Around Normandy - Normandy - page 95

Left St-Lô Right Château de Pirou

Best of the Rest

St-Vaast-la-Hougue and
Île de Tatihou
The harbour of this enchanting
small port was fortified after the
French naval defeat in 1692, as
was the Île de Tatihou - now the
site of a garden, bird-watching
post and maritime museum.
d Map B2 • Tourist office: 1 pl Général-
de-Gaulle. 02 33 23 19 32

Ste-Mère-Eglise
Apart from its war museum
and church, made famous by the
film The Longest Day , the town
is known for its livestock market.
Rural life in the early 1900s is
illustrated at the Ferme Musée
du Cotentin. d Map B3 • Tourist
office: rue Eisenhower. 02 33 21 00 33

Abbaye de Cérisy-la-Fôret
Though much of the vast
nave is missing, this Benedictine
abbey is still a powerful reminder
of the importance of monasteries
in medieval times. d Map C3 •
Open Easter-Nov: daily • Adm charge

Valognes
Though badly damaged in
1944, Valognes retains traces of
its glory days as the “Versailles
of the North” - including the
splendid Hôtel de Beaumont. d
Map B2 • Tourist office: place du Château.
02 33 40 11 55 St-Lô

The strongest draw in the
regional capital, which was
unsympathetically rebuilt after
wartime destruction, is the
important Haras (national stud),
where you can inspect 100
stallions of different breeds. d
Map C4 • Tourist office: pl Général-de-
Gaulle. 02 33 77 60 36

Bricquebec
This quiet town is noted for
its Trappist monastery and its old
castle. d Map B2 • Tourist office: 13 pl
Ste-Anne. 02 33 52 21 65

Barneville-Carteret
This lively resort is formed
by the villages of Barneville,
Carteret and Barneville-Plage
(see p61) . Its rocky headland,
Cap de Carteret, makes a bracing
walk. d Map A3 • Tourist office: 10 rue
des Écoles. 02 33 04 90 58

Château de Pirou
Set on an island in the middle
of an artificial lake, this remote
12th-century fortress is a stirring
sight. d Map B4 • Open Apr-Sep: daily;
Oct-Dec, Mar: Wed-Mon • Adm charge

St-Sauveur-le-Vicomte
The 12th-century castle
houses the Musée Barbey-
d'Aurevilly, dedicated to the 19th-
century novelist who was born in
the town (see p50) . d Map B3 •
Open May-Sep: Wed-Mon; Sep-Easter:
Sat, pm Sun • Adm charge

Château de Gratot
The roofless remains of this
once-great château, the ancestral
home of the Argouges family, lie
in quiet countryside. An exhibition
tells its story. d Map B4 • Open daily
• Adm charge

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