 16 or 30 km, while more challenging is a 30km route from Honfleur through countryside that attracted Impressionist painters.

You can download a detailed map from the tourist board website or pop into a local tourist office.
 www.calvados-tourisme.com.

New challenge for thrill seekers


                            Kite festival  and Vialduc Souleuvre and a giant Tyrlean slide ©Calvados-toursime.com

If you can’t resist a challenge but think you’ve tried everything going, you could be in for a surprise in the tranquil countryside around Vire. In 1988, New Zealander A J Hacket created the first European bungy jump site at the Souleuvre viaduct in Calvados, built in 1889 by Gustave Eiffel to carry the railway.

Hackett celebrated the Millennium by adding a giant Tyrolean slide, then in 2008, launched the ultimate challenge to thrill seekers, Le Swing. Daredevils are pulled up to 55 m above ground before the rope is released, leaving them to swing between the pillars of the bridge like a pendulum at 120 km an hour - try it alone, in tandem or in threes. If you dare…!

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Of the must-sees in Calvados, the Bayeux tapestry, D-Day landing beaches, World War II cemeteries and Caen Memorial – an hommage to peace with themed exhibitions – rank most highly in the history stakes.

But also not to be missed are the medieval castle in Falaise, the Merville Franceville artillery battery, not to mention pretty fishing ports and markets at Ouistreham, Courseulles, Port en Bessin, Trouville.                                                   
 


                                 Dives sur Mer and Arromanches D-Day landing beaches ©Calvados-tourisme.com

 
 In Bayeux, listed UNESCO on their ‘Memory of the World’ register reserved for documents of universal cultural interest, not only should you study up close its 70 metre, 11th-century tapestry the help of an audio guide and tour the exhibition that brings the events of 1066 vividly to life, but also head into the Old Town to appreciate its architecture and Gothic cathedral

More information on Places to visit in Calvados on the Calvados Toursit Board website

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In spite of the town’s near-destruction in WWII, Caen’s two magnificent abbeys, the Abbaye aux Hommes and Abbaye aux Dames, remained intact. After soaking up the history at William of Normandy’s castle, relax on one of the quiet squares or gardens.



                                                              Caen-Colline aux Oiseau Gardens ©Calvados-tourisme.com
                                                                                    
Seaside resort Deauville on the Côte Fleurie epitomises Normandy coastal elegance. Enjoy its half-timbered villas and swanky boutiques and casino then wander along the famous boardwalk where many Hollywood stars have ambled during the annual American film festival. The town also has a fine beach – spot the famous colourful umbrellas! – making it perfect for a family break. Nearby Trouville is equally attractive, a working port and family resort.

                                            
                                                           Traditional Street in Honfleur ©Calvados-tourisme.com

Picture postcard Honfleur is a charming port with tall, colourful houses lining the pretty harbour and narrow streets extending off it to reveal craft shops and cafes. Check out St Catherine’s church, made entirely from wood and visit the town’s many museums ranging in subjects from shipping to the music of composer and pianist Erik Satie.

Lisieux is the hub of pretty Pays d’Auge, and the home town of St Teresa, who died tragically young aged 24 but whose philosophies live on in her international bestseller, History of a Soul. 


                                 Lisieux-Pays d'Auge-Gardens and Lisieux's Basilique ©Calvados-tourisme.com                                              

Falaise, 30km south of Caen, is the birthplace of William the Conqueror and you can visit the two castle keeps where he grew up – in the oldest stone fortress in Normandy. The town also has a large aquatic centre and a lake.


www.bayeux-tourism.com
www.ville-caen.fr
www.deauville.org
www.trouvillesurmer.org
www.ot-honfleur.fr
www.lisieux-tourisme.com
www.otsifalaise.com

  With its 120 km of fabulous coastline, superb sporting facilities and a wide range of leisure parks and animal attractions, Calvados is a great destination for a family holiday.

Perhaps most attractive to Mums and Dads are the array of family-friendly hotels and gîtes, seaside apartments and country campsites, all within easy reach of major attractions.

Active kids will love trying out windsurfing, sandyachting or other watery adventures at one of the region’s many water parks, while for animal lovers, there’s much to see and do.

La Ferme de la Nature is home to more than 70 breeds of domestic animal, while little ones can get up close and personal with furry beasts at the Parc des Bisons.


                                                                              Sailing or exploring the countryside in Calvados
                           
                                                                                   
                                                                                    Jurques Zoo/animal Park ©Calavados-tourisme.com

The whole family can travel through time at the Festyland fun park where themed rides and live shows provide a thrilling introduction to local history (most heritage sites are geared to bringing history to life for children) and should the weather win, head inside to indoor games centres Girafou and Ouga Ouga.
                                                                                                
  More information on Family activity on Calvados  on www.calvados-tourisme.com/en

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