Amiens is a strange city when you look at it. It’s pretty, pleasant even, but you don’t see that many tourists like in other big French cities (like Bordeaux, Marseille or Lyon) . With its 150,000 inhabitants, Amiens is the 28th largest city of the country, but when you ask people what they know of …
The one thing that Amiens is famous for, worldwide even, is its enormous cathedral. It is called the “Basilique Cathédrale Notre-Dame d’Amiens” (Basilica of Our Lady of Amiens Cathedral), or for short, the Notre-Dame (but not to be confused with the Paris one). The cathedral forms part of one of the French legs of the Santiago …
Although the Amiens cathedral is its main attraction, the Hortillonnages should be on your “to see” list. Hortillonnages is a fancy word for floating gardens, and as gardens go, this one is enormous. Even if flowers and gardens are not your thing, this could interest you. The Hortillonnages cover a vast area of 300 hectares (741 acres) …
Arcachon is one of those French places that is pleasant to visit but quite far too reach. It’s on the Southern part of the French Atlantic coast, near all the Bordeaux wineries, and close enough to Bordeaux for weekend people to invade the area (in other words, many folks from Bordeaux come here for the …
Transport Getting there Ferry: Apart from local ferries, there are no international ferry operators in the area. The closest ferry to the UK would be in Bilbao, Spain. Air: 66 km away is the international airport for Bordeaux with many international and national flights. Within Arcachon Arcachon is not very big and you can easily …
Bayonne, located in the South West of France, is particularly known for its ham and its chocolates (and its rugby club). Apart from that, the city is a medieval city that has been reasonably well conserved over the centuries. The inner part of the city centre is old but well maintained. Bayonne is divided by …
Cherbourg is world’s 2nd biggest artificial harbour, a major ferry harbour but a drab and boring city. For many travellers to and from the UK and Ireland it’s a must to pass through. But it does have a few parts that are worth a quick stopover.
Transport Getting There There is a direct rail line Cherbourg – Paris which makes getting there easy and fast if you are arriving from the capital. By Air Cherbourg has a small airport (Maupertus Airport) but there are no scheduled flights in or outside of France. It is mostly used for private an charter flights. By Ferry …
Built: 18th centuryStatus: Private/Visitable?: Yes, gardens and farmNotable: The castle is surrounded by lamasWeb: Chateau de Courcelles sous Moyencourt In a small village of some 150 inhabitants close to the city of Amiens you will find an amazingly beautiful castle, the Chateau de Courcelles sous Moyencourt. But what’s more, you will find the castle surrounded by …
Courcelles-sous-Moyencourt Castle – The Lama Castle Read More »
Built: 1866Status: PrivateVisitable?: NoNotable: Web: Although this castle can not be visited on the inside, you can walk in the gardens and look around the castle on the outside. The castle is located close to one of Dinard‘s beaches. The city had ordered the chateau to be built for the Royal couple, Napoleon III and …
Built: 17th centuryStatus: PrivateVisitable?: Yes, only the gardensNotable: Property of Prince and Princess Kayali (Syria). The castle has not been modified since the 18th century. Known for the largest rose garden in Normandy.Web: None In a small town in Upper Normandy called Ermenouville you will find this quite spectacular castle. Ermenouville is a very small …
Etretat on its own is a place to visit in Upper Normandy. It’s well viewed by the French, and in the summer, even in the spring, you’ll have problems finding parking spaces, that’s how busy it gets. A beautiful, old and very scenic coastal village with several very old buildings, narrow streets, a beach and …
Transport Getting There The only real way is by car/motorcycle and it will involve a bit of small road travel. There is a train service from Paris to Le Havre and from there you need to take a bus. TIP: If you are coming between April and September by car, come early and forget about …
The Balleure Castle lies deep in the Burgundy wine region, and there’s a good reason for it.
The hotel/restaurant is owned by one of world’s most recognised wine taste/specialists. The castle has several comfortable and cozy rooms, and the wine menu is to die for. The area is beautiful and very quiet.
Built: 1599 centuryStatus: PrivateVisitable?: YesNotable: WWII German V1 Launch padsWeb: – The Filieres Castle, to be found close to the Gommerville village (in Upper Normandy), is very interesting to see. Built in 1599 the Henri IV style castle itself is quite big and the gardens are equally interesting (and not just for the plants and …
The “Jardin des Personnalités” (famous people garden) is a must see and it’s free. Located next to the harbour entry, it’s a big landscaped garden with small gardens inside, each named after a famous person who lived or worked in Honfleur.
Built: 16th centuryStatus: PrivateVisitable?: Yes, for a fee, gardens and distilleryNotable: Calvados distilleryWeb: Chateau du Breuil Located in the midst of the Calvados region (Normandy) you will find a pretty castle, the Chateau du Breuil, that has been since 1954 a distillery that transforms apples into Calvados (an apple brandy). Located in a 1000 people village, Le …
Le Breuil-en-Auge – Chateau du Breuil and Calvados Distillery Read More »
Le Havre is a city that has been rebuilt completely after WWII with a particular and special style. It’s so unique that it was put on the United Nation UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The Jardins Suspendu, in English the Hanging Gardens is a vast garden on the heights of Le Havre overlooking the city. The whole garden area is built on an old fort. The building of the Fort de St. Adresse started in 1854. Although not directly involved during the First World War (it eventually became a camp …
Transport Getting there Ferry: From Southampton and Portsmouth direct to Le Havre, or from Newhaven to Dieppe and then the A29 to Le Havre. Click here to read more about the ferry station. Air: There is an airport, but there are no scheduled flights anymore, just charters. Within Le Havre Within Le Havre, there is …
The Basilica of Saint Therese in Lisieux is one of those buildings that is definitely worth a detour, even one of hundreds of kilometres. It is France’s second most visited pilgrimage site (after Lourdes), with 2 million visitors per year. It could be qualified in one word: imposing! The Basilica is located quite close to one …
Lisieux, in the lower part of Normandy, is an interesting and different kind of place to visit. It’s a very small city (or a very big town) with a population of some 22,000 inhabitants, but despite its relatively small size it contains an enormous basilica AND a big cathedral. Because of that, and the large population of …
The Fontenay Abbey, located next to the city of Montbard in Burgundy, is part of the Unesco World Heritage sites. Therefore you can expect something that is out of the ordinary, and you’ll not be disappointed. The Cistercian Abbey is old, very old. It is the oldest Cistercian abbey in the world that has preserved its …
