Normandy

NORMANDY combines a rich green landscape with the tumultuous sea-shores of the (English) Channel.

From the Mont Saint-Michel to the terrific cliffs of Etretat, the Normandy province stretches across a large area full of cosy manors, churches, abbeys, small historic towns and bocages.

France owes an important part of its history to Normandy. Invaded by the Vikings, it was where William the Conqueror planned his conquest of England in the 11th Century. The famous Joan of Arc was killed by religious authorities under the English occupation in the Middle-Ages in Normandy’s capital, Rouen. In the “Belle Epoque”, Deauville became an holiday destination for upper-class Parisians. In June 1944, France’s future was changed on Normandy’s beaches with the “Débarquement des Alliés” (D-Day).

NORMANDY

Our ‘French Moments’ pages on Normandy:

Camembert - France’s most famous cheese.

Etretat - A grandiose site on the seacoast between Le Havre and Dieppe.

Pont l'Evêque - a cheese with a washed yellow-orange to straw yellow rind.

The story behind the name ‘Sydney’ - the etymological links between Sydney, Australia, Normandy and Paris, France.

The province’s largest cities are Rouen, Le Havre and Caen. Other medium-sized cities are Dieppe, Evreux, Saint-Lô and Cherbourg.

Since the French Revolution, the historic Duchy of Normandy has been divided into 5 départements, numbered 14, 27, 50, 61 and 76. In 1982, the 5 départements have been gathered into 2 régions: the Upper Normandy (Haute-Normandie) and Lower Normandy (Basse-Normandie).

Thanks to its moderate Atlantic climate and lush agricultural land, Normandy has long been Paris’ food basket, supplying the richest dairy products, beef, seafood and apples.

Here the palate discovers the pleasures of the farm: butter and cream - such as Beurre and Crème d’Isigny -, cheese and apples which are used to prepare delicious apple tarts. The famous cheese of Camembert, Livarot and Pont L’Evêque accompany most meals. Many dishes are made with a cream sauce à la normande. The region boasts a number of excellent restaurants and has a total of 28 Michelin Stars.

The people of Normandy take their eating very seriously indeed. Norman recipes are usually quite simple, but as they make use of local dairy produce and apples, the fresh natural flavours come through in a vast range of dishes.

Beurre and Creme d’Isigny - the butter and crème fraiche from the village of Isigny in Normandy cannot be mistaken for another make!

ROUEN homepage - The capital of Normandy.

ROUEN Old Town - A guided tour of the old town of Rouen.

ROUEN Cathedral - The lofty gothic cathedral Notre Dame of Rouen.

ROUEN History - A bit of history of the capital of Normandy, where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake.

Rouen Cathedral and Rue de l’épicerie

by Camille Pissarro

Tarte aux Pommes - the recipe of an apple tart from Normandy.

Livarot - a raw or pasteurised cow’s milk cheese from Normandy nicknamed “the colonel”.